Steam Launches
Seen from atop the National Theatre on the River Thames in lashing rain during the parade of a multitude of boats in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant in 2012 are the Kariat (in the foreground) and the Alaska.
Kariat was a steam launch designed and built by the Liquid Fuel Engineering Co. of East Cowes on the Isle of Wight in 1896. She was 10.67m in length, had a beam of 2.06m with an undetermined draught.
She was found derelict at Itchenor on the Solent in 1953 and was fully restored before being owned by a variety of people. She returned to Cowes in 2003, regularly steaming on the Solent. On this day she was crewed by Sea Cadets and members of Isle of Wight youth organisations - hence the IoW flag at the bow.
Alaska was built in 1883 at Bourne End on the Thames (north-west of Slough) for use as a hire boat taking parties on day trips. She is 16 gross tons and has a length of 18.20m, beam of 3m and a draught of 0.98m.
In 1887 she was used to inaugurate a ferry service from Oxford to Kingston and back (two days downriver, three on the way back, with passengers staying in hotels at night). This continued until the beginning of World War II, although by then Alaska was reduced to shorter portions of the trip as more modern vessels coped with the demand.
She went through a sad period until 1974 when discovered at Medley Boat Station in Oxford where she was being used as a boarding pontoon, sitting on the bottom of the river and decked-over with plywood. She was taken downriver and spent 12 years being fully restored, during which time she was reunited with her original engine.
Both vessels were part of Britain's National Historic Fleet. However, a devastating fire in Cowes in 2016 that destroyed 32 boats, resulted in Kariat being a total loss.
Steam Launches
Seen from atop the National Theatre on the River Thames in lashing rain during the parade of a multitude of boats in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant in 2012 are the Kariat (in the foreground) and the Alaska.
Kariat was a steam launch designed and built by the Liquid Fuel Engineering Co. of East Cowes on the Isle of Wight in 1896. She was 10.67m in length, had a beam of 2.06m with an undetermined draught.
She was found derelict at Itchenor on the Solent in 1953 and was fully restored before being owned by a variety of people. She returned to Cowes in 2003, regularly steaming on the Solent. On this day she was crewed by Sea Cadets and members of Isle of Wight youth organisations - hence the IoW flag at the bow.
Alaska was built in 1883 at Bourne End on the Thames (north-west of Slough) for use as a hire boat taking parties on day trips. She is 16 gross tons and has a length of 18.20m, beam of 3m and a draught of 0.98m.
In 1887 she was used to inaugurate a ferry service from Oxford to Kingston and back (two days downriver, three on the way back, with passengers staying in hotels at night). This continued until the beginning of World War II, although by then Alaska was reduced to shorter portions of the trip as more modern vessels coped with the demand.
She went through a sad period until 1974 when discovered at Medley Boat Station in Oxford where she was being used as a boarding pontoon, sitting on the bottom of the river and decked-over with plywood. She was taken downriver and spent 12 years being fully restored, during which time she was reunited with her original engine.
Both vessels were part of Britain's National Historic Fleet. However, a devastating fire in Cowes in 2016 that destroyed 32 boats, resulted in Kariat being a total loss.