New sidewheelers to operate on France's Loire river

Not the best looking European sidewheeler that I've ever seen. It just looks like one of Viking River Cruises' longboats with paddles out on the guards. But would I rather travel down a European river hearing the whoosh...whoosh...whoosh of a paddlewheel as opposed to the rumble of props, you bet!

I agree! Here are some better renderings of the boat...

My guess is that those boats will give a pilot grey hairs when he/she needs to back one of them hard and in a hurry. That square transom with a notch in it worries me, but to rip off Dale's closing line, "But what do I know?"

My only question is WHY? Why paddlewheels? All of the modern European overnight boats are as ugly as sin, but they work. Why would anyone want to hang paddlewheels (which you can't see anyway especially if you're on the boat) on the sides of the boat. They have no guards which would at least increase deck width, just a couple of fenders one ahead and one astern of the wheels. What's the point, is the river too shallow for propellers?

*Something happen with these postings?*
Steve's ineresting posting RE: 'CroisEurope' new sidewheel cruise vessels interesting as were the following posts. Good to see what 'the other guys are doing.' Then, following Jim Reising's posting,' nothing appeared with the above going blank. I E=Mailed Franz asking if some technical issues arose. Interesting to see/read the big initiatives being done on rivers around the world. No doubt something to be remedied...a glitch, I am quite sure.

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati

Dale, sorry for the delay, we've been travelling and mostly cut off proper Internet connections. I can't see any issues with the postings here, everything seams to be okay ...

Jim, the Loire is an extremely shallow river, so the paddlewheels are the only way to propell a cruise ship on these waters at all. And shallow here means only 6 to 7 feet of water depth in some places ...

There does seem to be something wrong with this thread. I must set the Display Mode to "Hybrid" in order to see the recent postings, and to post this I had to "Go Advanced" (not able to use "Quick Reply"). I've seen this happen before with other threads.. Not sure what causes it!

more info

CroisiEurope to launch Elbe paddlewheeler - Travel Weekly

CroisiEurope : Le Loire Princesse mis à flot en fin de semaine | Mer et Marine

Performed by the grouping of enterprises Neopolia, the new inland waterway vessel of "CROISIEUROPE", placed on shim on 17 September last in the form of construction of STX France, will float at the end of the week. It should then join the basin of Penhoet to be completed, a first official presentation is scheduled for 26 November.

With a steel hull and aluminum superstructures, the Loire Princess measure 88.8 meters long to 15.3 meters wide. Designed by the office of architecture nantais Stirling Design International, this vessel of 48 cabins will have two impellers allowing him to navigate on the River Loire, between Saint-Nazaire and Angers, beginning of April 2015.

This is the first ship built for CroisEurope by Neopolia, who is going to make two other units intended for the shipowner alsatian. The next, which will be christened Elbe Princess, will enter service in April 2016. Long of 95 meters and a width of 10.5 meters, it will be equipped with 40 cabins and will be operated on the Elbe, for cruises between Berlin and Prague.

This again begs the question that Jim Reising has asked several times: "why over there and not here?". 44 cabins? That's a capacity of 88 passengers, give or take. It seems that would be tough to make a profit considering crew expenses, fuel, marketing, etc. I wish them all the luck in the world and hope they are successful. I'm no businessman, but I don't see how it can make money.

*New Loire River sidewheelers*
Hi, Bob & Steamboating colleagues,
Interesting is you posting above RE: the new Loire River sidewheelers. I received an initial company announcememt here some months back. No doubt they will all be top-of-the line in every way along with excellent food. I daresay the cruise rates will reflect what they have to offer and people can expect to pay. Sidewheels yes, but steam no.

Many of these European cruise river vessels have that long, low-slung design due to clearance under many of those classic old stone bridges and aqueducts. Reminds me a little...somewhat...slightly...of the early on design for a new boat for the then GREENE LINE/DELTA QUEEN CO. as presented by Mr. Simonton and Mr. Muster at a long ago September S&D meeting. Note no need for a low bow deck with a swinging stage as we have here. A few marine designers over here wonder why our cruise boats are so locked in the pattern of the older river steamboat designs. It's comes with the tradition and image for target marketing. Vessels over there lay up along the side of the river landings called quays wth no sloped landings or levees like here. Thanks for sharing. May not be "pure steamboats" but... Well, what do I know?

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati

BTW the same company, CroisiEurope, has just announced a new paddlewheeler called Elbe Princess for the Elbe river in 2016:

95 m length
10.5 m width
80 passengers/40 cabins
double sternwheel

Route: Prague - Berlin

You will find some renderings here.

Carmen

*Disappearing of Loire boat messages*
Carmen, something happened with Steve Huffman's posting about the new Loire River sidewheelers with follow postings disappearing. Could be something with computer/internet on my end. Nothing harmful in what I read of Steve's posting. Is there a problem?

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati

This "postings disappearing" issue is a message board software issue and has been notorious for about two years now, happening every now and then and I still haven't found the reason for it. In fact, the postings did not disappear but just don't show up for *some* users while everything is fine for others for no apparent reason. Hence, there is nothing I can do about it, unfortunately. The only thing that usually helps is switching to another display mode (like "linear mode") and/or logging out from the message board, deleting all cookies and cache from the browser, restart the brower and login again ...

Franz

I found everything on "hybrid mode" but not on linear or threaded. Go figure! But I was able to see all on hybrid.

I can only view this thread by using Linear display mode.

Time to start this thread over in a new thread (?)....

Le Loire Princesse mis à flot à Saint-Nazaire

The Loire River Princess set afloat in Saint-Nazaire

the first vessel to impellers built for "CROISIEUROPE" has been set afloat in Saint-Nazaire on behalf of the shipowner Strasbourg. This boat is the implementation of industrial of Neopolia with the assistance of STX France and the support of the Loire region. Good news the shipowner has confirmed a second command the Elbe Princess.

We knew the boats to wheels of the Leman veterans and restored, it is here in a concept of boat to impellers propelled by hydraulic motors. Thanks to the impellers and the pulling of water of 90 centimeters the boat may reassemble the Loire up to Bouchemaine whose depth the more low is 1.20 m. Patrick Schmitter director general of "CROISIEUROPE" said he is "satisfied with this first achievement even if deadlines are tight. The Loire Princess will sail on the Loire between Saint-Nazaire and Bouchemaine to the doors of Angers. The second boat command Elbe Princess will sail to him, between Berlin and Prague on the Elbe and Vltava. Four additional boats could be built without that we know for the moment their destination. It is a breath of oxygen for the businesses of Nepolia and a reference which could allow to develop the market of waterway vessels in Saint-Nazaire . Neopolia would like to be able to benefit from a wharf dedicated to this activity in the port.

Only downside to that the Loire River Princess river boat can navigate from Saint-Nazaire to Bouchemaine, he would need a derogation, because before the bridge of St Nazaire is the sea ; and the river vessels are banned. The shipowner would like to be able to dock near the city center.

"CROISIEUROPE"
The company owns a fleet of 41 ships river, it is the leader of the boat cruise on the European rivers (200 000 passengers per year). It is a sector of activity in full growth, more than 10% per year. The boat Loire Princess will be inaugue in Nantes on 2 April next year.

Le Loire Princesse en essais | Mer et Marine