SWISS PADDLE STEAMER
           FEATURES 2003


LAKE   GENEVA

 
MPV Genève
is now back at Geneva
(at her usual berth between Jardin-Anglais and Eaux-Vives piers)
following her visit to the floating dry-dock at Ouchy last Autumn
as seen in the above photos taken by Martin Cleaver on 28th January 2003

At the time, there were several men working inside the main cabin
- presumably this work is also being undertaken on behalf of
the "association pour le Bateau Genève"



EASTER   on   the   LAKES
Thursday 17th April to Easter Tuesday 20th April 2003

Although the were not as many sailings by paddle steamers
on some lakes as in previous years, there were still several attractive options available this year as summarised below

Thursday 17th April 2003
  Lake Geneva
MPV Italie sailings 43-172 1100 Lausanne to Geneva
1430 Geneva to Lausanne
MPV Vevey sailing 92 1220 Lunch Cruise from Geneva
Good Friday 18th April 2003
  Lake Geneva
MPV Italie sailings 43-172 0850 Le Bouveret to Geneva
1430 Geneva to Lausanne
MPV Vevey sailing 92 1220 Lunch Cruise from Geneva
  Lake Luzern
PS Unterwalden sailings 7-18-21-24 0915 Luzern to Flüelen
1200 Flüelen to Luzern
1520 Luzern to Vitznau
1640 Vitznau to Luzern
PS Stadt Luzern sailings 13-26 1120 Luzern to Flüelen
1505 Flüelen to Luzern
  Lake Zurich
PS Stadt Zürich sailing 111-112 1330 Zurich to Rapperswil
1525 Rapperswil to Zurich
Easter Saturday 19th April 2003
  Lake Geneva
MPV Italie sailings 43-172 0850 Le Bouveret to Geneva
1430 Geneva to Lausanne
MPV Vevey sailing 92 1220 Lunch Cruise from Geneva
  Lake Luzern
PS Stadt Luzern sailings 13-26 1120 Luzern to Flüelen
1505 Flüelen to Luzern
Easter Sunday 20th April 2003
  Lake Geneva
MPV Italie sailings 43-172 0850 Le Bouveret to Geneva
1430 Geneva to Lausanne
MPV Vevey sailing 92 1220 Lunch Cruise from Geneva
  Lake Luzern
PS Unterwalden sailings 7-18-21-24 0915 Luzern to Flüelen
1200 Flüelen to Luzern
1520 Luzern to Vitznau
1640 Vitznau to Luzern
PS Stadt Luzern sailings 13-26 1120 Luzern to Flüelen
1505 Flüelen to Luzern
  Lake Zurich
PS Stadt Zürich sailings 111-112 1330 Zurich to Rapperswil
1525 Rapperswil to Zurich
  Lake Como
PS Concordia sailings 12-66-31 1000 Como to Menaggio
1313 Menaggio to Bellano
1333 Bellano to Como
Easter Monday 21st April 2003
 Lake Geneva
MPV Italie sailings 43-172 0850 Le Bouveret to Geneva
1430 Geneva to Lausanne
MPV Vevey sailing 92 1220 Lunch Cruise from Geneva
  Lake Luzern
PS Unterwalden sailings 7-18-21-24 0915 Luzern to Flüelen
1200 Flüelen to Luzern
1520 Luzern to Vitznau
1640 Vitznau to Luzern
PS Stadt Luzern sailings 13-26 1120 Luzern to Flüelen
1505 Flüelen to Luzern
  Lake Zurich
PS Stadt Zürich sailings 111-112 1330 Zurich to Rapperswil
1525 Rapperswil to Zurich
  Lake Como
PS Concordia sailings 12-66-31 1000 Como to Menaggio
1313 Menaggio to Bellano
1333 Bellano to Como
Tuesday 22nd April 2003
  Lake Geneva
MPV Italie sailings 43-172 1100 Lausanne to Geneva
1430 Geneva to Lausanne
MPV Vevey sailing 92 1220 Lunch Cruise from Geneva


LAKE   GARDA
Summer 2003


MPV G Zanardelli

SURELY SOMEONE WENT TO
LAKE GARDA DURING 2003 !!!
and can report what was actually going on


The NLG published its official "on-line" Summer timetable for the period 25th May to 5th October 2003
(but there was no reference to either of the two motor paddle vessels)

The two motor paddle vessels entered service on
Sunday 25th May 2003
(much earlier than expeted)
thereafter MPV Zanardelli was again observed in service quite frequently but there wery few reported sightings of MPV Italia

Details of all sailing reported to me can be found here


Can YOU confirm or supply any other information which I can post for the benefit of other visitors to this site ?


