Category:Paddlesteamer

A few weeks after the inaugural voyage of The Queen of Thanet, Paine and Collard had a meeting with the Hastings mayor, Cllr Edwin Bradnam, who ran the town’s largest pawnbrokers in George Street, a few doors along from the fruiterers, to discuss setting up a steamboat service. The trio, led by Paine, then recruited other local businessmen into the setting up in early February 1885 of the Hastings and St Leonards Passenger Steamship Co Ltd. They quickly sold enough £10 shares to buy for £7,350 the 192 feet long iron paddle steamer The Carrick Castle. Built in 1870, and licensed to carry up to 360 passengers, the Carrick Castle began regular trips from Hastings Pier on Monday18 May 1885.