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Dwight
Peck's personal Web site
Lake
steamers and other boats on Lake Geneva (lac Léman)
The Belle
Epoque lake steamer the Italie steams out of Evian,
France, in June 2005. The Italie is the third-oldest of the astonishing eight-ship
fleet of Belle Epoque paddle-wheelers on Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), all constructed
between 1904 and 1927 -- built in 1908, its diningroom is a work of art; Kristin
and her friends recently had lunch aboard between Geneva and Nyon and recommend
the low-cost plat du jour in elegant surroundings. 
Another
steamer leaving Evian docks -- this is La Suisse,
built in 1910 and, at 78 meters long, nearly the biggest of the Lake Geneva Belle
Epoque fleet. It's 16 meters across at its widest point. 26 June 2005 
La
Suisse has got to be
one of the most beautiful ships ever built. It was last renovated in 1971 and
seems to be okay for a while, whereas the Italie (above) will require a complete
renovation in the next five years. The
transcendentally beautiful fleet of Lake Geneva "Belle Epoque" steamers
are presently being renovated and fundraising is well under way. They are
| SS
Montreux, built in 1904, 67.8m long, renovated 2001
MS Vevey, built in 1907,
65.5m long, needs complete renovation
MS Italie, built in 1908, 65.5m long,
needs complete renovation
SS La Suisse, built in 1910, 78m long, needs renovation
within 15 years
SS Savoie, built in 1914, 67.8m long, presently being renovated
SS Simplon, built 1915-1920, partly renovated 2005, 78m long, needs renovation
2015
SS Rhône, built 1927, 67.8m long, needs total renovation 2015
Helvétie, built 1926, 78.5m long, out of service since 2002 awaiting renovation |
If
you want to send money, visit the Web site http://www.vapeurs-leman.com/. 
The
Italie arrives to pick up the luncheon crowd in Rolle,
7 September 2005. 
The
Italie and the splendid gardens of Rolle's lakefront 
The
Italie and Rolle lakeside, 2005 
The
Italie, bound towards Genève, passes the little
Henry-Dunant coming into Rolle, with ritual toots
of their whistles. 
The
Henry-Dunant (built 1963, 50m long, named after the
founder of the Red Cross) 
The
wonderful Belle Epoque Simplon (1915-1920, renovated
2005, length 78m) pulling into Nyon dock, July 2006. 
At
78 meters long, the Simplon is as long as La Suisse
and second in length only to the Helvétie (78.5m), which is now awaiting
renovation and out of service.
The
Simplon and the pedalos boats for hire at Nyon, July
2006 
The
Vevey at the Yvoire docks, 2003 
La
Suisse, pulling out of Rolle on the noontime run, August 2006 
La
Suisse, gliding between Rolle shore and the Ile de la Harpe. 
La
Suisse bound for elsewhere,
August 2006 
La Suisse may be the loveliest boat ever built
More
photos of the Suisse 
The
Rhône (built 1927,
67.8m long) coming into Nyon at 1 p.m., 26 July 2007 
The
Rhône in July 2007 
The
Rhône preparing to cast off, with the NaviBus
Coppet waiting to get in to the dock just behind
it.
More photos of the Rhône. 
This
is the Lausanne, 7 September 2005, obviously not
one of the Belle Epoque fleet or even a steamer, passing between the village of
Rolle and the Ile de La Harpe. The Ile de la Harpe, built in 1844, is the only
island in the Lake of Geneva, except for "Queen Victoria's Tree" near
Villeneuve. It's artificial and was intended to protect the port facility to the
west from winds and waves, where wood from the Jura was loaded onto barges for
Geneva. 
The
Lausanne (built 1991, 78.8m long) heading back out
onto the lake. 
The
Lausanne coming into Nyon dock in 2004. Presently,
in July 2007, the Compagnie Générale de Navigation (CGN) operates
17 boats on the lake, including the eight Belle Epoque steamers, with two new
Navibuses due to hit the waves in late 2007 and 2008.
The
General-Guisan (built 1964, 50m long), preparing
to ferry us across to Yvoire on the French side
of the lake, 2003 
The
Lausanne at Nyon 
This
is the new Morges (30 meters long, max 200 passengers),
inaugurated in Morges on 22 December 2005, here making the Nyon lunchtime run
on 17 January 2006. 
The Morges
is called the "Morges" because the town of Morges and Rolle and suburbs
put up a big piece of the circa.3 million francs to get it built. In addition
to its quotidien chores down our way, it's also possible to have an evening fondue
and lake cruise on board in the "upper lake" (the Montreux-Vevey region)
on the weekends. No fondues today -- except for the pilot, the boat is empty. 
The
vedette, or launch, Col-Vert (built 1960, 28.3m long)
on the lunchtime run to Nyon, 18 January 2006. 
The
Col-Vert at Nyon docks, January 2006. 
The
Chablais, built in 1974, 46.1m long, leaving Nyon
dock on 26 May 2006. 
The
Chablais (named for the region at the head of Lac
Léman) was once painted a chaste white, but now it's the . . . . Dessert
Liner, featuring the Frisco company's "Extreme" ice cream cones. 
The
Ville-de-Genève (launched 1978, length 47m)
arriving on the noon run at Nyon pier, July 2006. 
Lake
Geneva's first "Navibus", the Coppet (named
for a lakeside village between Nyon and Genève), launched in May 2007,
capable of 50km an hour on its route among Nyon, Geneva, and Thonon and Yvoire
in France. 
The
Navibus is meant chiefly for commuters -- "Park 'N Splash" to and from
Geneva -- and gets to Geneva from Nyon in 36 minutes: much slower than the highway
in the off-hours but twice as fast as the rush-hour shuffle. The next Navibus,
the Genève, goes into service in October 2007,
and the Valais will be braving the waves in 2008. 
The
Henry-Dunant pulls into Nyon docks as the Navibus
Coppet is crossing back from the French side and
. . . 
.
. . they beep their horns at one another as they pass. Nyon, 6 June 2007.
The Navibus "Coppet" coming in to Nyon, April 2008, with the Morges moored at Rive-Est.
A
different kind of lake boat -- this is the solar-powered catamaran (solar panels
on the roof) that ferries people from the docks at Evian, France, to the nearby
Ramsar wetland education centre at Pré Curieux,
June 2005.
Some
other steamships
The
good ship "Blümisalp" leaving Thun
docks on its way across the Lake of Thun to Interlaken. 
What
a lovely way to spend the day, July 2006. 
The
Blümisalp heading out onto the Lake of Thun, 2006 |
A
paddle steamer, the Stadt Wien ("City of Vienna"),
on the Danube near Vienna, July 2003 
The
American "paddlewheel steamer" out of Alexandria Bay in the Thousand
Islands in the St. Lawrence River between the USA and Canada, August 2004.
The paddle wheel in the back is a mere affectation; it isn't connected to anything,
and it flaps idly about in the current. 
The
lake boat near Gandria on Lake Lugano in Ticino, April
1984.
A
festive boat on Lago Maggiore near Locarno,
April 2005 
The
Dessert Liner at Nyon, July 2007
 Feedback
and suggestions are welcome if positive, resented if negative, Dwight Peck at
 .
All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 1 October 2005, revised 10 June
2008.
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