Spanish Paddleducks!

[ajg141]

Whilst in Spain last week I picked up a copy of the magazine ‘Barcos RC Modelismo Naval’. www.rdmeditorial.com.  You will understand my surprise when just about the first thing I came across was the following:

www.paddleducks.co.uk

“Si aiguien se sentia el unico aficionado a los viejos barcos de paletas, se equivocaba. Un grupo de aficionados americanos han puesto en marcha esta pagina web especializada en navios con este tipo de propulsion, ofrecen gratuitamente sus conocimientos a todo el que quiera inciarse o progresar en su aficion. Encontraremos modelos tanto estaticos como navegables, plagado de informacion de tipo historico y comentarios sobre material disponible en el Mercado y donde adquiririo. Para los mas interesados, cuentan con una persona de contacto en nuestro pais.”

My very rough – and abridged translation (bearing in mind my inability to speak anything other than English & a modicum of French)  is:

“If anyone thought there were no longer any old paddleboats enthusiasts about, they are mistaken.  A group of enthusiastic Americans has started up this web-site specialising in craft with this type of propulsion and who freely offer their knowledge to all those who want to know more.  On the site you will find static and working models, large amounts of historical information and references to generally available material and where to find it.  They are also interested in finding a contact person in our country.”  

I don’t know just how you managed that Eddy – I thought I was going to get some peace for a week but you were there waiting for me!

Andrew

[Eddy Matthews]

Whilst in Spain last week I picked up a copy of the magazine ‘Barcos RC Modelismo Naval’. www.rdmeditorial.com.  You will understand my surprise when just about the first thing I came across was the following:

www.paddleducks.co.uk

“If anyone thought there were no longer any old paddleboats enthusiasts about, they are mistaken.  A group of enthusiastic Americans has started up this web-site specialising in craft with this type of propulsion and who freely offer their knowledge to all those who want to know more.  On the site you will find static and working models, large amounts of historical information and references to generally available material and where to find it.  They are also interested in finding a contact person in our country.”  

I don’t know just how you managed that Eddy – I thought I was going to get some peace for a week but you were there waiting for me!

Andrew

hehehehe nice one Andrew - I'd like to know where they got their facts from though! A group of enthusiastic Americans? The four of us who pay the bills for this site are: Two brits (myself and Walter Snowdon), Another
brit living in Spain (David Allinson), and another brit living in Canada (Paul Jordan). Since we already have David in Spain, we aren't looking for a contact person there - We already have one!

The Paddleducks group was originally started on Yahoo by Paul Jordan back in 2001, and we changed to our own site in January 2005.

So it's nice to see we're starting to get noticed by the modelling press, but typically they got all the facts wrong. All our contact names are listed on the website, all they needed to do was send one email to confirm things before going to print!

[ajg141]

I also found this link in the same magazine - don't know if it's shown elsewhere on the site:
www.modelplans.steamboats.org

[thewharfonline]

Let's think if anyone of the general puiblic thinks of a paddler they will think of a Mississippi boat...maybe that has something to do with it. And I say hey if it gets us noticed let's just go with the flow!

The link got in the magazine- who cares if minimal details of location are wrong! At least it states everything about the models and the history!

[loserboy]

.co.UK,,,, um yeah,,, thats american  :lol:  

[mjt60a]

....if anyone of the general puiblic thinks of a paddler they will think of a Mississippi boat....

I suspect that's true, in this country at least, you only have to look at the paddlewheel equipped (diesel powered and screw driven or sometimes static) 'replica' steamboats to see they all look like someone's idea of a Mississippi steamer. I hadn't even seen a British paddlesteamer before I started work in London and saw the Caledonia and Tattershall Castle on the Thames, I'd only seen pictures of Medway Queen and had no idea that any still existed....

[thewharfonline]

....if anyone of the general puiblic thinks of a paddler they will think of a Mississippi boat....

I suspect that's true, in this country at least, you only have to look at the paddlewheel equipped (diesel powered and screw driven or sometimes static) 'replica' steamboats to see they all look like someone's idea of a Mississippi steamer. I hadn't even seen a British paddlesteamer before I started work in London and saw the Caledonia and Tattershall Castle on the Thames, I'd only seen pictures of Medway Queen and had no idea that any still existed....

I knew about the Waverley but the British or American or other worldly paddlers never really interested me until just recently since I've joined this site.