Paddler Speed Records

[Khephre]

Hi PDers,

I picked up a copy of 'Pacific Steamboats' by Gordon Newell and Joe Williamson the other day. Fabulous book - backgrounds the history of paddlers (and prop-drive boats) on the American West Coast, with heaps of photos and some very entertaining tales of the boats and boatmen

The reason I bring this up is that in the book there's a picture of a sternwheeler called the Hassalo built 1880, shooting rapids on the Columbia River. The rapids look to be about grade 2-3 and the caption reads:

An awe-struck crowd on the river bank is watching her race down the Cascades of the Columbia at better than 50 miles an hour.

I assume that the rapid flow of the river water contributes at least half of that 50 mph speed because in the same caption the younger Hassalo (there were two built) is described as one of the fastest sternwheelers in the world in her day, achieving speeds of 26 mph.

50 mph or 80 km/h sure ain't slow. Even 26mph or 45km/h is a decent clip by today's standards for large brick-shaped monohulls

So, here's a question for fellow PDers:

what are the speed records (if any recorded) that have been set by side and sternwheelers?

cheers
Tony

[Eddy Matthews]

A great question Tony, especially since my other passion is world water speed record boats...... Unfortunatley I cannot answer the question, but it will be interesting to see if any other PD'er can....

[Roderick Smith]

The fastest of Melbourne's many paddlesteamers for the bay-excursion trade was PS Hygiea.  According to Fitchett ('Down the bay' Rigby 1973) it had a speed of 21 knots [38 km/h].  This family of bay-cruising paddlesteamers was based on the style used on Clyde River (Glasgow, Scotland).  I guess that there many paddlesteamers there capable of achieving this speed.

Loney ('Bay steamers and coastal ferries') reported two races of rival ferries PS Ozone and SS Courier (both capable of ~18 knots, 33 km/h).  Essentially, the paddle company slipped its boat and polished the hull, then loaded it with just sufficient coal to reach Portarlington, carried just a few specially-invited guests, and lay in wait for the screw rival, fully laden, on a regular run.  Despite being caught on the hop, the skipper of the latter put up a good fight.  The paddlesteamer won, but not by a huge margin.  The company promptly forbade its captains from racing.
Neverthless, the screw company did mount a rematch.  The paddlesteamer raced briefly, then pulled back.  Then it set forth again with gusto: the judgement is equivocal.  Did it just hold the distance, or did it regain?  In any case, the later Hygiea eclipsed both for speed.

I noticed in April how sprightly the Swiss lake paddlesteamers were: and we may not even have been cruising at full speed.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor