World of Ships – May 2018

PADDLE STEAMERS

Paddle Steamers I World of Ships I 35

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The Prague paddle steamer Vysehrad, which celebrated

80 years of service in 2018, has made a number of

trips to Melnik, where the River Vltava joins the Elbe.

Myra Allen was on hand to capture this photographic

record of an August 2011 voyage when a number of low

bridges had to be negotiated with the vessel’s funnel

lowered and the wheelhouse sections taken down.

(1) A well-loaded Vysehrad entering the

canal at Vranay.

(2) Vysehrad clears another of the many low

bridges, this one at Chramostek.

(3) Tight squeeze at the low Vrbno bridge,

with the vessel’s funnel lowered.

(4) There’s hardly any clearance at the

Vltavou railway bridge.

(5) The steamer about to enter the Elbe

near Melnik.

(6) Vysehrad nears journey’s end, with

Melnik in the distance.

VYSEHRAD UNDER THE BRIDGES

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