Kingswear Castle

[Suttle]

The old paddle steamer has returned to the River dart after 30 years on the Medway.

We had a couple of trips down the river on her. I will miss the regular sight of her on the river and the sound of the band on an evening when sitting on the mooring.

Hope it all goes well in her new home.

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway_messenger/news/2012/december/12/paddle_steamer.aspx

 

[reginaldon]

Had three trips on the Kingswear Castle - great, the last one around Sheppey.
How soon will the Medway Queen be up & running?
Sailed on her in 1951 from Herne Bay pier to Chatham & Southend and return; I came South, visiting my uncle in Whitstable for the Festival of Britain.
When I was there I went trawling with Alf Leggatt a couple of times, the first and only time I was seasick , got a whiff of unburned Calor gas, whilst we were coping with quite a chop.

 

[Suttle]

I took my late father to see her while she was still in Damhead Creek. The last time he had seen her was when she brought him back from Dunkirk!

Heres hoping she soon back on the river.

 

[Firefly]

Despite the amount of money spent on her I am not sure the Medway Queen will be anything more than a static exhibit. There is an excellent blog account of the Kingswear Castle's tow to Dartmouth (just google Dartmouth), though apparently the enterprise was controversial. Pity she has gone but I would think she will do well on the Dart along with the steam railway.