Paddle Steamer Lincoln Castle

Yes I agree it is sad that nobody with enough cash seems to be able or willing to save this piece of Hull's maritime past, but the problem is that for every quid available somewhere there are probably twenty organisations desperately putting their claim forward for that quid. The latest one, of course, being HKR supporters club trying to insist that Hull City Council should fund their expansion. I know which of the two should get any money if there was some available and it certainly wouldn't be a portion of East Hull's real estate.

Oh, I so agree with you.

Today,the Lincoln Castle Preservation Society made a six figure offer through our solicitor to buy the boat.The owner STILL refuses to sell it to us and it will be scrapped.In only eight weeks,that is the money we have raised through membership,donations and loan promises.We now hope to buy the engine and any other parts we can buy to put on display in Hull at maybe a Fruit Market building.One firm on the Clyde is interested is building a new paddle steamer with the engine from the Lincoln Castle
.But what a shame the no national body like the Maritime Heritage Trust or the National Railway museum wanted to buy it as part of the nations maritage heritage,or for that matter,Hull City Council with some of the KC money.We know that lottery funding was available,but only after the boat was bought.
Vice Chairman Lincoln Castle Preservation Society

I really don't understand the owner's attitude and intransigence. What possible difference can it make to him what the ultimate fate of the boat is, when is is currently in the process of destroying it?

Oops, that should be 'he is' not 'is is'.

I believe the real tragedy began in the scrap yard years before when the Steam Trawler Benvolio was scrapped and her healthy boiler lost. That boiler had the same dimensions as the Lincoln Castle's own boiler, which was way beyond repair. I think your plans, as set out re the exhibition of her engine and the subsequent rebuild, are very sound and in many ways superior to trying to resurrect her original hulk. Sail on!

I don't understand either why the owner seems so totally opposed to even discussing the fate of the boat with the Preservation Society. It seems as though the brothers who own The Lincoln Castle have set their faces against any dealings with the society; well, at least, that is how it comes over from things I have read. The biggest problem is that most of what I have read has been in HDM and they are hardly known these days for their reliability and truth in reporting what is going on. Indeed if they said that we are in the year 2010 I would check the calendar before I believed it. It is such a shame that the boat seems doomed for the scrapyard. Maybe if the people who are desperately trying to save it now had tried, assuming they could have,four or five years ago, maybe we would not be having this conversation. I am not criticising, just wondering why everybody has left it until the last minute.

Nobody knew the boat was up for sale.The first we knew of it was in the Mail that said unless a buyer could be found,it would be scrapped.We found out that there had been other offers to buy it from local businesmen,but were all turned down even though there were willing to pay the asking price of only £20,000.
We formed our group,but within a week or so,the owner sent in the scrap man.We have raised some money and made formal offers through our solicitor,but all have been turned down for whatever reason.
It is a pity that the owner,or his agent,did not published the fact that the boat was up for sale better.It is also a pity that Hull City Council were not informed as they may have made an offer.
Nobody knows why the owner will not sell the boat to us,or others that have made an offer.A few of us have tried to save it,but to no avail.So it will be scraped.We can do no more.As I have said before,we have contacted many heritiage groups and prreservation societies for help,as well as the National Railway Museum national maritime organisations,all of which said they could not help us,or buy the boat itself.
The owner was approached with a six figure offer,but still turned that down.
Ian. Vice Chairman Lincoln Castle Preservation Society

Is there not some way of slapping a preservation order on the boat and thus preventing the brothers who own it from destroying it totally. After all, if it was a building of great architectural merit there would be no hesitation. As this is the last of the coal fired paddle steamers surely something should be available via some Government department or other. Maybe one of those ubiquitous quangos could begin to earn their money at last?

Latest offer made to the owner was a six figure sum.He turned it down.Had a useful meeting with Hull City Council to find a building to house the engine and put that on dislplay if we can not buy the whole boat.They are supportive of that.

Seems this feller is either hell bent on destroying the boat,or trying to drive the price up,personaly i hope "fred dibner"comes back from the grave and haunts him till the day he snuffs it,and perhaps mike may get a photo of "ghostly fred"

Did you know that richard branson is a steam enthusiast ? i could just see him in the papers and news,"virgin steps in to save paddle steamer from the wreckers."

Is it right that the plan now is to build a replica of the Lincoln Castle? That would be great, a brand new version of her. Could you still obtain and use the engines? I recall there was some mention of the engines being made available by the idiot who is breaking her.

Would be great to see the ferry up and running again. Hope it gets built in Hull.

The cutters are well in now and the funnel has been taken off.We did try to buy the engine,but the owner was asking £10,000 for that,and £10,000 to remove it.Seeing as he only wanted £20,000 in the first place,that is the kind of bloke we have tried to deal with.Seems that now the scrap man has done a lot of damage to the engine,so we can not even buy that.The funnel and lots of other bits are on Castoff net.The funnel is on offer for £2,000/Portholes are £300 each.
So a new build it may be,but we are looking at several options.Good response though from many firms who want to help,and from steam lovers from all over Britian.
Facebook has photos of the boat.Put in Lincoln Castle Preservation Society to look at the state it is in now.

Best of luck to you, I really hope this project succeeds.