Maid of the Loch - Paddle Restoration Campaign

The Paddle Steamer Maid of the Loch needs your support to purchase the materials required to restore both port and starboard paddles. The funds raised with go towards procuring new paddle floats, bearings and bushes and well as overhauling the jenny nettles and to paint inside the paddle boxes.

The Maid is a magnificent example of Clyde-built ship engineering, is the last paddle steamer built in the UK and as such is a designated Historic Ship. Already a much-loved feature on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, she attracts thousands of visitors every year and, over the last 20 years, a loyal band of volunteers has focused every available hour on her conservation.

This is a photo of the ship on the slipway , taken last October by Turkey Red Media, before the red paint was removed from the funnel.

Our reward for anyone who donates is a link to a fascinating online tour of the ship which explores every nook and cranny onboard so make sure you click on the reward button so we can send you the link later in the campaign. This unique tour is provided free of charge to the Maid by Turkey Red Media so all of your donation goes towards the paddle refurbishment.

Repairs to the spring beams and the Paddle turning equipment are overdue and the ship also needs a new paddle box fan and belting on the starboard side.

The Jenny nettles on the port side is misaligned and this piece of heavy equipment has been removed for bearing replacement / refurbishing. 

These following photos show the port paddle box after a few months of hard, heavy dismantling work by our volunteers.

After removal some of the metal parts are being transported to West of Scotland Engineering for refurbishment.

The starboard spring beam (which carries the jenny nettles) has suffered some splitting, which can be repaired by clamping.

 All of the replacement work described  will need to be repeated on the starboard side. As the current slipping will probably be of the longest duration on the journey to the ship sailing, there is no doubt that the paddle work should be done now. 

The level of labour input at the ship is intense and is all volunteer work. Most of the costs will be in material, tooling and consumables. Here are some of the volunteer paddler team.

If we can raise a substantial amount of these costs from our public support then we have been promised another donation of £15,000. We will need every penny!

The Trustees are grateful for all donations stating, “These funds will allow us to take the paddles to ‘as-new’ condition. The plan is for the ship to be returned to the Loch with all underwater work completed. This, along with the hull work will be a major leap forward towards the Maid sailing once more.'

With your support we hope to safely steer the Maid to a new phase of her life, relaunching her as a fully operational paddle steamer.

https://www.maidoftheloch.org/