Alan Barnes went to furthest East Kent to meet Brian Waters, a man whose passion for paddlers saw him design and build a working example, where he now gives pleasure rides along the River Stour.

Monarch high and dry at Richborough, when her bow thruster was being fitted.

I well remember the tranquil stretch of the River Stour between Grove Ferry and the exquisitely-named ‘Plucks Gutter’ from my formative years.
As a teenager and in the company of my brother and cousins we spent many days fishing along the banks of the river in the hope of catching huge bream and record- breaking roach, but the reality seldom matched the dreams. The area also boasted two fine public houses, which provided suitable refuge when the fish refused to bite. The Stour is Kent’s second-longest river having several sources high in the North Downs before meandering its way to the coast where it enters the English Channel at Pegwell Bay, just south of Ramsgate. Several centuries ago it was navigable as far as Canterbury but with treacherous shallows, a meandering course and always prone to silting, it never became an important commercial waterway. Although pleasure craft use the lower reaches around Sandwich today, I can’t recall seeing many boats, apart from the odd canoe, pass by as we were fishing near Grove Ferry.

A nice way to spend a summer’s day. ALAN BARNES

The sight of a 40ft long paddle-steamer on this stretch of the Stour would certainly have been a bit of a shock to the system but today Grove Ferry is now home to the PS Monarch, a labour of love designed, built and owned by Brian Waters. This superb craft is currently used for public and charter trips on the river having spent the 2004 season sailing from the quay in Sandwich.
Brian began work on the Monarch project in the early 1980s and in 1984 the keel was laid down and the hull constructed by Bob Deards of Stargate Marine at Hoo near Rochester. Behind the planning was always the idea that Monarch would, as far as possible, resemble a full-sized paddle steamer and great care was taken during the design stage to ensure that her proportions would result in her looking like a small ship rather than a steam launch. In due course the completed hull was moved to the Historic Dockyard, Chatham where Brian was provided with some working space in one the covered slips.
Here work continued steadily as the decks, handrails, cabin, wheelhouse, paddle wheels, paddleboxes, funnel, ventilators, rudder and steering gear were all constructed and fitted. The management of the Historic Dockyard were very supportive, charging only a peppercorn rent in recognition of the fact that this project was something of great interest to their visitors. During this time Brian made many lasting friendships, a direct result of this opportunity to ‘meet the public’.

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