98 CLASSIC BOAT SEPTEMBER 2016Sternpost
I
n 1891, Queen Victoria celebrated her 72nd birthday,
Robert Cecil, the Marquess of Salisbury, was Prime
Minister, the fi rst-ever Crufts dog show was held in
the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington and the Furness
Railway Company approached Forrest and Son,
boatbuilders based at Wivenhoe in Essex to build a new
twin screw propeller vessel to replace the paddle steamer
Rothay on Lake Windermere.
The vessel was constructed in three sections in Essex
and then transported by rail to the slipway at Lakeside
for assembly. A team travelled from Wivenhoe to
Lakeside to complete this task. The new steamer was
intended to be named Swallow but there was a last-
minute change of name and she was launched, by
persons unknown, on 27 June 1891 as Tern. At that time
she was the largest vessel sailing on Windermere.
Tern originally sported two masts and an exposed
steering point slightly forward of the midships funnel.
Her defi ning feature was, and still is, her Canadian canoe
shaped bow which is embossed with the image of a tern.
Her original two crank compression expansion engines
were provided by Westray and Copeland from Barrow-
in-Furness and she had a top speed of 12 knots. There
was a locomotive boiler to provide steam to the engines.
The port side engine drove the starboard shaft and the
starboard engine drove the port shaft. The engines
consumed a ton and a half of coal per day and ran at a
very low speed of 135-140 revolutions per minute. The
large propellers allowed Tern to produce a very small
wake. At 145ft (44.2m) she was, and still is, the longest
vessel on Lake Windermere. Her original steam engines
were replaced by diesel in 1956 and she is currently
powered by two six-cylinder Cummins diesel engines,
two auxiliary generators and a bow thruster.
She could originally carry 633 passengers and had
fi rst and second class areas. The forward saloon and
foredeck housed the fi rst class passengers, while the rear
saloon and deck areas were the second class area. Her
outline today is quite different from her original profi le.
She has had a varied and interesting 125 years on
Lake Windermere. On 18 November 1893 Tern wasmoored just off Lakeside at the southern end of Lake
Windermere. Storms with strong northerly gales swept
through North Lancashire and Tern eventually
succumbed to the onslaught of wind and waves and sank
to a depth of about 100 feet. Divers were called in to
assess the situation and found her to be deeply embedded
in mud and clay. Many buoys and pontoons were used
to raise her from the lakebed and she was fully restored
and returned to daily service for the 1894 season.
On Saturday 7 September 1901 Tern collided with her
sister ship Swan I just off the Storrs Hall pier. Tern had
been late departing Lakeside pier due to waiting for
delayed train connections and was carrying around 50
passengers north towards Bowness. It was dark and Tern
was leaving the pier at Storrs when she made contact
with the Swan, Tern’s bow cutting through the Swan to
the foot of the forward saloon stairs. The skipper of
Tern, a Captain Fell, kept Tern running slowly forward
enabling Swan’s passengers to be transferred safely to
Tern’s deck. Once all passengers and crew were safely on
board, Tern was reversed and withdrew from the
damaged vessel. Swan then drifted to the centre of the
lake and within fi ve minutes had sunk. There was a fi ve
foot gash in Tern’s which was re-plated allowing her to
be back in service within a week. Swan was raised and
refurbished and returned to service the following year.
During the First World War Tern ran during 1914
until the end of the season and was then tied up at the
pier as sailings were suspended until 1919. World War II
saw her moored at Bowness pier and requisitioned as a
sea cadet training ship and temporarily named HMS
Undine. Over the years she has hosted wedding parties,
school trips, and birthday parties. There have been
proposals on board and anniversaries celebrated.
As Tern approaches her 125th birthday she still sails
around Windermere daily in season ferrying passengers
between Lakeside, Bowness and Ambleside. Her iconic
canoe-shaped bow slices effortlessly through the water,
thanks to the expertise of her Victorian builders and the
dedication of her owners Windermere Lake Cruises.
Here’s to the next 125 years: Happy Birthday Tern!Lakeland classic turns 125
Janet Johnson
celebrates a
signifi cant
birthday of
Windermere’s
paddle
streamer