Last photographic evidence that both motor paddle vessels
were in service together in 2003 was over the weekend of
Saturday 26th/27th July 2003
   
  MPV Italia  at Desenzano   MPV G Zardelli  at Bardolino
Thanks to Marcello Baldrati for the information and photos



LAKE   COMO
Italian Holiday Weekend 2003


PS Concordia at Colico pier after unusually duplicating
sailing 14 on Friday 15th August 2003     photo: Marcello Baldrati

The paddle steamer was in service daily between
Thursday 14th August and Sunday 17th August 2003

Thursday 14th August sailing 20 - 1200 Como to Colico
sailing 45 - 1520 Colico to Como
Friday 15th August sailing 14 - 1030 Como to Colico
sailing 47 - 1458 Colico to Como
Saturday 16th August sailing 10 - 0920 Como to Colico
sailing 47 - 1458 Colico to Como
Sunday 17th August sailing 10 - 0920 Como to Colico
sailing 47 - 1458 Colico to Como


A "second " PADDLE   STEAMER
for LAKE THUN ?

PS Helvetia

"Friends of Steam, Lake Thun/Lake Brienz" and "Vaporama"
have come up with a proposal for a "new" paddle steamer
incorporating the "old" restored oscillating engine from the
former Lake Brienz PS Giessbach which now stands idle in a garage

With rival plans evaluating the option of incorporating the engine
as part of the River Aare project to re-build PS Wengi,
many local people quite rightly consider it should be operational,
but must remain in the Berner Oberland as an added attraction at Thun


LAKE   BRIENZ

PS Lötschberg
was in drydock on 8th October 2003
when a visit was made by delegates from the
First World Steam & Tourist Train Congress
which had been held in Giessbach the previous two days

Click here for an interesting report on the conference

photo: Martyn Bane

LAKE   COMO
Christmas 2003

 
Former paddle steamer mv Milano
is again hosted the Como città dei Balocchi
Christmas exhibition at Como pier 4
                        Photos: Riccordo Suzzi

LAKE LUZERN
      Christmas and New Year      
Thursday 25th December 2003 to Sunday 4th January 2004
The full programme of sailings by PS Uri
over the festive period
PS Uri sets off from Luzern in sunshire, but runs into the fog at Beckenied
on Boxing Day (Friday 26th December) 2003
Photos: Olivier Bachmann
       
PS Uri sets off on the 1315 sailings from Luzern to Flüelen
on New Year's Day 2004 (left) after some snow
and Sunday 4th January 2004 (right) following further overnight snow

PS Uri
Timetable sailings
Thursday 25th Dec    Friday 26th Dec
Saturday 27th Dec    Sunday 28th Dec
Monday 29th Dec    Tuesday 30th Dec
Thursday 1st Jan    Friday 2nd Jan
Saturday 3rd Jan    Sunday 4th Jan
from Luzern and other lakeside piers
Special sailings
Saturday 27th December 2003
EVENING FONDUE CRUISE
from Luzern at 1920
Monday 29th December 2003
EVENING FONDUE CRUISE
from Luzern at 1920
New Year's Eve 2003
EVENING GALA CRUISE
from Luzern at 1930
Saturday 3rd January 2004
EVENING FONDUE CRUISE
from Luzern at 1920
The eleven PS Uri days of Christmas

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Updated - Lakes Brienz, Geneva, Luzern, Thun, Zurich, Konstanz, Maggiore, Como, Garda 22nd February 2004   e-mail   (c)2003-2004 John B Bird