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This website has no connection with any shipping company, cruise line, boat operator or other commercial organisation - There are no postcards for sale on this website
Kent Excursion Vessels
This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of old and new smaller excursion vessels and ferries of Kent, not covered on other dedicated pages on larger companies such as
New Medway SP Co
. Not all these boats are still in service.
Vessels operating in 2007 are:-
Allington Belle
,
Danny Lee
,
Kentish Lady
,
Kingswear Castle
,
Lady Jane
,
Monarch
,
Princess Pocahontas
,
Southern Queen
,
Swallow
Ship Names on this Page:-
Allington Belle
(Allington Belle, Maidstone - built: 2005?)
Clyde
(Invicta Line Cruises - no longer in service)
Danny Lee
(Bodiam Ferry Company)
Kentish Lady
(Hire Cruises, Maidstone - built: 1976)
Kingswear Castle
(Medway cruises from Chatham & Rochester)
Lady Jane
(Stour River Bus)
Monarch
(Grove Ferry cruises - moved to Isle of Wight from 2008)
New Golden Spray
- (no longer in service)
Princess Pocahontas
(Lower Thames & Medway: 1988- )
Queen of Kent
- (no longer in service)
Sheppey Queen
Southern Queen
(Dover & White Cliffs cruises)
Swallow
(Bewl Cruises - Swallow Cruises)
Thames Queen
(Invicta Line Cruises - no longer in service)
Other Kent Pages:-
Kent Piers
Belle Steamers
Bodiam Ferry Company
- Newenden Bridge-Bodiam Castle service
Dover
- UK's major continental ferry port
Eagle Steamers (GSN)
General Steam Navigation
Hythe Electric Boat Trips
Invicta Line Cruises
Lower Thames & Medway Passenger Boat Co
Maidstone
- River Medway excursion boats
New Medway SP Co
New Palace Steamers
PS Kingswear Castle
- Medway excursion paddle steamer
PS Monarch (3)
- Kent Stour excursion paddle steamer
Queenborough
- River Swale/Medway port
Queen Line (New Medway)
Tilbury-Gravesend Ferry
Associated Pages:-
UK Excursion Ships
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards
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Recent Updates
Simplon Postcards
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Home Page
References:-
Trip Out Guides
-
Written and published by G.P.Hamer - various editions from 1977 to 2005 consulted
Trip Out Guides are available from Geoffrey Hamer, PO Box 485, Southall, UB1 9BH
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Kent Excursion Vessels
Allington Belle
(built: 2005?)
The
Allington Belle
leaving
Maidstone
©1999-2006 Copyright Ian Boyle, 5th July 2006
Click to open larger image in new window
Clyde
(Invicta Line Cruises)
Invicta Line Cruises
of Chatham began services between Southend and Strood c.1985, using the
Clyde
and
Thames Queen
.
Thames Queen
was sold by Invicta Line in 1987, to be replaced by
Clairest
in 1989. Invicta Line ceased operations c.1992.
More images of Clyde
Clyde
in the Thames between Southend and the Medway.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1987.
Clyde
arriving at Southend Pier.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1987.
Danny Lee
(Bodiam Ferry Company)
The
Bodiam Ferry Company
operates the delightful little
Danny Lee
(24 passengers) along the River Rother between Newenden Bridge and Bodiam Castle.
Danny Lee
is run in association with an adjacent Tea Garden. Cruise & Dine options are also available with the White Heart Inn. Rowing boat hire is also available. The Kent & East Sussex Railway runs in parallel. The Bodiam Ferry Company contact number is:- 01797 253838 email:-
bodiamferry@hotmail.com
web:-
www.bodiam-ferry.co.uk
More Images of the Bodiam Ferry Company
Danny Lee
of the Bodiam Ferry Company at Newenden Bridge
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 6th July 2006
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Photo: © Ian Boyle, 6th July 2006
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Photo: © Ian Boyle, 6th July 2006
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Kentish Lady
(built: 1976)
The
Kentish Lady
at
Maidstone
©1999-2006 Copyright Ian Boyle, 5th July 2006
Click to open larger image in new window
Kingswear Castle
Kingswear Castle (2)
was built for the
River Dart Steam Boat Company
in 1924 using the engines of her predecessor
Kingswear Castle (1)
of 1904. Her design essentially dates back to the
Berry Castle (1)
of 1880.
