Paddle boats are coming back to Lake Burley Griffin in a big way

You might think you’ve gone back in time if you’re planning a walk around Lake Burley Griffin this weekend.

Yep, the paddle boats are back. You know, the ones that were icons of the lake for almost 50 years but were pulled from the lake in October 2023 after the National Capital Authority (NCA) ruled they had “reached the end of their operational life”?

At the time, the NCA was “exploring options to showcase the boats as a treasured part of Canberra’s history and heritage”. And now we know what that option is.

Charles Chatain from Love Boats Canberra took on the task and signed on to restore and operate the vessels, beginning just in time for spring this Saturday.

The former musician from Chicago sold his house to kick-start a fleet of electric boats for hire from the Kingston Foreshore. The boats feature roofs and clear plastic zip-up walls, so even winter didn’t put off customers.

Like last year, he also looks forward to operating a ferry service for Floriade 2024 on board his 107-year-old ‘MV Reliance’.

“This just seemed like a natural expansion,” he says.

The fleet of 12 paddle boats arrived on the lake in the 1980s but sat dormant between 2014 and 2019 until Nick Tyrrell from rival hire boat company GoBoat Canberra took them on under the name ‘Capital Paddle’.

Nick has previously told Region the boats were a massive success and “there were lines of people waiting to go out on one every hot summer day” but parts became increasingly tricky to source.

Ultimately, it was “no longer viable to continue operating them in a safe and sustainable way”.

Earlier this year, as soon as the NCA released a tender for a new operator, Charles’s phone rang hot with friends telling him to “go for it”.

“We’ve gone over each hole and made sure they’re floatable and not going to sink, and we’ve had to refabricate a few steering mechanisms and the paddle wheels themselves,” he says.

“There are six operating currently, and we’ll have the other six up and running in the next couple of weeks.”

The boats will be based at Regatta Point Beach. They are designed for touring the Central Basin, but Love Boats has also invested in another nine newer paddle boats to operate from Commonwealth Place.

These can accommodate up to four adults and offer a fold-up roof for sun protection – something the original two-seaters sorely lack.

The paddle boats will be available for hire on weekends throughout the year and on weekdays during school holidays, costing $30 for half an hour and $40 for an hour.

“The top speed of the classic boats is about two knots, and the top speed of the new versions is about four or five knots, depending on how strong your legs are,” Charles adds.

“I’ll encourage people to start their journey heading into the wind, so when they lose their muscles, the wind can bring them safely back.”

Federal Minister for Territories Kristy McBain welcomed the boats back as a source of “treasured memories” for locals and visitors alike.

“Paddle boats have been an iconic part of Lake Burley Griffin for almost 50 years, creating treasured memories for people growing up in the region and for the thousands that flock to the National Capital every year,” she said.

Federal Member for Canberra Alicia Payne is one of those people.

“I certainly have many great memories as a child of coming out with my parents and friends on these boats,” she said.

“Now I look forward to taking my children out. I’m particularly excited there’s an option for four people to go as well.”

She said the boats also return at the perfect time, not only on the eve of spring but also for a special event.

“Lake Burley Griffin will celebrate its 60th anniversary in October, and it is wonderful that paddle boats will be able to take their rightful place at the heart of these celebrations.”