May 2026:
Ouchy Shipyard Open Days

The CGN’s Ouchy shipyard opened its gates to the public on 18–19 April 2026, offering a rare chance to see the engineering, craftsmanship and behind‑the‑scenes work that keeps the Léman paddle steamers and other ships in the fleet running.

The weather was perfect, the lake like glass and by mid morning the quayside was already busy with families, enthusiasts and the simply curious. There was much to see from the covered drydock to the floating dock plus all the different workshops and storage facilities and the opportunity to go aboard several of the paddle steamers. There were insights into all that goes on behind the scenes to keep the fleet in service as well as opportunities for tiny tots to become involved in various maritime related activities. Rhone was also in steam offering a series of 45 minute trips from the yard along the lake shore towards Cully.

Here are some pictures:

The CGN shipyard at Lausanne Ouchy at 10am on Sunday 19th April 2026. Left to right the paddlers are Simplon, Vevey, Rhone, Montreux, Savoie and La Suisse

The layout of the yard meant you could wander freely between the drydock, the floating dock and the workshops, each offering its own glimpse into the fleet’s inner life. This is the covered drydock which had the Léman in it. Like the covered slipway at Dartmouth used by KC, a facility like this is a real asset. You can carry on with steelwork, woodwork, painting or anything else whatever the weather in an ambient temperature and without having to worry about the wind, rain or snow.

Ahead of Léman in the dock bottom you can see a spare paddle wheel together with sections cut from Léman hull.

Along the side of the dock are various rooms including stores like this with a place for everything and everything in its place.

Including up the walls.

An adjacent shed was filled with life-saving apparatus including this huge 65 man life-raft. They are not SOLAS compliant. Instead they are designed for vessels running on estuaries, rivers, lakes and for short distances to sea. As you can see they are absolutely huge. They are too big to be righted if they go in upside down. So they are effectively two liferafts sewn together with one upright and the other inverted so whichever way they enter the water one half is always the right way up. These are the same liferafts carried by many UK domestic passenger vessels, including KC.

On one side of the covered dock the smell of newly worked wood and varnish led on to the woodwork shop. This department has enormous skills which extend to making scrollwork, traditional dining chairs and inlaid marquetry with both geometric and floral patterns all in the original Belle-Epoque style. And in the background carefully laid out in perfect neatness were all the necessary tools, chisels, clamps and so on to achieve it.

Their craftmanship and cabinet making is superb

On the other side of the dock is the metal workshop with its own distinctive smell.

Here there were demonstrations including this one at the anvil where a new generation was learning how to do it and thereby hopefully gaining an ongoing love of paddle steamers which they will carry with them into the 22nd century.

Nearby were various electric pumps which are essential parts of a ship’s equipment both for pumping bilges, fire-fighting and on steamers in connection with the engines and boilers.

Outside there was a demonstration of one of the pumps at work.

Also outside, the crew training facility for rope handling was in full swing giving tiny tots the opportunity to have a go at lassoing with the assistance of a burly seaman.

Nearby was moored one of the little tugs used for towing the paddle steamers in and out of the drydock facilities and around the yard when they are not in steam.

After looking round the shore facilities it was time to go aboard the paddle steamers. In this pic you can see Savoie with Montreux in the floating dock behind.

Several weeks ago Montreux’s engine became steam locked (a condition where trapped steam prevents the engine going ahead or astern) and stuck solid on the approach to Geneve Eaux Vives. As a result she overshot and ran into various boats moored ahead of the berth snapping her bowsprit in the doing of it and causing some damage to her bow as you can see in this pic. This is being repaired and Montreux is expected to return to service shortly.

La Suisse has an issue with her cylinder. Currently the engine is in bits with the cylinders opened up and the connecting rods and piston rods disconnected.

One of her connecting rods laid out in the alleyway. La Suisse is not expected to be in service this summer.

Vevey is having work done under cover on her promenade deck

She is also having a complete refurbishment of her two paddle wheels

Vevey’s box of essential bits of kit.

Part of the feathering mechanism from one of her paddle wheels.

Bits from the paddle wheels laid out for inspection. Simplon is in the distance.

The starboard paddle wheel back in situ

Rhone ran a number of 45 minute trips from the shipyard on each day and took good crowds. I estimated there were more than 250 aboard on the 10.30am trip which I took on the Sunday.

Rhone’s engine

Rhone passing the Lausanne main landing stage on her 3.30pm trip.

Last summer was difficult for the CGN with a number of their paddlers out of service for various technical reasons. Things are looking up for 2026 with five paddlers scheduled to be running in the peak weeks including Rhone, Savoie, Montreux, Italie and Vevey.

I thought that the open days at the Ouchy shipyard were a great success. They were very well attended. There was so much to see. And they provided a first rate insight into all the different facilities, skill sets and expertise which go into maintaining and operating paddle steamers and motor ships in the 21st century. For me every aspect of the day carried the same quiet message: these ships endure because people care about them. And after a difficult 2025, I came away with a feeling of real optimism for 2026 and beyond.