Kingswear Castle (2)
ran on the Dart until 1965, when she become uneconomic compared to more modern motor vessels. She was eventually sold to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society, who restored her on the River Medway for a full return to service in 1985. Visit
www.pskc.freeserve.co.uk
for details of
Kingswear Castle (2)
excursions, including visits to Southend.
Complete history of Kingswear Castle
Kingswear Castle
at Whitstable.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1985.
Kingswear Castle
arriving at Strood for a cruise to meet the
Waverley
.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1986.
Kingswear Castle
on the River Medway, photographed from the
Waverley
.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1987.
Kingswear Castle
on the River Medway, photographed from the
Waverley
.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1987.
Kingswear Castle
at Rochester Pier.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1997.
Kingswear Castle
arriving at Strood Pier.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th March 2005.
Lady Jane
Lady Jane
(left) based at Sandwich Town Quay for the 'Stour River Bus'
Monarch
The small
Monarch
is the third paddle steamer of this name, following two owned by
Cosens & Co
. She was designed and built by her owner, Brian Waters, and is named after the first
Monarch.
In 2004 she operated on the Stour River Bus service in Kent with the
Lady Jane
.
Monarch (3)
carries twelve passengers with seating space on deck and also in a comfortable saloon aft. She has taken almost 20 years to build, entering commercial service in 2004, running charters and some public sailings from Sandwich. Two friends and myself chartered the
Monarch (3)
on 30th October 2004, to celebrate our 50th birthdays.
Pictures from this charter
. This was an extremely successful event, and the charter of
Monarch (3)
for small parties (maximum 12 passengers) is strongly recommended. For 2005 operations shifted to Grove Ferry (9 miles upstream). In 2008 she relocated to the Isle of Wight and in 2010 to to the River Tamar in Cornwall.
More images of Monarch
Monarch (3)
leaving Sandwich Town Quay on a public sailing.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 30th October 2004.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 30th October 2004.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 30th October 2004.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 29th April 2006
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New Golden Spray - Queen of Kent
New Golden Spray
was operating short coastal cruises from Ramsgate and Margate in the mid-1970s for M.J.Pett of Ramsgate. She had become
Queen of Kent
for D.Rose of Rochester by 1981, running excursions from Southend and the Medway towns of Rochester, Aylesford, Faversham etc.
Queen of Kent
at Leigh-on-Sea in poor condition.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, c.1987
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Queen of Kent
at Leigh-on-Sea in poor condition.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, c.1987
Click to open larger image in new window
Princess Pocahontas
(Lower Thames & Medway: 1988- )
Princess Pocahontas
was built in Rendsburg as the Kieler Verkehrs-AG ferry
Laboe
in 1962. She operated in the Kiel Fjord. She was 33.51 metres long and 140 gross tons. 200 hp engines gave a speed of 11 knots. In 1984 Kieler Verkehrs-AG had a new
Laboe
built, and the 1962 vessel was sold to Viking Reederei Personenschiffahrt of Flensburg, and renamed
Freya II (1)
. She was sold in 1988, and replaced by a similar looking
Freya II (2)
(the chartered
Kollund
). She was bought by the
Lower Thames & Medway Passenger Boat Company
and used on public sailings and charters from Gravesend to Greenwich, London and as far out as Southend.
More images of Princess Pocahontas
Princess Pocahontas
leaving Gravesend for charter
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 5th May 2006.
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Princess Pocahontas
arriving at Tilbury for the cruise.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 14th June 2006.
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Sheppey Queen
The vessel shown on the Southend-Sheerness ferry below has taken some time to identify. A number of people have made suggestions, but I now beleive it is the
Sheppey Queen
- can anyone confirm this? Email:
simplon@simplon.co.uk
.
