Kingswear Castle

[Ian GardnerParticipant @iangardner62867]

My wife and I had a wonderful trip on the Kingswear Castle yesterday. The paddler is now based in Dartmouth and so is able to ply the waters she was designd for, and passes the yard where she was launched in 1924. She is in fabulous condition and if ever you're in the area I recommend a voyage. You can either journey to and from Totnes, or take a general trip out to the mouth of the Dart and then up to Dittisham, depending on the state of the tide.

I have created an album of photos and I note that My Hobby Store has a drawing for a sister ship Totnes Castle. I once had a blueprint of Compton Castle obtained from Philips of Dartmouth, but I rather foolishly let someone else have them years ago. The remains of Compton Castle are at Truro, although she was at Kingswear for many years.

I also spotted that Models By Design have a 48'' grp hull for an earlier Totnes Castle of very similar outline.

I'd like to thank Larry for drawing my attention to the fact that KC was in the area, although I expect I would have found out soon enough!

All the best,

Ian

 

Edited By Ian Gardner on 13/08/2013 14:26:29

[Ian GardnerParticipant @iangardner62867]

A trip on the famous old paddler.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Nice picture, Ian

What a nice sleek craft?

Would make a lovely model…..A big un, of course!

Can`t be many of these boats left now?

Saw an old photo of the seaside at Southport about 1900 and there must have been a dozen such paddlers, sailing about!

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

I recall travelling on her when she was originally on the Dart. Nice to see she is back where she belongs.

Colin

[Ian GardnerParticipant @iangardner62867]

Bob,

There are only two steam paddlers as far as I know- Waverley and Kingswear Castle, both owned by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society. This one is on long term loan to the River Dart company that runs trip boats on the Dart.

I did think of building a model years ago, hence my purchase of a plan, but I think the displacement would be very light and a successful model unlikely. I've noticed paddlers tend to dig in one side and one paddle box seems to get stuck on the water- hopefully it's different with paddle tugs which might have more weight. Of course, you have had more experience with paddlers and you may know the solution!

A friend of mine built the Bournemouth Queen and it didn't do well until he hung a shortened metre boat keel on the bottom.

Still, it's nice to dream.

All the best…Ian

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Ian, I know a few modellers who have deepened the hull for that reason

I also hung a keel weight below, on all my paddlers

Without the keel weight, Jeanie Deans was out of control!

It's amazing how a model does not behave like the full size ship?

Square riggers are a prime example

Bob

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Looked a most enjoyable trip Ian. You mentioned Waverley and KC in the earlier post, with the way things are progressing Medway Queen will soon be added to the list.

Bob, you mentioned the Southport paddlers in your earlier post. In the North West region, the Blackpool paddlers are well worth a look at, Greyhound was superb and the Queen of the North was her rival. Sadly, Queen of the North was a WW1 loss.

Tony

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Not really amazing Bob, it's just a consequence of scaling down. The external dimensions reduce by the square root but the displacement (weight) reduces by the cube root so the relative proportions are completely different from a full size ship.

Colin

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Tony

The Southport paddler photos are in the arcade at the end of the pier

Bob

[LARRY WHETTONParticipant @larrywhetton68737]

Hello Ian

Glad enjoyed your trip on Kingsware looks like you had nice weather,

also enjoyed photos, my trip was very good aswell all but the weather,

and fogot to bring camera gear wife left it home, my fault did not check the boot .

so took a few pictures with a boots disposable film camera,

but did manage to get into the wheel house and do a bit of stokeing,

and use the wonderfull toilet , going back for another trip when feeling better,..

cheers Larry..

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you, Colin

I`ve only just spotted your explanation!

The surface area reduces by the square root and the volume reduces by the cube root….that sounds better? Sorry Colin…….Don`t wish to appear a smarty pants

Model paddlers are famous for being unstable, the full size craft must have been frightening in a storm, Charles Dickens once described the scene on Great Eastern!

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Yes Bob, quite right but you know what I mean and with a boat, volume has a direct relationship to displacement!

Colin

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Colin

What about scale viscosity?

It must be part of the calculation?

Bob

Just as a point of interest….

High board divers, plunge into aerated water to soften the entry shock!

And also, full sized ships sink in aerated water?

Bob again

[Ian GardnerParticipant @iangardner62867]

Hi folks,

Glad the pictures of KC were appreciated.

Larry- you're close enough to have another trip, we certainly will. It was idyllic with the steam train coming down to Kingswear- we could have been in Dartmouth eighty years ago -if you can blot out the gin palaces!

