Blog

PSPS Chairman John Allen took these pics in Dresden following a recent trip aboard the veteran coal fired paddle steamer Kaiser Wilhelm from Magdeburg on Wednesday June 11th to Dresden, where the ship was greeted by the paddle steamer Diesbar, with overnight stops at Rosslau, Witttenberg and Reisa along the way. This pic shows Kaiser…
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National Historic Ships UK Flagship 2025 Sir Walter Scott received her Flagship Pennant at a ceremony on Loch Katrine on Saturday 7th June. To find out more: http://kingswearcastle.org/news/nhs-uk-flagship-sir-walter-scott/

Following the withdrawal of La Suisse on 3rd June after the discovery of a crack in her HP cylinder mounts, added to the delays to work being carried out on the paddle steamers Montreux, Savoie and Rhone on Lake Geneva, means that there will be a significant reduction in paddle steamer sailings on Lake Geneva…
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Forty years ago on May 18th 1985 KC was returned to service with full Passenger Certificates by the team at Chatham after twenty years out of service. To find out more check out the KC website: 16th May 2025: 40 Years Ago – Kingswear Castle

The SGV at Lucerne have announced that their paddle steamer Uri is to have another rebuild. For more details of how the company has fared in the last financial year and its plans for the future take a look at a post on the KC website: PS Uri to be Rebuilt – Kingswear Castle

Waverley left drydock at Greenock around 2pm on Wednesday 16th April. For more pictures check out the post on the Kingswear Castle website: Waverley Leaves Drydock – Kingswear Castle

Both Italie and Vevey are currently rostered to run on Lake Geneva this February and March. To find out more: Paddling on Lake Geneva Feb/March 2025 – Kingswear Castle

2024 was the 180th anniversary of the birth of Capt John Davey whose long career at sea included commanding his own sailing ship Hilda along the coast of China to Shanghai before coming home to settle down as a Director of the Devon Dock Pier and Steamship Company owners and operators of the Exmouth based…
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For the 2025 season the SGV have announced a new role for their paddle steamer Gallia. She will be offering an exclusive four hour cruise on Lake Lucerne every day from 15th May to 15th September for a limited number of guests under the banner “Legends of Lake Lucerne – The Supreme Steamboat Experience”. INCLUDED…
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Three new paddle steamer captains for the CGN on Lake Geneva, Mrs. Sophie Aymon, as well as Mr. Dominique Jaunin (left) and Mr. Rémy Gerber (right) were sworn in on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 by the Prefect of the Lausanne district, Mrs. Clarisse Schumacher Petoud. The CGN now has a total of 31 sworn captains…
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The official report has now been published into the damage caused to the CGN’s paddle steamer Simplon lying alongside the tiny pier at Cully on Lake Geneva in a storm on the night of Good Friday 29/30th March 2024. For more details click here: PS Simplon Report Published – Kingswear Castle

This is proving to be a busy winter for paddling on Lake Geneva. Not only have Rhone, Vevey and Italie been out on their weekend tourist trips from Geneva and in the eastern part of the lake but also Vevey, now joined by Italie, have been filling in on the main ferry services from Lausanne…
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Tim and Pru relaxing in the Jeanie Deans Lounge with Jean McGowan (centre) Douglas McGowan, Society President writes: It was with great sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of our Patron, Timothy West CBE aged 90. His health had recently deteriorated and he passed away in hospital. Along with his wife, Prunella…
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Folkestone was an occasional calling point for paddle steamers of yesteryear. To check out the last paddle steamers to call there before Waverley appeared on the scene have a look at a post on the KC website: Last Paddle Steamer at Folkestone – Kingswear Castle

KC celebrated her Centenary with a combined steam railway and river trip on Thursday 26th September. After a welcoming cup of coffee at Paignton invited guests boarded the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company train, pulled by the also 100 year old steam engine Goliath, for the scenic rail trip to Kingswear where they…
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With the Carola Bridge down at Dresden preventing the paddle steamers downstream of it proceeding up river to Pillnitz and Saxon Switzerland services have been restored by those steamers which were berthed upstream of the bridge at the time of its collapse. There is a free shuttle bus running every twenty minutes from one hour…
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On Thursday 12th September Waverley was welcomed by large crowds when she made her first call at Eastbourne Pier for more than 20 years. A big thank you is due to the owners of Eastbourne Pier for undertaking work to enable Waverley to call, to the National Piers Society for their support and also to…
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Part of the Carola Bridge in Dresden collapsed into the River Elbe just upstream of the paddle steamer berths at about 3am yesterday. Fortunately nobody was hurt but the river is now blocked preventing any paddle steamers berthed downstream of the bridge sailing up river to Pillnitz and beyond into Saxon Switzerland from Dresden. However…
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Could it be that Waverley’s trip on Wednesday 4th September is the first excursion sailing from Portland around the Isle of Wight by paddle steamer ever. In the heyday of excursions Portland was a Naval Dockyard and so not a paddle steamer departure point. And whilst paddle steamers did sometimes pick up and set down at…
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