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2015

2015
31st December 2015
All lakes
New Year's Eve - Thursday 31st December
Lake Geneva
MPV Vevey operated an evening Dinner Cruise from Geneva at 2000 on Thursday 31st December
Lake Luzern
PS Uri operated an evening Gala Dinner Cruise from Luzern at 1930 on Thursday 31st December
Lake Thun
In additional to the regular timetabled sailings 111-112-15-16   PS Blümlisalp operated an evening Dinner Cruise from Thun at 2040 on Thursday 31st December
25th December 2015
All lakes
Christmas Day - Friday 25th December
Lake Geneva
MPV Vevey operated a Lunch Cruise from Geneva to Nyon at 1220 on Christmas Day - Friday 25th December 
Lake Luzern
PS Uri operated a Christmas Lunch Cruise from Luzern at 1030 on Christmas Day - Friday 25th December
Lake Thun
PS Blümlisalp operated timetabled sailings 111-112-15-16 from Thun at 1010 and 1240 on Christmas Day - Friday 25th December then daily until Sunday 3rd January
24th December 2015
 
Christmas Eve - Thursday 24th December
Lake Luzern
PS Uri operated an evening Gala Dinner Cruise from Luzern at 1930 on Thursday 24th December
19th November 2015
Lake Luzern
PS Uri operated the first of her extended season of Advent Evening Cruises from Luzern on Thursday 19th November
23rd October 2015
Lake Geneva
MPV Vevey operated the first of the weekly Winter Friday evening Fondue cruises from Geneva on Friday 23rd October
26th September 2015
Lake Konstanz
PS Hohentwiel operated an evening Dinner Cruise from Konstanz at 1900 on Saturday 26th September
30th August 2015
Lake Konstanz
PS Hohentwiel operated an evening Jazz Cruise from Arbon at 1900 on Sunday 30th August
29th August 2015
Lake Garda
MPV G Zanardelli operated an evening Fireworks Cruise from Riva at 2105 on Saturday 29th August
14th August 2015
Lake Thun
PS Blümlisalp operated an evening Jazz Cruise from Thun at 1910 on Friday 14th August
9th August 2015
Lake Geneva
PS Montreux broke down with a leaking superheater to her boiler at Lausanne before the start of service and her afternoon sailings 906-907 from Lausanne to Château-de-Chilllon on Sunday 9th August
Unfortunately she remained 'out of action' for the remainder of the 2015 season
7th August 2015
Lake Luzern
PS Stadt Luzern operated the first of several evening Jazz Cruises from Luzern at 1920 on Friday 7th August
1st August 2015
All lakes
Swiss National Day - Saturday 1st August
Lake Geneva
PS La Suisse operated an evening Fireworks Cruise from Lausanne at 2030 on Saturday 1st August
PS Montreux broke down at Lausanne before the start of service and her afternoon sailings 906-907 from Lausanne to Château-de-Chilllon on Saturday 1st August
She was quickly repaired in time for her to operate her regular evening sailings 906-907 to Yvoire and return

