Presenting the Duchess of Argyll, undeniably the finest restored Lake Windermere steam launch in existence. Built in 1883, this magnificent vessel has spent the past fourteen years gracing the waters of Lake Constance, bordering Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. Owing to the current owner's advancing years, she is now available for acquisition, seeking a new steward to guide her future voyages. Her immaculate condition is the culmination of a meticulous restoration, painstakingly executed by three dedicated friends with a profound reverence for the Belle Époque era.The vessel’s namesake, Margaret, Duchess of Argyll, was London’s undisputed society queen for decades. Famed for what The British Times described as "flawless alabaster skin" and "enchanted green eyes," she hosted luminaries such as Anthony Eden and J. Paul Getty. Today, she would surely be pleased to see her legacy honored once again—this time in Hard, on the shores of Lake Constance.

This profound reverence was palpable during a recent, near-sacred moment: Reinhard Kloser (65) carefully lifted the highly polished brass right-hand fastening of the chimney bracing from its box, placing it precisely into its designated hull recess. As it fit perfectly, he, along with Hubert Hartmann (68) and Erich Hoop (55), beamed with the joy of boys assembling their first toy train. Of course, these men are of retirement age, and their "toy" is a proud, 13.5-meter-long, 130-year-old masterpiece.The steam yacht’s storied past includes navigating the Thames and Cumbria's Lake Windermere. It even spent years grounded and submerged; however, preserved by the lack of oxygen, it was eventually raised and righted by a previous owner. That effort, while vital, pales in comparison to the exhaustive restoration begun in December 2011 at the Hartmann carpentry workshop in Hard. Financing the purchase and restoration was Hoop, a retired Liechtenstein businessman.

Together, Hartmann, Kloser, and retired boatbuilder Sigi Garnitschnig invested enough hours into the project to easily build a house.Hartmann and his colleagues masterfully restored the 130-year-old teak and mahogany. The original carvel planking and copper nails are now shielded by a new, five-millimeter-thick outer skin of Siberian larch. Above deck, 24 square meters of bespoke sun sails were sewn by Seibt Textil in Fußach. Mechanically, the vessel is flawless. Kloser—the renowned rescuer and long-time captain of the Hohentwiel—rebuilt the 1906 triple-expansion steam engine, a task he considered a piece of cake. Surveying the new boiler feed pumps, dynamo, and main bilge pump, he notes with unbridled enthusiasm that everything is driven by a single shaft. Delivering 27 horsepower at 250 rpm, the engine operates in complete silence. Only the crackle of burning beech logs and the water lapping against the slender hull can be heard.Though originally certified to carry 24 passengers in England, the Duchess will now sail exclusively in a private capacity in Vorarlberg, Austria.