Peter Gaukroger, who skippered the Steam Yacht Gondola on Coniston Water for many years and was involved in its restoration, recounts the history of the vessel

The Steam Yacht Gondola was the first steamship constructed for passenger use on Coniston Water by the Furness Railway company.

Built by Jones and Quiggin of Liverpool in 1859, she has been described in many books and by many people as one of the most extraordinary specimens of naval architecture.

She was variously reported as a cross between a submarine and a cucumber with suspicions of a vast steam canoe, but was said to be a perfect combination of a Venetian gondola and English steam yacht, with the graceful likeness and quiet gliding motion of the former and the elegance and speed of the latter.

The striking characteristics of the Gondola are, first, the shape and ornamentation of the bow; second, the saloons and the typical Victorian furnishings of red velvet and mahogany panelling and, thirdly, the machinery installation tucked away in the stern.

The Gondola’s bow slopes away so rapidly the appearance of the ship makes it unique.

The ornamentation on the prow, consisting of the coronet of the Duke of Devonshire, who at the time was chairman of the Furness Railway Company, was surmounted by a serpent with gold tracery below combined to suggest the snout of some weird form of marine monster!

The first class saloon, with its plush seats and red velvet cushions, gold decoration, mahogany panelling, pillars, curtains, padded deck head and deep pile red and black patterned carpet, certainly proclaimed its Victorian opulence.

The third-class salon was slightly less opulent, with red leather cushions, mahogany-panelled bulkheads and deck heads, the deck being covered in lino embossed with the Furness Railway coat of arms.

Engine room machinery consisted of a locomotive-type boiler built by Laurence of Liverpool, who also supplied the engine. A later boiler was supplied by Clayton, Son & Co Ltd of Leeds in 1923. Both these boilers had a working pressure of 100psi.

This locomotive-type boiler supplied steam to two simple cylinders with a 12-inch stroke, which were on either side of the boiler barrel and inclined, so that both connecting rods operated on a single crank.

No link motion was provided, reversal of the engine being accomplished by means of slip eccentrics. The exhaust steam from the cylinders passed up a long raked funnel, producing the necessary draught for the fire.

No condensers were required as the boiler directly drew fresh water from the lake. The engine’s nhp was 16 and ihp 40, with a service speed of around 8 knots.

The number of passengers carried was around 125 - there were no maximum passenger regulations in those days!

The late Captain Felix Hamill, a well-known Coniston character, was in command of the Gondola for many years. It is believed Gondola sailed twice to three times per day during the summer season, in conjunction with the Furness Railway train arrivals at Coniston station and later with Ribble Motor Services coach arrivals.

In 1908 the Furness Railway Company acquired the TSS Lady of the Lake to supplement the sailings of SY Gondola. The Lady of The Lake was said to be very unsuitable for use on Coniston Water. Under certain conditions the passengers reported the vessel to be very unstable and she later was broken up in 1950.

The Gondola carried on sailing until just before World War Two, when she was sold due to lack of passengers. She then became a houseboat and most of her machinery was removed.

After a particularly bad gale she was washed ashore at the south end of the lake close to the estate of the late Admiral Bryce at Waterpark. The admiral’s close companion, Arthur Hatton, a retired railwayman, took the now semi-derelict Gondola in hand and secured her to the shore.

It was Hatton’s hope he could restore Gondola to her former glory but he soon realised the cost of such a venture was beyond his means.

In 1976 Tony Lord, regional manager for the National Trust, who had an interest in steam engines, convinced the trust Gondola was worth saving and she was bought for £1,000 from Mr Hatton.

After a lot of voluntary work by Tony Lord, National Trust staff and other helpers, Gondola was towed to Coniston Hall and beached for a full survey by both a retired Lloyd’s surveyor and the DTp.

Hopes of returning Gondola to a full passenger service were, however, dashed when it was reported that the hull, made of Low Moor iron, would not pass a modern-day survey to carry passengers under Class 5 of the rules for smooth waters.

Not to be outdone, the National Trust launched an appeal to rebuild the vessel.

After negotiations with Vickers Shipbuilding Group during 1978 the hull was cut into three sections and transported along the narrow Lakeland roads to Vickers shipyard at Barrow where, with assistance of apprentices, a new hull and superstructure was built. The only remaining part incorporated into the new hull was the gunnel bar.

The rebuilt hull and superstructure came back to Coniston in sections and were reassembled at Pier Cottage slipway, Gondola’s old home base.

After some research the trust had been able to trace designs of the engine and a contract was placed for an engine like the original with Locomotion Enterprises of Hartlepool.

As no record of the original boiler design was available it was decided a modern-type of locomotive boiler would have to be sourced.

After some research it was found the Ffestiniog Railway company of Porthmadog in North Wales had a modern boiler design which would meet the requirements.

During late 1979 and early 1980 the new engine and boiler were fitted into the machinery space by Vickers and on March 25, 1980, SY Gondola was relaunched by Mrs Howell, wife of the Vickers’ local director. Mrs Howell is the great grand-daughter of Captain Felix Hamill.

Fitting out of the hull and superstructure followed. This work was carried out by a number of local companies, National Trust staff and Vickers. After a DTp survey Gondola was granted a passenger certificate to carry 86 seated passengers.

On June 1, 1980, the Gondola sailed from Coniston Hall Sailing Club’s landing stage on her inaugural voyage, with the then Duke of Devonshire as guest of honour along with other dignitaries. On July 1 that year the vessel returned to full passenger service with a schedule of five sailings per day, calling at piers at each end of the lake.

As the original piers used by Gondola were in private ownership with no public access, new piers had to be built on the lake. The total cost of rebuilding Gondola including all piers and services exceeded £250,000. This money was raised by public appeal and from the National Trust’s own funds.

Booking arrangements for the first year were undertaken by Mountain Goat Bus Company of Windermere along with a brief management agreement in 1982 with Sealink (UK), now Windermere Lake Cruises, who operate all the Windermere vessels. Gondola has since remained under National Trust management.

Gondola’s boiler started off being coal fired, using around 1cwt of steam coal per hour, but obtaining good quality steam coal became a problem and the vessel now burns compacted wood blocks which are as efficient as, and cleaner to the environment, than coal.

Parts of the wooden cabin along with furnishings have had to be replaced due to both wear and weathered wood. Gondola’s colour scheme has also been changed since the original 1980 one.

Gondola sails early spring to late autumn from Coniston pier adjacent to the boating centre and the Bluebird café on Lake Road, offering a number of different cruises. It is also available for functions and hire.

Like many seasonal lake and coastal cruise vessels the weather is always a deciding factor and Gondola is no different, but as long as her running costs are met each year she will remain in service for many more years, bringing back to people memories of the bygone age of the steamship.