Fake paddleboats

[Roderick Smith]

Here are two which I photographed a week ago in San Diego.

FSWPV Monterey had been a downtown - Coronado ferry, quite boxy.  When the bridge was open, it was fitted with fake gingerbread and wheel, for the dinner-cruise market.  It has been superseded in that role, and now sits at the company's downtown wharf as a floating souvenir shop and office.

The other one was seen from a harbour cruise.  It had been a barge, then was fitted up as a floating restaurant.  The venture ceased; the boat was deteriorating and becoming an eyesore.  It was towed to the dockyard zone to be stored, and the fake sternwheel has been removed.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

Here are three of the one vessel, which plies Opawa River from Brayshaw Heritage Park. See:
<www.theriverqueen.co.nz>
<www.brayshawpark.org.nz/home.html>
It doesn't even have lazy paddles: just a painted paddlebox cover.

The photos are from my regular contributor James Chuang.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor