Paddlewheel narrowboat - Unusual, but not unique

[Mad Harold]

As a lad my dad and I used to have regular Saturday trips on the Humber paddle steamer ferries from Hull to New Holland and back.I think there were three of them.Tattershall Castle, Lincoln Castle and can't remember the other.

In those days pubs used to close early afternoon, and the old man usually wanted to have another couple of pints and as the bar on the ferry was open all day that's were we went.

While he was in the bar I used to watch the huge piston rods moving back and forth and go on deck to listen to the slapping of the paddles.

Happy memories.😌

 

[monkeyhanger]

54 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

As a lad my dad and I used to have regular Saturday trips on the Humber paddle steamer ferries from Hull to New Holland and back.I think there were three of them.Tattershall Castle, Lincoln Castle and can't remember the other.

In those days pubs used to close early afternoon, and the old man usually wanted to have another couple of pints and as the bar on the ferry was open all day that's were we went.

While he was in the bar I used to watch the huge piston rods moving back and forth and go on deck to listen to the slapping of the paddles.

Happy memories.😌

 

The other is "Wingfield Castle" which is moored in Hartlepool , where the three of them were built. She's awaiting restoration, which , sadly, seems a long time coming as she's laid there unloved  for quite a few years now.

Edited October 12, 2022 by monkeyhanger
missed word

[Dav and Pen]

Found this photo of a paddle driver weed cutter on the Burgundy canal. Needless to say it wasn’t working

[Alway Swilby]

1 hour ago, Mad Harold said:

As a lad my dad and I used to have regular Saturday trips on the Humber paddle steamer ferries from Hull to New Holland and back.I think there were three of them.Tattershall Castle, Lincoln Castle and can't remember the other.

In those days pubs used to close early afternoon, and the old man usually wanted to have another couple of pints and as the bar on the ferry was open all day that's were we went.

While he was in the bar I used to watch the huge piston rods moving back and forth and go on deck to listen to the slapping of the paddles.

Happy memories.😌

 

I too remember the Humber paddle steamer ferries and went on them many times. My dad would drive his car along the pier at New Holland on the railway station platform then down a ramp onto the ferry. I seem to remember there was not much room for cars on the car deck, maybe 10 or so. My dad used to have a Humber Hawk and I remember saying "Look! A Humber on The Humber!" (Well I was about 7 at the time so this was very exciting!)

 

The Tattershall Castle is now moored on the Thames at Victoria Embankment and is a pub/restaurant.

Sadly the Lincoln Castle was broken up in Grimsby Harbour.

[Stroudwater1]

5 minutes ago, Alway Swilby said:

 

Sadly the Lincoln Castle was broken up in Grimsby Harbour.

 

Yes a  sad tale . Historic boats seem to  have no status at all preservation wise other than money off CRT licences when applicable. In far better nick than Medway Queen and Ryde, though sadly  I doubt Ryde will ever recover either. 

 

Externally in good nick in 2010, I was drinking in her in 2005. Cut up in late 2010 IIRC 

 

https://paddlesteamers.org/news/scottish/chairmans-blog-no-10-ps-lincoln-castle/

 

http://www.paddlesteamers.info/LincolnCastle.htm

 

 

[blackrose]

On 30/01/2016 at 18:55, mykaskin said:

Hi Folks,

 

Thought some might be interested in this old video I recently put up on youtube of a Paddlewheel narrowboat leaving Denham Deep Lock. It's normally moored just above Uxbridge Lock - first time I've seen this one moving, but of course seen Jethro Tull many a time splashing along.

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

 

Without wishing to be too pedantic it's actually a sternwheel narrow boat rather than a paddle wheel narrow boat. Paddle wheelers (and paddle steamers) have 2 paddle wheels, one on each side of the boat while sternwheelers as the name suggests have a single wheel at the stern.

Edited October 12, 2022 by blackrose

[blackrose]

On 31/01/2016 at 20:37, Peter X said:

...but there must be some reason why they're rare; are they bound to be less efficient than a conventional prop-driven boat?

 

Props are much more efficient because unlike paddle gear all the surfaces of a prop are submerged and creating propulsion.

 

I guess the other reason they're rare on the confines of the Inland waterways (at least in this country) is because of how bulky and vulnerable the paddle gear is. It's just not that practical. It wouldn't be difficult to accidentally reverse the paddle gear into something and wreck it, or for some idiot to crash their boat into it.

[Tacet]

1 hour ago, blackrose said:

 

Props are much more efficient because unlike paddle gear all the surfaces of a prop are submerged and creating propulsion.

Surprisingly, the efficiency of a paddle wheel can be around 80% compared to a propeller of maybe 85%.

But there are problems.  There are practical limits on the diameter of the wheel, which means the blade is at a non vertical angle when it hits the water surface.  This slap gives a paddle boat its distinctive beat but is inefficient.

The blades can be made to feather through linkages but they are vulnerable to damage from trapped items.

The paddle blades are always, at least in part, at the water surface level which tends to moving the water and not the boat.  The depth of the blade in the water varies when the boat is loaded or lists, which is not ideal either

[Ronaldo47]

In the 1950's, when  Thames in the vicinity of the London docks was biologically dead, I well remember watching the paddles of the Woolwich Free Ferry whipping up icebergs of foam during the crossing.    

[zenataomm]

8 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

Here we are moored at Gravesend.

Totally off topic ... but, only last week I learned that Pocahontas (Native American Princess who allegedly saved the life of John Smith during The Jamestown kerfuffle")

Is buried at Gravesend, St George's Church.

There is a statue to her there, and most puzzling it bears no resemblance to Disney's version of her!

[Scholar Gypsy]

7 hours ago, zenataomm said:

Totally off topic ... but, only last week I learned that Pocahontas (Native American Princess who allegedly saved the life of John Smith during The Jamestown kerfuffle")

Is buried at Gravesend, St George's Church.

There is a statue to her there, and most puzzling it bears no resemblance to Disney's version of her!

Yes, I've not yet managed to get in to look around the church. It's very close to the pier.

[koukouvagia]

On 30/01/2016 at 18:58, jenlyn said:

Someone told me that particular boat is not literally powered by the paddles, even though it seemed to be.

I should imagine chimney chain of this manor would know for sure.

 

 

 

 

I always used to think that this boat was powered by a paddle wheel until I saw it whizz past with the wheel inactive.

[gatekrash]

There was a lot of weed cutting going on on the W&B a few weeks ago (it desperately needed it).

 

[Tony Brooks]

17 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

Props are much more efficient because unlike paddle gear all the surfaces of a prop are submerged and creating propulsion.

 

I guess the other reason they're rare on the confines of the Inland waterways (at least in this country) is because of how bulky and vulnerable the paddle gear is. It's just not that practical. It wouldn't be difficult to accidentally reverse the paddle gear into something and wreck it, or for some idiot to crash their boat into it.

 

I seem to recall a stern wheel narrowboat on the K&A pre-reopening. I understand a paddle wheel was chosen because of lack of depth and excess weed that tended to clog props. I think it had a sturdy steel frame behind the wheel to help prevent such damage as referred to above.

[Tacet]

15 hours ago, Ronaldo47 said:

In the 1950's, when  Thames in the vicinity of the London docks was biologically dead, I well remember watching the paddles of the Woolwich Free Ferry whipping up icebergs of foam during the crossing.    

For a short time the paddle steamers and their nasty diesel replacements were both in use.  The steamers loaded less such that when there were three boats working, they could catch the diesels.

And, joy of joys, the steamers would whistle with mock impatience at being kept waiting.

[Scholar Gypsy]

On 12/10/2022 at 19:55, Tacet said:

Surprisingly, the efficiency of a paddle wheel can be around 80% compared to a propeller of maybe 85%.

But there are problems.  There are practical limits on the diameter of the wheel, which means the blade is at a non vertical angle when it hits the water surface.  This slap gives a paddle boat its distinctive beat but is inefficient.

The blades can be made to feather through linkages but they are vulnerable to damage from trapped items.

The paddle blades are always, at least in part, at the water surface level which tends to moving the water and not the boat.  The depth of the blade in the water varies when the boat is loaded or lists, which is not ideal either

The Waverley was a very smooth ride - almost no vibration or noise apart from swish-swish, even at full speed.

