This wheelhouse was considerably older than the ship, having been originally fitted to the previous Dartmouth Castle, a 1907 vintage paddle steamer.

MV Dartmouth Castle's appearance was completely changed in the late 1970s when, in common with many similar vessels, her promenade deck was covered over.

[3] The MV Dartmouth Castle was originally ordered by the River Dart Steamboat Co to replace a former paddle steamer of the same name, which had been laid up for the whole of World War II and was deemed to be beyond economic repair.

The pleasure boat operations declined during the late 1960s and early 1970s, and after the 1974 season the fleet was laid up for sale, with the MV Dartmouth Castle having a book value of just £685.

[2] The Millbrook Steamboat & Trading Company purchased MV Dartmouth Castle in 1975 and transferred her to its Plymouth based fleet, where she was by far the largest vessel.