Supporting the preservation and operation of paddle steamers Waverley and Kingswear Castle
You could have taken a trip from the East Coast Piers of the Isle of Wight to Bournemouth right up to 1966 although the time you spent afloat after 1956 was only one and a half hours each way. How did that work? Sandown, Shanklin & Ventnor to Bournemouth – Kingswear Castle
In order to even up the kilometres steamed by each paddle steamer on Lake Geneva, PS Montreux was brought out of reserve on Wednesday 18th August to take over from Savoie which is now laid up in the Ouchy Shipyard. Montreux will run circuits of the eastern lake from Lausanne and the evening cruises to…
Read more
With river water levels rising at Dresden (8am 22nd August 70cm) the paddle steamers are gradually returning to service. Yesterday (21st August) PS Krippen was scheduled for the double run from Dresden to Schloss Pillnitz, Leipzig for one trip to Pillnitz followed by a “Sightseeing Cruise”, Pillnitz for three “Sightseeing Cruises” and Stadt Wehlen for…
Read more
On Monday 22nd August 1955 there was a re-arrangement of which ship ran what Bristol Channel service after an accident involving Glen Usk at Newport the previous Friday. To find out more: 22nd August 1955: Britannia – Kingswear Castle
On Saturday 21st August 1965 PS Princess Elizabeth became a film star for a day as a Cross Channel packet boat in a movie starring Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier: 21st August 1965: Princess Elizabeth – Kingswear Castle
On 20th August 1965 Princess Elizabeth ran a day trip from Weymouth to Yarmouth IOW. How did it go? Were they on time? And who were some of the people doing it? 20th August 1965: Princess Elizabeth – Kingswear Castle
Services are still running on the Chiemsee in Bavaria but, due to the low water level in the lake, have been unable to call at Seebruck and Übersee/Feldwies since 3rd August: Home – Chiemsee Schifffahrt
Low water levels on the River Elbe, due to the lack of rain, have been preventing the regular paddle steamer sailings from Dresden and in Saxon Switzerland. As things stand at the moment the water level at Dresden is rising but the company’s website says (am on 18th August) that all cruises remain cancelled until…
Read more
On 19th August 1926 RMS Columba ran, as usual, on the Royal Route from Glasgow to Ardrishaig. She was a huge and luxuriously appointed paddle steamer loaded with high end amenities – you could even get your hair cut aboard:19th August 1926: Columba to Ardrishaig – Kingswear Castle
On Tuesday 18th August 1953 you could have boarded any one of four paddle steamers at Bournemouth Pier which offered fifteen departures including to Swanage, Totland Bay IOW, Southampton and Weymouth. This is what they did: 18th August 1953: Bournemouth – Kingswear Castle
Low river levels on the Rhine are disrupting KD’s passenger ship schedules with, amongst other cancellations, the paddle driven Goethe, which usually operates the Nostalgia route between Koblenz and Rudesheim, currently replaced by the shallower draft MS Asbach which itself is only able to operate between Boppard and Rudesheim. For a fuller picture check out…
Read more
Low water levels are affecting sailings on Lake Zurich. As of 17th August there are service restrictions as follows: Also only the paddle steamer Stadt Zurich has been in service this season. Following work on her machinery last winter PS Stadt Rapperswil has been unable to run trials due to a shortage of personnel. She…
Read more
On the afternoon of Sunday 17th August 1959, the 1911 built PS Embassy had a rendezvous at Portland with Nautilus, a US nuclear powered submarine from a different age and another world: 17th August 1958: Embassy – Kingswear Castle
Cosens not only offered paddle steamer trips to Lulworth Cove but also from it as well. If you had been there on 17th August 1937 you would have had 5 trip options to take you to Weymouth, Swanage or Bournemouth: 17th August 1937: Sailings from Lulworth Cove – Kingswear Castle
On 16th August 1958 Bristol Queen was scheduled to run from Bristol to Ilfracombe. But P & A Campbell were already in deep financial trouble. Would the receiver have to be called in? Would she come out again next year? 16th August 1958: Bristol Queen – Kingswear Castle
