A new private steamboat

Judy-
Money is correct! As they say, one thing leads to another. It all began years ago when I bought a 15 ft steam launch that was, frankly, just too small, at least for me. The darn thing was pretty unstable and there wasn't much room to walk around the boiler to the bow without the feeling that I was going to get more than my feet wet. It just "didn't fit". You had to pretty much stay put once you got in. But it was a bargain and I did have some fun with it for awhile. It had a kerosene burning boiler, a fuel that was pretty hard to find here in Tampa.

I started attending steamboat meets and other boats attending ranged from a tiny 10 ft to over 35 ft, most of them 18 ft -24 ft and all but two of them were launches like MISSIE. One of these Florida meets was hosted by a man named Harry Card who was a retired maintenance superintendent at the Silver Springs attraction in Ocala. Harry was also a steamboat builder and restorer. His boat was the "Oliver", a 24 ft classic launch built originally in 1910. As I got to know Harry, I mentioned that I really would like to have a sternwheeler. He offered to build one for me and take my boat in trade toward it and that's what we did. However, the boat Harry built used an old runabout hull and, while it was functional, it didn't have the lines of any sternwheeler I'd seen before. He used engines from an old winch and built the entire frame and paddle wheel from aluminum. It worked great but it was slow, even by steam launch standards. I went ahead with the deal because he had done a pretty good job on it and it accommodated five or six pretty comfortably. You could move around on it comfortably. He named it the Silver River Queen (after the river that flows from Silver Springs).

-Jim Herron

Here's a photo of it under steam.

As I mentioned in Judy's other post, the SRQ developed a bad case of dry rot and has had to be retired although the fiberglass hull might be useful to somebody. I may donate it to a local boat preservation group if they'll have it. The entire wood superstructure (sound familiar?) was in need of replacement and the boiler, which Harry had re-used, was also in bad shape. The engines and sternwheel were fine. It came down to a choice: fix the old boat or build a new one.

I decided to go for a new one but by re-using an older hull, this time a 23 ft 6 inch Carolina Skiff. It took me months to find one but eventually one turned up on Craig's List complete with a new aluminum trailer. I bought it sans-engine at a fairly reasonable price. The SRQ was towed to a boat builder in Manatee County and the "new" boat and trailer also taken there. Progress is currently being made on this new boat. The new boiler is ready for delivery and the engine and sternwheel assembly are being fitted to the skiff hull. The hull is also undergoing a couple of changes. It's angled transom has been removed and a new straight one will be added. Also, the bottom is going to be angled upwards toward the stern for better water flow ( it was built straight). This boat has an 8 ft 6 inch beam so it should be very stable for standing and walking but it won't be a rough water boat. To give you an idea, a couple of sketches are included below. We're hoping for a maiden voyage in the spring. It all depends on two things; time and money!

As for the "superstructure", I haven't decided whether to include a pilot house or leave it open like a launch. It will have a fixed canopy overhead.
The engines are showing in the sketches but the will most likely be inboard since this hull is much wider than they are.

By the way, we haven't chosen a name yet. Any suggestions?

-Jim Herron

Jim,
How about "Blue Herron" for a name? You could paint her white, trimmed in light blue. Also she must have a pilot house and, a neat little stage. Or would that require a model bow?
~ Frank ~

Jim: First, I want to wish you the best of luck with your enterprise! I see that you do not intend to condense...that simplifies things but I assume that you do fresh water cruising only. Harry Card did things right, and, most always, but not always the right thing as I discovered in his Blue Boat. I'd give a pretty to know who made the engine in it (wonderful job) and the trailer (disaster!...axle failed twice and I replaced the whole thing). I suspect the latter came with the boat when Harry bought it. I am lucky the boat survived with only slight damage each time! Harry provided a hand-pump for the feedwater that leaks like a sieve (but does work with vigorous actuation), an injector that I have not yet gotten to work and an on-engine piston pump. I have a "doctor" ordered that is electric powered and has been absolutely reliable on MISSIE all the time I've owned her. According to Bob Good, fellows down there did not like to have any electrics on their boats but you do need navigation lights and MISSIE would not run without them. Your design looks fine and I could go with Frank's suggestion for a name. If I can be of any help, just let me know. Best regards...Cap'n Walnut.