[Ken X]

Another vote for the Waverley.  Spent a very pleasant day watching the engine running. One flaw of paddles did raise its head, as we rounded the Needles lighthouse everybody wanted to have look and the ship developed a noticeable list to port. This was followed by an announcement by the captain that drive was being lost on the starboard side and would we mind awfully redistributing ourselves across the deck. 😄 

[Scholar Gypsy]

30 minutes ago, Ken X said:

Another vote for the Waverley.  Spent a very pleasant day watching the engine running. One flaw of paddles did raise its head, as we rounded the Needles lighthouse everybody wanted to have look and the ship developed a noticeable list to port. This was followed by an announcement by the captain that drive was being lost on the starboard side and would we mind awfully redistributing ourselves across the deck. 😄 

We had a similar issue when everyone queued to get off the boat at Tower Pier - obviously tied up, so sadly we didn't get this announcement from the skipper. 

 

There was a bit less interest in the SS Montgomery ...

 

[Tacet]

2 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

We had a similar issue when everyone queued to get off the boat at Tower Pier - obviously tied up, so sadly we didn't get this announcement from the skipper. 

 

 

No one was waiting to take the witness lines when we returned to Tower Pier; a crew member tried to persuade an innocent bystander to haul it in, but he was reluctant to jump the barriers to get riverside.

 

Eventually the pier crew arrived - but didn't seem to be briefed (or have much idea) on what to do.  In particular, it took an age to draw in the bow line and the Waverley was drifting out - to the extent that the mooring rope was at risk of being too short to reach the pier.  Much shouting and it was resolved - but a bit worrying.

 

With its common paddleshaft and no propulsion thrust over the rudder, the Waverley cannot be very manoeuvrable

 

 

 

[Ronaldo47]

A few years ago, when we did a return trip to London on the Waverley from Southend, we called at Tilbury in both directions, and went through Tower Bridge, but did not dock at Tower Pier. A tug was used to turn us round. Quite different from the old Woolwich ferries, whose independantly-operable paddles made them highly manoeverable.

[Tacet]

Back to the proper Woolwich Ferries, a crew member ashore had the task of catching the mooring rope and putting its sliced eye over the bollard.  Between landings, he sat in a fug-filled timber hut on the pontoon.

Such was his timing, one invariably thought he was too late leaving his seat.  But, seemingly without fail he would emerge, take the few steps and catch the rope, never wasting a second of his time.

 

[Scholar Gypsy]

7 minutes ago, Tacet said:

Back to the proper Woolwich Ferries, a crew member ashore had the task of catching the mooring rope and putting its sliced eye over the bollard.  Between landings, he sat in a fug-filled timber hut on the pontoon.

Such was his timing, one invariably thought he was too late leaving his seat.  But, seemingly without fail he would emerge, take the few steps and catch the rope, never wasting a second of his time.

 

And here is a photo of the electromagnetic mooring system on the new ferries .... 

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

And here is a photo of the electromagnetic mooring system on the new ferries .... 

I always recond that Tesco had them fitter, somehow the boat always seemed to stop there 

[Ronaldo47]

4 hours ago, Tacet said:

Back to the proper Woolwich Ferries, a crew member ashore had the task of catching the mooring rope and putting its sliced eye over the bollard.  Between landings, he sat in a fug-filled timber hut on the pontoon.

Such was his timing, one invariably thought he was too late leaving his seat.  But, seemingly without fail he would emerge, take the few steps and catch the rope, never wasting a second of his time.

 

Watching the throwing of the rope to the man on the pontoon, followed by the other end being wrapped round the twin bollards on the ferry, and then hearing the bang-bang-bang sound as the rope was put under tension and had water squeezed out of it by the pull of the current, used to be one of the highlights of a crossing when I was a lad. I had got a portable tape recorder just before the old boats went, and made a recording of the sounds heard during the crossing.

Edited October 14, 2022 by Ronaldo47
typos

[ditchcrawler]

11 hours ago, Ronaldo47 said:

Watching the throwing of the rope to the man on the pontoon, followed by the other end being wrapped round the twin bollards on the ferry, and then hearing the bang-bang-bang sound as the rope was put under tension and had water squeezed out of it by the pull of the current, used to be one of the highlights of a crossing when I was a lad. I had got a portable tape recorder just before the old boats went, and made a recording of the sounds heard during the crossing.

Today his boss would say we only need to employ him for 5 minutes in the hour and get a chap in a van.