Category: News

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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KC met Waverley on the River Dart on Saturday 31st August. For more pics check out the KC website: KC Meets Waverley – Kingswear Castle

KC is 100 years young this season. For more details of her birthday flags click here: 11th August 2024: 100th Birthday Flags – Kingswear Castle

For an update on KC with some recent pics check out the KC website: 27th July 2024: KC Update – Kingswear Castle

John Beveridge made an MBE for services to paddle steamer preservation.

Due to an overrun of work on other vessels at the Dartmouth Shipyard and the unplanned need for emergency repairs on another vessel Kingswear Castle’s annual refit and survey have had to be pushed back. Unfortunately this means that she will not now be able to complete her annual refit and MCA survey in time…
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We regret to record the passing on 19 December 2023 of John Whittle, the architect of the “Paddler for a Pound” scheme in 1974 and an Honorary Member of the Society.  As such, he played a crucial role in enabling the Society and the Waverley companies to keep Waverley sailing on for so many years.  …
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The February Pictures of the Month are now up on the Kingswear Castle website. Ever wondered how DEPV Talisman spent her last 13 summers? What was she doing every day? To find out click here: February 2024: Talisman’s Last Summers – Kingswear Castle

PS Embassy was withdrawn in 1966 and not replaced by Cosens. Instead Bolson bought the much smaller Thornwick to take over her services. To find out more check out the January Pictures of the Month on the Kingswear Castle website: January 2024: Embassy Replacement – Kingswear Castle

What were the Portsmouth paddle steamers Ryde and Sandown up to 60 years ago in 1964? To find out take a look at the December Pictures of the Month on the Kingswear Castle website: December 2023: Ryde & Sandown 1964 – Kingswear Castle