In the 1960s former Plymouth tender Sir Richard Grenville found a new life in the Channel Islands running a complex schedule including connecting Jersey and St Malo – previously run by British Railways. She had an old-fashioned feel to her even then: 15th-22nd August 1966: A Week in the Life of La Duchesse de Normandie…
Read more
On Saturday 15th August 1959 Consul had an unusual roster to view a very unusual ship: 15th August 1959: Consul – Kingswear Castle
On 14th August 1939 Balmoral ran a long day trip from Southampton to Bournemouth taking in the piers at Ryde, Southsea, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor on the way. Then there was a round trip to Swanage before returning via the same route: 14th August 1939: Balmoral – Kingswear Castle
Vevey returned to service on Lake Geneva today (13th August) after being fitted with brand new paddle wheels . Vevey is scheduled to run the service starting and finishing her days in Le Bouveret incorporating one call at Lausanne (10.50) and circuits of the eastern part of the lake from Vevey (12.00, 14.00 & 16.00)…
Read more
Standing on the pier at Hastings on Wednesday 13th August 1952 you might have been surprised to see a paddle steamer called Cardiff Queen arrive to take you on your day trip to Shanklin IOW. But there she was, based on the Sussex Coast in 1952 & 1953: 13th August 1952: Cardiff Queen – Kingswear…
Read more
On 12th August 1935 Golden Eagle was on her summer roster from London to Ramsgate with balloon-blowing competitions, skipping, musical chairs, tug of war & streamer throwing offered. 20 years earlier she carried 6,329 Chinamen. Why did she do that? 12th August 1935: Golden Eagle – Kingswear Castle
At a loose end in Llandudno on 11th August 1930? Why not take a trip on the veteran PS Snowden at 10.30am along the N Wales coast to Menai Bridge and Caernarvon? To find out more: 11th August 1930: Snowdon – Kingswear Castle
On 10th August 1962 Waverley was scheduled to run an “Up-River Cruise” from Largs to Glasgow but didn’t. To find out why not: 10th August 1962: Waverley & Caledonia – Kingswear Castle
In the blistering heat of the summer of 1976 on 9th August Balmoral ran from Penarth to Weston and Ilfracombe and ended the day in Swansea. What was she doing for the rest of the week?: 8th-16th August 1976: A Week in the Life of Balmoral – Kingswear Castle
On Monday August 8th 1955 Cardiff Queen left Swansea early in perfect weather for Ilfracombe for a 10.30am departure for Milford Haven to see the Royal Yacht with the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh aboard. Was this super long and most unusual day trip a spectacular success or a commercial flop?: 8th August 1955: Cardiff…
Read more
On Sunday 7th August 1960 Monarch returned to service after a rare day off. To find out more: 5th-11th August 1960: A Week in the Life of Monarch – Kingswear Castle
After the Napoleonic Wars, the Congress of Vienna (1815) created an order in Europe where diplomacy stood higher than war. That changed in the late 19C. By 6th August 1914 Majestic was forced to alter her trips as the world slid towards the abyss: 6th August 1914: Majestic – Kingswear Castle
Only three of Lake Geneva’s eight paddle steamers are scheduled to be in service at any one time this August (2026). See below for the daily routine: Rhone is set to run the day trip from Geneva at 10.45 to Lausanne returning at 6.40pm after which is due to leave at 7.10pm for Yvoire returning…
Read more
The paddle steamer Majesteit has been sold to the Dutch company Constantin Beweging which already owns two large and modern passenger vessels Blue Rhapsody and Grace Kelly which offer high end trips and fine dining from Rotterdam. Built in 1925 for service on the Rhine Majesteit has run for many years based in Rotterdam in…
Read more
Where was PS Consul – sporting a primrose funnel and bottle green hull – 63 years ago on 5th August 1963? What was she trying to do and was she having any luck in the doing of it? : 5th August 1963: Consul – Kingswear Castle
