 PSSkibladner in Hamar | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Namesake | Skíðblaðnir |
| Owner | A/S Oplandske Dampskipsselskap |
| Port of registry |  Norway |
| Builder | Motala Shipyard |
| Maiden voyage | 2 August 1856 |
| Refit | Aker Shipyard 1888 |
| Identification | IMO number: 8927981 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 206 registered tons |
| Length | 50.1 m (164 ft) |
| Beam | 5.06 m (16.6 ft) (excluding paddlewheels) |
| Draft | 1.7 m (5.6 ft) |
| Depth | 2.52 m (8 ft 3 in) |
| Installed power | Triple-expansion steam engine |
| Propulsion | 2 × 16 ft (4.9 m) sidewheels |
| Speed | 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) at 42 rpm |
| Capacity | 230 passengers |
| Crew | 6–16 |
PSSkibladner is the world's oldestpaddle steamer in timetabled service, and the only paddle steamer operating inNorway, sailing on lakeMjøsa.
Skibladner is a side-wheel paddle steamer, and her maiden voyage was on 2 August 1856. Originally built to provide passage from therailway station inEidsvoll to the towns ofHamar,Gjøvik, andLillehammer along Mjøsa, she still operates the same route, but now offers sightseeing tours, dining, entertainment and cultural events during the summer months.[1]
She was built byMotala Verkstad in Sweden and transported in pieces by rail and horse carts toMinnesund, where she was assembled andriveted together. She was originally equipped with twin-cylinderoscillating steam engines. In 1888, she was extended by 20 feet to provide more space and to allow for the installation oftriple-expansion diagonal paddle engines built byAkers Mek. inOslo, increasing her power to 606 h.p. She was then the fastest vessel in Norway with a top speed of 15knots. She was converted fromcoal to oil-firing in the 1920s, and received newboilers in the 1980s. Today she is still powered by steam generated with fuel-oil burners in her twin boilers, and her normal operating speed is now 12 knots.
The ship sank twice while laid up for winter, the first time in 1937, and again in 1967, due toheeling caused by hermoorings. On both occasions she was raised and underwent significant renovation with strong support from the Norwegian public.
The ship is often referred to locally asMjøsas Hvite Svane, which translates toThe White Swan of Mjøsa.
The ship’s home port isGjøvik, where she is also laid up each winter beneath a specially built glass-covered construction. Her sailing season is from May to September, and the timetabled season is from late June to mid August.
On 14 June 2005, theNorwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage madeSkibladner subject to a preservation order. This was the first time in Norway that an operating vehicle had been listed.[2][3]
The steamer is named afterSkíðblaðnir, the ship ofFreyr inNorse mythology.
60°47′54″N10°41′49″E / 60.798389385°N 10.696885585°E /60.798389385; 10.696885585