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Lake Luzern
Fireworks at Brunnen
All five paddle steamers paraded in convoy followed by some of the motor vessels from Luzern at 1945 to Brunnen for the annual fireworks display on Saturday 1st August
Lake Neuchâtel
PS Neuchâtel operated an evening Fireworks Cruise from Neuchâtel at 2000 on Saturday 1st August
Lake Thun
In additional to the regular afternoon timetabled sailings 15-16   PS Blümlisalp took part in the annual evening naval parade from Thun at 2020 along with most of the lake's motor vessels on Saturday 1st August
Lake Zurich
PS Stadt Zürich operated an Evening Dinner Cruise from Zurich at 2015 on Saturday 1st August after her timetabled sailing to Schmerikon
31st July 2015
Lake Geneva
MPV Vevey operated an evening Fireworks cruise from the Upper Lake piers to Le Bouveret on Friday 31st July
17th July 2015
Lake Thun
PS Blümlisalp operated an evening Jazz Cruise from Thun at 1910 on Friday 17th July
Lake Zurich
At approximately 1630 whilst operating sailing 108 from Schmerikon strong winds blew PS Stadt Rapperswil aground near Pfäffikon where she sustained damage to her port paddle wheel and was immediately taken out of service
After the Lake Police had taken 7 passengers direct to land, mv Limmat which was operating sailing 115 was summoned and the remainder of the 91 passengers on board were transferred and taken back to Zurich
The paddle steamer was later towed to the Zurich-Wollishofen dock by mv Phanta Rhei for repairs
Commencing the following day the sailings previously allocated to PS Stadt Rapperswil were re-allocated to PS Stadt Zürich
The revised ZSG on-line "ships roster" for Swiss Nationl Day initially appreaed without her and the ZSG late announced she will be 'out of action' for eight weeks, but this had subsequently been amended to 'out of action' for the remainder of the 2015 season
14th July 2015
Lake Geneva
PS La Suisse operated an evening Fireworks cruise from Lausanne at 2015 to the display at Evian-les-Bains on Tuesday 14th July
11th July 2015
Lake Thun
Shortly after returning to Thun following the evening cruise, a small fire broke out in deep frier in the kitchen on board PS Blümlisalp
She was taken out of service for a couple of days and was replaced by mv Bubenberg on the Monday
She returned to service on Tuesday 14th July
5th July 2015
Lake Konstanz
PS Hohentwiel operated an evening Jazz Cruise from Romanshorn at 1900 on Sunday 5th July
30th June 2015
Lake Garda
MPV Italia was made a very rare mid-week outing when she operated sailings 10-11-12-13-14-15 at the southern end of the lake vice a smaller motor vessel on Tuesday 30th June
28th June 2015
Lake Luzern
PS Stadt Luzern broke down at Luzern on Sunday 28th June with generator problems and her place on the Sunday Wilhelm Tell Express sailings 13-24 was covered by mv Waldstätter then her sisters were juggled to cover from from the Monday until she returned to service on Friday 3rd July
26th June 2015
Lake Neuchâtel
PS Neuchâtel operated three days of special sailings from Yverdon-les-Bains for the "Fête Eau-Lac" on Friday 26th June  Saturday 27th June and Sunday 28th June
24th June 2015
Lake Geneva
PS Simplon broke down with engine problems at Nyon on the outward sailing 102 from Geneva on Wednesday 24th June
The sailing was terminated and the rest of her roster was cancelled for the day - both mv Valais and mv Col-Vert conveyed the 200 passengers on to Yvoire
She later made her own way slowly to Ouchy dock for repairs, but not until after PS Rhône had been forced to abandon her morning call at Nyon on sailing sailing 101
Over the "next four weeks" four different motor vessels covered parts of her sailings before she returned service operating sailing 107on Wednesday 22nd July
20th June 2015
Lake Neuchâtel
PS Neuchâtel operated a special sailing from Neuchatel to Biel for the Trivapor AGM followed by a lunch cruise on Saturday 20th June
These were the only sailings on Lake Biel during 2015
15th June 2015
Lake Luzern
PS Schiller broke down at Vitznau with generator problemson the return sailing 30 from Flüelen on Monday 15th June
In consequence PS Stadt Luzern on sailing 29 had to 'double bank' at 1809 in order to pick up her passengers for onward travel to Luzern
She was still at Vitznau pier at 2010 when PS Unterwalden operating the evening Sunset Cruise also had to 'double-bank' with her but she eventually managed to leave Vitznau 'light' for Luzern just after 2030 under her own steam
She returned to service the following day
7th June 2015
Lake Konstanz
PS Hohentwiel operated two International Cruises from Altnau to Hagnau (Germany) at 1150 and 1415 on Sunday 7th June
Lake Zurich
Whilst operating sailing 108 on Sunday 7th June, owing the machanical failure of the recently installed funnel lowering equipment, the paddle steamer had to remain at Altendorf pier until the crew eventually managed to lower it manually after dismantling part of the outer casing - during which time most passengers had returned home by alternative transport
After the funnel was lowered, she later continued 'limited stop' back to Zurich with a handfull of passengers
31st May 2015
Lake Konstanz
PS Hohentwiel operated morning, afternoon and evening Cruises from Rorschach at 1000, 1415 and 1900 on Sunday 31st May
23rd May 2015
Lake Konstanz
PS Hohentwiel operated an evening Jazz Cruise from Konstanz at 1900 on Saturday 23rd May
Lake Neuchâtel
Following alterations to her boiler over the winter, PS Neuchâtel successfully returned to service on Saturday 23rd May sailing from Neuchâtel to Lake Murten
16th May 2015
Lake Konstanz
PS Hohentwiel operated an evening Dinner Cruise from Rorschach at 1900 on Saturday 16th May
14th May 2015
All lakes
Ascension Day - Thursday 14th May
Lake Luzern
Both PS Uri and PS Stadt luzern operated timetables sailings to both Flüelen and Küssnacht am Rigi on Ascension Thursday 14th May from Luzern at 0912, 1112 and 1600
Lake Zurich
PS Stadt Rapperswil operated an additional 1130 sailing from Zurich to Schmerikon on Ascension Thursday 14th May
10th May 2015
All lakes
Swiss Mothers Day - Sunday 10th May
Lake Luzern
PS Uri operated a Mothers Day Lunch Cruise from Luzern at 1130 on Sunday 10th May
Lake Zurich
PS Stadt Rapperswil operated a Mothers Day Lunch Cruise from Zurich at 1130 on Sunday 10th May
2nd May 2015
Lake Luzern
 All operational paddle steamers operated a special pre-season Parade from Luzern at 1130 on Saturday 2nd May
28th April 2015
Lake Luzern
PS Gallia was unusually rostered to operate the main 1112 sailings 13-24 from Luzern to Fluelen and return on Tuesday 28th April
It is probably the first time that this particular steamer has even been the sole one in service any day (certainly this century) - unless of course you know anything different
It seems the SGV had decided to give all their paddle steamers a turn operating timetables sailings before the parade the following Saturday as her sister PS Schiller had her turn two days later
27th April 2015
Lake Geneva
MPV Vevey spent the day at Ouchy dock whilst repairs were carried out to her bow propeller on Monday 27th April
Her sailings from the Upper Lake piers were covered by the much smaller mv Lavaux
26th April 2015
All lakes
Swiss Navigation Day - Sunday 26th April
Lake Geneva
PS Simplon operated sailings 120-121 from Geneva to Lausanne and return vice the smaller mv Henry-Dunant on Sunday 26th April
Lake Konstanz
PS Hohentwiel operated a morning Jazz Cruise from Konstanz at 1000 on Sunday 26th April
Lake Luzern
PS Uri returned to service following her fire the previous December and operated sailings 7-18 from Luzern to Flüelen and return vice a motor vessel on Sunday 26th April in addition to the regular 1112 departure by her larger sister
Lake Zurich
PS Stadt Zürich operated her usual sailings 109-110 from Zurich at 1230 and PS Stadt Rapperswil operated the first full-length sailing of 2015 to Schmerikon on Sunday 26th April
25th April 2015
Lake Zurich
PS Stadt Rapperswil operated an evening "Dinner Cruise" from Zurich at 2000 on Saturday 25th April
19th April 2015
Lake Geneva
PS La Suisse returned to service on Sunday 19th April but on return to Lausanne at the end of her first sailing of the day to Château-de-Chillon was taken out of service with a damagd engine and immediately sent to Ouchy dock for repairs
The small Navibus mv Genève was hurridly manned to cover the second sailing of the day to Château-de-Chillon - a very rare change from her usual cross-lake ferry duty
Meanwhile mv Henry-Dunant was brought back from Geneva - after her regular weekens sailings - to cover the Lausanne to the Upper Lake sailings for the rest of the week
6th April 2015
 
