20 •^ Summer 2018^ •^ http://www.shipsmonthly.com
T
he paddler scene around
Britain and Europe
remains a vibrant one,
and a new book by Ships
Monthly ferry correspondent
Russell Plummer provides
a guide to all of the main
paddlers in existence in
Europe. While hundreds of
vessels propelled by side
paddles have been built since
commercial operations fi rstbegan in the early 1820s, more
than 60 craft remain in Europe
and Scandinavia, and the new
book contains details of them all.
Many have much more secure
futures, with retention rather
than replacement becoming
the order of the day for most, as
main lake or river operators have
invested heavily to keep steamers
running, often with support from
enthusiast bodies or historicalgroups. Sseveral new diesel
vessels have been brought into
service in recent times, including
the paddle-powered French river
cruise ship Loire Princesse.
Existing steamers in areas such
as the lakes of Switzerland and
the rivers and lakes of Germany
and Austria include around 40
vessels with over a century of
service to their names, and at the
top of the list is Danish steamerHjejlen, little changed for summer
trips on the Silkeborg Lakes since- Introduced even earlier in
1856 on Norway’s Lake Mjosa,
Skibladner was lengthened and
fi tted with a new engine in 1888.
In Britain, in addition to the
world’s last sea-going paddle
steamer, Waverley, and the
1924-built River Dart veteran
Kingswear Castle, with an engine
dating from 1904, two further
NEWS FEATURERussell Plummer
PADDLERS AS POPULAR AS EVER
The former Humber paddler Wingfield Castle, at her Hartlepool berth,
was built for the London and North Eastern Railway. The Prague paddle steamer Vysehrad, which celebrated 80 years of service
in 2018, sails on the River Vltava with funnel down for a bridge. MYRa alleN Waverley makes a magnificent spectacle at Campbeltown. She returned to service in 1975, operated by the Waverley Steam Navigation Company.