Steam on Coniston Waters.

The 1859 Steam Yacht "Gondola" was refitted in 1979 at £400,000.

Despite the weather looking non too favourable we walked the mile and a half from camp to Coniston pier. We were hoping that the wind and choppy waters on Lake Coniston wouldn’t cancel today’s sailings of the Steam Yacht “Gondola” We had seen this very elegant boat on the ITV1 television programme “The Lakes” and once we knew we were close by we couldn’t resist the opportunity to sail on her.

Steam boiler of steam yacht "Gondola" Burns environmentally clean compressed fire logs.

Right on time “Gondola” came steaming around the headland and we had ascertained that despite a coach tour booking there were plenty of seats available. To enter the main cabin you have to walk past the open sided engine room where everything is spotlessly clean and all the brass and copper is highly polished. These days the boiler is fired with compressed fire logs which are cleaner and more environmentally greener than coal.

SY "Gondola" designed by Sir James Ramsden of the Furness Railway Co.

Exactly 11am and we became aware that we were on the move despite not hearing a single noise from the engine room just feet away from us. With no noise to contend with, the skippers commentary  came across very well. We cruised down the lake to a point where Donald Campbell crashed in his fatal 1967 water speed record attempt before turning back towards Brantwood and the Monk Coniston Estate at the Northern tip of the lake.  Brantwood was the home of 19^C poet,painter and philosopher John Ruskin and the Monk Coniston Estate has gradually come into the care of the National Trust through the generosity of author Beatrix Potter (Mrs Heelis). Both of these people loved the Lake District and took inspiration from it.

Looking through both cabins of Steam Yacht "Gondola"

The sleek upward pointing bow of Steam Yacht "Gondola"

The history of “Gondola” is one of love and dedication. Designed by the General Manager of the then Furness Railway Co, Sir James Ramsden. It was built in Liverpool in 1859 at the cost of 1000 guineas. Carried in sections to Coniston, it was assembled on the lake side and launched in December of that year. In 1936 “Gondola” was retired and had her engine and boiler removed to power a sawmill only to be sold to a private owner who converted her to a houseboat moored on the lake.

The slipper stern of Steam Yacht "Gondola"

Disaster struck in the winter of 1963 when a storm broke her moorings driving her ashore. With this and a lowering of the water level in the lake left her high and dry. After a removal writ was issued a local enthusiast bought her 3 days before the writ was due and with a bulldozer dragged her back into the water and sank her where she lay until 1975. It was at this time that some Lake District National trust staff took an interest and set about resurrecting her. Four years later “Gondola” was back in Vickers Shipbuilding yard in Barrow in Furness under going a rebuild.

This was Steam Yacht "Gondola" between 1960 and mid 1970's.

Once more she was returned to Coniston in sections where she was put together and given a complete interior refit. In 1980 she was relaunched back on Coniston water where she has been in service ever since. In 1897 “Gondola” carried 14,264 passengers, now in the 21st century she is averaging 34,000 passengers a year and long may she continue.

The elegant serpents head on the Steam Yacht "Gondola"

We would recommend a visit to Coniston waters and “Gondola” anytime,so if you are wondering where to spend your Summer holidays? Head for the Lake District.

Coniston architecture built in slab stone.