I was interested to hear of the need for keels on your paddlers Bob. I had a PBM Edwardian paddler years ago and it would stick one paddle box on the water, despite frets in the paddle boxes. A clubmate put a paddler on the other day and we thought it was sinking- he limped in with it and I leaned down to grab it and there was an audible pop as she righted- just a vacuum in the paddle box- but no frets. So there are problems with paddlers- but they are fascinating.

Tony, we had a fantastic trip and it makes me so grateful that there have been folk with the drive, energy and vision to save some of these old boats. Mind you, I did overhear a conversation behind me in the queue- 'I suppose we'd better get on this old thing then'.. and it didn't sound like a joke!

As a matter of interest, it was one of Vic Smeed's books which first helped me understand the effects of scale on linear dimensions, area and volume- which is why I always like to have some idea of the weight of a boat when I build it. The Models By Design hull of Totnes castle has a displacement of 9lb on a 48'' hull- one would definitely have to build light topsides.

Looking forward to my next trip on KC…Ian

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Hello There Ian

I just read your comment about side wheelers digging one paddle in with interest. I recently re-powered my solar side wheeler with a battery operated motor (The combination of bright sun and calm weather and no tide was proving to be too elusive!) She now has considerably more power, enough in fact to push her past hull speed. I found the paddle diging thing to be a bit of a problem, only when started on full power. By slowly building up speed, she is fine. As you will know, she is a narrow, shallow hull, (42"x4"x1" draft) and has no ballest keel of any sort! Based on that ,I think that the kingsware could work well.

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Sorry it's not a better photo. It seemed to make no difference if the paddle boxs where on or not.

[Ian GardnerParticipant @iangardner62867]

Hello Amy,

I suspect that each paddler will behave differently for no apparent reason! I'm glad yours behaves itself though- and quite an atmospheric photo! I'm sure we'd all like to see more of her in action.

I was also enjoying the photos of your Tancook whaler- looks very nice, and good to see that the winch and rudder actuator work well.

As for building Kingswear Castle- it would be sheer madness to start anything else- I haven't got enough life left to complete all my planned projects as it is- and I intend to live to 120!

Hope you feel better soon.

Ian

Edited By Ian Gardner on 16/08/2013 14:46:24

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Thanks for the kind thoughts, Ian. Back on deck now , just in time to go to work tomorrow

Wouldn't it be lovely to have all the time (and money) we needed to bring our grand schemes to life….

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

The KC's tow from the Medway, to the Dart.

**LINK**

Tony.

[Ian GardnerParticipant @iangardner62867]

That's an interesting article Tony, and I imagine the local folk on the Medway must have been sad to see her go, but it is still great to have her back on the Dart. Like Colin, my wife can remember a trip on one of the Dart steamers back in the sixties- unfortunately no photos.

I had another trip on the Dart last week, but this time down to Greenway, Agatha Christie's old holiday home, but it was great to see KC plying up and down-she's in wonderful condition. Apparently the operators use the best Welsh steam coal for fear of upsetting the owners of the large number of gin palaces on the river- less smuts to soil their pristine topsides! Lot of money round Dartmouth.

All the best…Ian

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

All is not lost for the good people of the Medway area, the newly built Medway Queen is soon to be towed from the builders in Bristol to Gillingham. The tug Christine has been contracted for this.

**LINK**

Whilst on the subject of paddler preservation, things are looking good for getting the Scottish paddler Maid of the Loch back into service.

**LINK**

Tony

[Ian GardnerParticipant @iangardner62867]

Tony,

Those links are very interesting. I didn't realise the MQ was so far on- wouldn't it be fantastic to have her back in action- and much more suitable that she should be on the Medway than the KC. It'll make a trip to Kent mandatory I think.

The Maid of the Loch sounds as if she is practically there. It brought back happy memories of a holiday Jane and I had sailing our 16' yawl on Loch Lomond. We had one idyllic day sailing from Balloch and around the islands. The rest of the week the weather was atrocious- worst in ages we were told, and we spent some time being bounced about and getting drenched before letting discretion be the better part of valour- we are basically picnic sailors! Local sailors were going round the loch looking for boats that had broken free from their moorings. The loch throws up a really nasty short, steep sea- it's quite a big area of water.

I remember having a cup of tea on Maid of the Loch and she was looking good then- I can feel another trip to Scotland coming on too!

Thanks for posting these.

All the best,

Ian

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