Paddleducks
Paddler Information => Preserved Paddle Ships => Topic started by: marinemole on December 03, 2012, 11:21:08 AM
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Last year I posted photographs of the Italia and the Zanardelli sailing on Lake Garda. At long last I got round to editing the video and decided to start a new thread rather than add to the old.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Yhplhvpg9I (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Yhplhvpg9I)
The Photo thread is at
http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5677.msg30869#msg30869 (http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5677.msg30869#msg30869)
Andy
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Thanks for posting Andy,
I thought they were 'steamers' but I guess they are hydraulic or electric drive?
I have only been to Northern Italy to 'paddle' as one of the last kayakers down a now non-existent river, it was dammed for hydroelectric ... far more destructive than wind farms ... I digress (& have digressed from a far fitter & active version of myself ...)
I always fancied a trip to lake Garda but having seen the video the dream has been shattered ... not steamers and independent drive ... at least they are feathering wheels :)
But seriously many thanks for sharing ... they do have attractive lines, don't they ... hmm...
Regards,
Kim
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Hi PD's......yes Kim.......the paddle drive sound on the Italia is clearly industrial hydrastatics .....I understand frequencies & resonances....but found the hydraulic drone a little disconcerting :41 .....Derek
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I agree that the vessels don't have the sound and charisma of say the Waverley but they are very attractive vessels. Probably certain that they don't cost £8 a minute to run either. I'm not a steam fanatic and suspect that anything with paddles and a funnel will always be a 'steamer' to me and probably most other average punters. Born and bred in the West of Scotland. ;D
I'm not sure if the vessels were designed with this propulsion system or were converted. Haven't done any research.
As an aside it amazed me that I was able to use my normal runabout ticket on the Italia with no surcharge. :o
Andy
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Both were originally steam. Zanardelli was built by Escher Wyss in 1903, and was in service until 1976. She emerged again in 1983 with diesel-electric propulsion
Italia was built in 1909 by Odero at Sestri Ponente and was steam until 1975, entering service agai in 1977 with diesel-electric propulsion.
One of them, and I forget which, has a large drawing of a horse-powered paddle steamer in the upper deck amidships space.
Their ssilings can be a bit difficult to track down, but www.swissitalianpaddlesteamers.com (ftp://www.swissitalianpaddlesteamers.com) has details of which sailings they have been on for the past few years,, from reports by enthusiasts.
There were also a number of paddle steamrs on the lake which were converted to screw motor vessels, indistinguishable from purpose-built motor vessels.