Bob Wuestewald stands proudly on the deck of one of Ballarat's boating icons, which rocks slightly as the wind blows hard outside its mooring shed on Lake Wendouree.
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The Golden City Paddle Steamer Museum Society is celebrating 21 years since its opening by the Governor-General in 1998, and it's as popular an attraction as it was in the early 20th Century when there were 15 boats cruising the lake from the kiosk at Pipers back to View Point.
The paddle boat is closely modelled on the original steamer which was laid down in the 1880s and lost to arson in 2001.
"It's a canoe-shape, slightly wider than but similar to the old boat," says Mr Wuestewald.
"It's powered by a Cummins 40hp, which is easier than steam. On a day like today you'd fire up the steam engine, but then you couldn't use it because it's so windy. By 1934 most of the lake steamers were converted to diesel."
Bob, who's spent over 20 years on the lake himself, says he's thrilled that both locals and people from out of town still enjoy the steamer.