The
Sheppey Queen
was built by the Sittingbourne Boat Building Company in 1946. She ran trips with the
Silver Star
during the late 1950s early 1960s from Sheerness beach. She then worked on the Clyde working summer excursions from Kilmun, Hunters Quay and Dunoon to Rothesay, Largs, Kyles of Bute, etc. Occasionally on very busy weekends she turned up on the Kilmun-Hunters Quay-Gourock ferry (usually worked by the 40ft Kelvin Launch
Sonje Tessa
), using Ritchie Bros slipway at the side of Gourock Pier entrance near the pilot station. Her stern power was poor, and she was seen being towed off that slipway by a couple of Ritchie's ferries, the
Lady Jane Ritchie
and the
Port Star
. In the 1970s she was on the RG Launches ferry service that took workers to and from the Ford factory at Dagenham. Later she was in private ownership as a yacht. In 2009 she is at Faversham Creek undergoing restoration, the eventual intention being to take her to Ireland. She has a website at:-
www.angelicfeast.com/sheppey
Harold Jordan writes:-
The vessel in the postcard Southend-Sheerness ferry is in my opinion the
Sheppey Queen
which passed to James Ferguson & Sons, Kilmun sometime in the early 1950's. I think Jimmy Ferguson sold her some time around 1960, maybe 1961. I wonder if this postcard is a view of her prior to her time on the Clyde? The funnel and wheelhouse are exactly as she appeared on the Clyde. She worked summer excursions from Kilmun, Hunters Quay and Dunoon to Rothesay, Largs, Kyles of Bute, etc. Occasionally on very busy weekends she turned up on the Kilmun-Hunters Quay-Gourock ferry (usually worked by the 40ft Kelvin Launch
Sonje Tessa
), using Ritchie Bros. slipway at the side of Gourock Pier entrance near the pilot station. Her stern power was poor, and I have seen her towed off that slipway by a couple of Ritchie's ferries, the
Lady Jane Ritchie
and the
Port Star
.
Luke Farley writes:-
I believe the image is of the
My Queen
(ex-
Gondolier Queen
). She was built in Essex and used on a ferry in the area, and her hull is very, very similar to the one in the photo. She is also described a the 'Dunkirk Little Ships' website as being almost completely open, with a wheelhouse amidships - and your image seems to fit this description.
My Queen
is now based at Starcross, although she has also been based on the Thames, at Plymouth and at Dartmouth in the past.
Andy Richards writes:-
I would like to say it is good to see all this information about the boats.
The boat leaving Sheerness is the My Queen.
Roger Bolton writes:-
Further to our conversation on "Waverley" I regret I too am unable to identify the vessel on the Southend-Sheerness ferry route. I don't think it's "My Queen" because (1) I believe she had no wheelhouse whilst at Southend and (2) I think your vessel's freeboard is greater than "My Queen".
John Armstrong writes:-
This vessel is the
Trevarno
formerly owned by Torbay Cruising. Mrs E Wallis & Mr Head owned and ran her from Torquay around 1950 / 1953. She had new AEC engines installed by my father.
Sheppey Queen
the Southend-Sheerness ferry.
Published: Shoesmith & Etheridge 'Norman Series' - Hastings.
Click to open larger image in new window
Photo of
Sheppey Queen
(on the Clyde?)
Sheppey Queen
at Faversham
Photo: © Ben Mann
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Sheppey Queen
at Faversham
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th February 2009
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Sheppey Queen
at Faversham
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 28th February 2009
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Sheppey Queen
at Faversham
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 28th February 2009
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Sheppey Queen
at Faversham
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 28th February 2009
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Sheppey Queen
at Faversham
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 28th February 2009
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Southern Queen
(White Cliffs Boat Tours)
Southern Queen
operates harbour trips in Dover at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00 in good weather during the summer (weekends only: April, May, September, October). For full details see the
larger image of the the brochure
.
Postcard of
Southern Queen
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Brochure for
Southern Queen
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Photo: © Ian Boyle, 31st May 2005
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Photo: © Ian Boyle, 31st May 2005
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Photo: © Ian Boyle, 31st May 2005
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Photo: © Ian Boyle, 31st May 2005
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Photo: © Ian Boyle, 31st May 2005
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Photo: © Ian Boyle, 31st May 2005
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Photo: © Ian Boyle, 31st May 2005
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Photo: © Ian Boyle, 31st May 2005
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Photo: © Ian Boyle, 31st May 2005
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 4th August 2007
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Photo: © Ian Boyle, 4th August 2007
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Photo: © Ian Boyle, 4th August 2007
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Photo: © Ian Boyle, 4th August 2007
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Swallow
(Bewl Cruises - Swallow Cruises)
Swallow
was previously the
Sparkle
at Paignton, owned by R.Bewley (who replaced her with and older 1960 boat given the same name). The
Swallow
operates cruises on Bewl Water straddling the boundary between Kent and East Sussex. Between April and September,
Swallow
runs hourly cruises of 45 minutes duration between 11am and 4pm. She can carry 88 passengers and has a bar on board (but no toilet). Cost is a reasonable £4, but there is also an admission charge to Bewl Water of £6 per car. The operator is referred to as both Bewl Cruises and Swallow Cruises on different notices.
Phone:-
01892 890171
Excellent company postcard of
Swallow
Click to open larger image in new window
Swallow
leaving on a cruise
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th June 2007
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Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th June 2007