Easter Monday - 6th April 2015
Lake Geneva
MPV Vevey operated an extra Lunch Cruise from Geneva at 1220 on Easter Monday 6th April
4th April 2015
Lake Geneva
MPV Vevey operated an extra Lunch Cruise from Geneva at 1220 on Easter Saturday 4th April
3rd April 2015
Lake Geneva
MPV Vevey operated an extra Lunch Cruise from Geneva at 1220 on Good Friday 3rd April
29th March 2015
Lake Zurich
To mark the 175 Years of the Company most of the fleet, including the two paddle seteamers operated a special " Navel Review" with the majority starting from Zurich at 1420 on Sunday 29th March
Some ships were not available for the general public
14th February 2015
Lake Geneva
MPV Vevey operated a special Evening Valentines Dinner Cruise from Geneva on Saturday 14th February
13th February 2015
Lake Geneva
MPV Vevey eventually opened the Lake Geneva 2015 season on Friday 13th February after gales had stopped all sailings on the lake earlier in the month and operated the timetabled Evening Fondue Cruise from Geneva
1st February 2015
Lake Geneva
MPV Vevey was unusually planned to operate the winter Lunch Cruise from Lausanne on Sunday 1st February but this was cancelled due to bad weather
1st January 2015
All lakes
New Year's Day - Thursday 1st January
Lake Geneva
MPV Vevey operated a Lunch Cruise from Geneva to Nyon at 1220 on New Year's Day - Thursday 1st January
Lake Luzern
PS Unterwalden operated a New Year's Day Lunch Cruise from Luzern at 1030 on New Year's Day - Thursday 1st January
Lake Thun
PS Blümlisalp operated timetabled sailings 111-112-15-16 from Thun at 1010 and 1240 on New Year's Day - 1st January then daily until Sunday 4th January
Earlier News


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Lake Brienz Lake Como Lake Garda Lake Geneva Lake Konstanz Lake Luzern Lake Maggiore Lake Neuchâtel Lake Thun Lake Zurich PS Fleets Restore Frames

Updated - Lakes Brienz, Geneva, Luzern, Thun, Zurich, Konstanz, Maggiore, Como, Garda 14th January 2019   e-mail   (c)2015-2019 John B Bird