Swiss Lake Steamers 1

I’ve never been to the Swiss Lakes, but I’m grateful to Rich Taylor, who spent some time there this summer, for these photos of paddle steamers.  PS Gallia dates from 1913 and

PS Schiller, below, from 1906.  Rich writes, “We sailed aboard at every opportunity, on occasion having a prepared meal from the on board galley. They are a integral part of the Swiss transit system and as such covered by the Swiss Travel Pass making connections with other boats, trains, hotels, lakeside villages; all very pleasant.”

Note the puff of steam?  Rich writes, “When one steamboat passes another,  advance announcement is made by the captain; then there is a whistle salute from each.”  I wonder if part of that advance announcement is to cover your ears if you are close to the whistle.

“PS William Tell built 1908, a near sister to Schiller, has been moored as a floating restaurant since 1970.”  Click here for some interior photos, which give me an appetite to travel there some summer.

Rich took these two photos of PS Stadt Luzern,  built 1928,  near Vitznau.  I had to look up that location.

 

Click here and here for more info on Lake Lucerne.

Two things come to mind as I look at these.  First, of course there were bowsprite’s  too-short-liaison with steamships here, and then there were a few surviving US  steam yachts I saw at Mystic Seaport here.

Many thanks to Rich for these photos.