Steam Yacht Gondola still sails her scenic excursions under the Coniston Fells today as she first did in 1860... under steam. To date, she has spent over 120 of her 160+ years carrying enchanted passengers around this beautiful waterway of Northern England.
A milestone of innovation in shipbuilding technology, Gondola outlived her successors in an amazing 76 year career as an excursion steamer. In 'retirement', she remained an icon of the lake for which she was built, first as a houseboat and, later, as a picturesque wreck. She is connected with John Ruskin and W. G. Collingwood; Arthur Ransome steered her as a boy, and acknowledged her influence in his creation of Captain Flint's houseboat. She played a pivotal role in the growth of Lake District tourism, and in the birth of modern tourism.
Restored and put back into service in 1980, Gondola is very little changed from the vessel which first sailed in 1860 and still runs a busy schedule, cruising from April to October. She remains powered by her double-acting twin-cylinder steam engine and wood-fired locomotive boiler. Informed by a pewrsonal connection, my talk will tell the story of this elegant survivor, and of her surprising connections.
Views: 2009 | Enquiries: 4Julian is a professional seaman and latterly an author of humorous travelogues. Raised next to Windermere in the English Lake District, he has sailed recreationally and professionally for 5 decades. His career has included commanding and piloting supertankers, over a hundred and fifty thousand miles of ocean and offshore sailing, several years as a charter yacht skipper, oilfield management and a very short and alarming period fighting bush fires. He has lived in the Far East, Pacific Islands and, for 30 years, in the Greek Islands. In 2014 Julian moved back to England with his family, and is loving being home. He has also been manager and master of historic steam yacht 'Gondola' on beautiful Coniston Water.
Julian has recorded his early experiences in Greece in two humorous travelogue novels, 'Adjacent To The Argonauts' (Troubador, 2010) and 'The Trojan Walrus' (Troubador, 2015). These books have 4.5 star ratings on Amazon.
Julian has a fascination with history, and in particular with historical subjects that he feels have been misunderstood or misrepresented. He is a fan of Captain William Bligh, a deep sceptic about the evil portrayal of Richard III, has an unhealthy interest in Lake District Norsemen, and suffers almighty frustration at the myths that persist around the Titanic. Following on from these historical interests, he is shortly publishing his first novel, 'Ne'er Do Well', which is a humorous tale of a feckless young man's accidental involvement in the War of the French Revolution and the start of a trilogy.
Following on from talks given to expat groups when living abroad, Julian is now available to speak in the UK on subjects such as life at sea on large tankers, historical marine events, the life of a yacht charter skipper, Greek history, lifestyle and cuisine, the fact and fiction of famous shipwrecks, and Steam Yacht 'Gondola'.
Julian will cover emergency bookings at short notice if it possible to do so.
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