August 2012:
Good News from Lake Geneva

August 2012:
Good News from Lake Geneva

Good news from Lake Geneva. Funding has now been raised to rebuild the Diesel electric paddler Vevey (pictured here a couple of years ago) and return her to service by the autumn of 2013. The ship sailed under her own power from her lay up berth in Geneva earlier this summer and work has already started stripping her down in the shipyard at Lausanne Ouchy ready for her reconstruction.

It is hoped that similar funding will be raised to do the same for the Italie, pictured here at Lausanne Ouchy in June 2012, but that is not yet confirmed.

Like on Vevey, work has started stripping down the Italie with the bridge and promenade deck saloon already removed.

The waterline at the bow shows just how much she has come up in the water with so much weight removed from the ship.

After several years laid up the poor Italie has begun to look distinctly down at heel.

Part of the roof left but no sides!

But let us not be too downhearted by Italie’s current state. With Vevey already being rebuilt, and work to raise funds for the Italie continuing, at least there is hope.

Italie in service at Geneva around 2001.

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

John Megoran