To add to the CGN’s paddle steamer woes on Lake Geneva this summer on Tuesday 3rd June a crack was discovered in one of the HP cylinder mounts on La Suisse during a cruise. She returned to Lausanne to disembark her passengers and is now in the shipyard at Ouchy for further investigations. As a result she is not expected to return to service at least during June.
As a result the large motor vessel Lausanne will take over her schedule on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays and her midday lunch cruise from Lausanne Mondays to Fridays.
This means that the CGN now has no large reserve ship to take over in the event of other difficulties during June.
Diesel electric paddler Vevey will be in service starting each day at Le Bouveret before sailing to Lausanne and then taking her usual two hour round trips around the High Lake from Vevey and Montreux to St Gingolph ending each day in Le Bouveret.
The diesel electric paddler Italie will continue be based at Geneva for the day trips to Lausanne and in the evening, with a second crew, will take Savoie’s evening cruises from Geneva to Yvoire.
Delays to work being carried out on the paddle steamers Savoie, Montreux and Rhone mean that they will not be in service for most of, and possibly all, the summer.
Unfortunately a piston ring caused damage to the inside of Rhone’s HP cylinder walls which need to be rebored. Measurements of the LP cylinder have also shown barrelling and so that needs reboring too. This work is expected to take at least to the end of August and may extend to the end of the year.
Montreux’s boiler is being repaired following the discovery of defects. Assuming this work goes according to plan and the boiler passes the necessary safety tests it is hoped that she will be back in service from mid August.
Work is continuing with replating 35 square metres of Savoie’s hull. This is expected to be completed in time for her to return to service by 3rd October.
With both Helvetie and Simplon still awaiting major rebuilds, plus the new problem with La Suisse and the ongoing repairs to Montreux, Rhone and Savoie that leaves just the two paddlers Italie and Vevey, of the eight, in service on Lake Geneva at least in June.
Kingswear Castle returned to service in 2023 after the first part of a major rebuild which is designed to set her up for the next 25 years running on the River Dart. The Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle Trust is now fund raising for the second phase of the rebuild. You can read more about the rebuilds and how you can help if you can here.
John Megoran