Tom Schiffer;18672 wrote: Jim: I have a "doctor" ordered that is electric powered and has been absolutely reliable on MISSIE all the time I've owned her. Cap'n Walnut.

How does an electric doctor pump work? is it just a regular positive displacement pump? How do you have it pipped, preheated, etc? The one on the way, what pressure can it work against, gpm, and generally price?

Jim,
I have to say that I like the pilothouse better than no pilothouse. Jut gives it a unique look. Also, thanks for the design pictures. It looks like it's gonna be a load of fun once she's up and running. BLUE HERRON sounds like the best name on the table, but you never know when other ideas might pop into your head, or someone on here might have something else. Keep the options open. Thanks again and please keep us posted on the progress.

Jim,

It's not my money or boat, but the drawing with the little larger wheel looks nice. She might be a bit faster too with a bigger wheel.

I like the one with the little pilot house except you do need the bigger paddlewheel. We enlarged ours by 3" on the width of bucket when we had the opportunity. "Manatee" sounds like a good name for a boat, but I bet in that area you have a lot of boats and stuff named after wetland critters and plants. Try to avoid the overused "Belle" and "Queen" words. Please, please, please.

Thanks to all. I'll keep your ideas in mind. As for the wheel diameter, I agree that a larger diameter is best. However, the entire assembly is being transferred from the old boat and there are clearance problems with the framework if the diameter is increased. Also, the drawings above are not to exact scale. The engines are not long stroke so that probably limits the crank size and overall wheel diameter. I had thought of just extending the bucket width to increase it and we may do that.

Tom, you're right about Harry Card fudging things here and there. The reason I had a new boiler made was because I found out that the old one was pieced together using an old vessel he had on a new firebox. Once it had the wrapper around it, you couldn't tell. It looked just like the one he had on his boat. I found out that he had drawings for a water tube boiler for the SRQ but never built it before I bought the boat.

As for the trailer nightmare; been there, done that! The first boat I bought was in Crossville, TN and the wheels started giving me trouble within 15 miles after I picked the boat up. I ended up buying new wheels at Chattanooga on the way home. And had more of the same with Harry's boat on the way home from Ocala to Tampa with the SRQ. At least this new one has a brand new aluminum trailer that seems fine.

By the way, I also upgraded from a 6 cylinder mini-van to a V8 SUV to haul this thing!
As I said, one thing leads to another! (And yes, I know the old story about the two best days in the life of a boat owner. LOL!)

Not sure about painting anything blue after all the stories about blue paint on steamboats that I've read on this site!

Matthew: Doctor is just the name I gave it because it does (part) of the job of the original pump on steamboats only they did several things including pumping bilge water. When I bought MISSIE in 2001, she came with an electric 12 volt water pump that has performed faultlessly all the time I have owned it. My "new" boat, MISS FORTUNE, does not have one (until I get the one installed that I just bought). It is a PUMPTEC model 112T that was designed for sprayer use. It is said to have a maximum gpm of 2 and minimum of 1. Maximum pressure is 220 psi (zero gpm) and I'd guess that it is a bit less than 1 gpm at 200 psi. MISSIE"s boiler works with two to two and a half gallons of water...GUILDFORD BELLE is a lot more I'd guess. Anyway, the new boiler is about 2 gallons working and the electric pump has always been just fine on MISSIE...but MISSIE is condensing and the feedwater is automatically returned...not so on MISS FORTUNE. Thus, I intend to have another backup to the manual pump, the injector and the pump on the engine. The amp draw is stated to be 15 at 12 volts and I have run MISSIE all week on one garden battery charge. Cost of pump ~$250. Cap'n Walnut.

We have used those pumptecs, a smaller one at first, then got a larger one when we got the new boiler. Since most of our water came from the crosshead pump, it was an auxilliary pump, but nice to have. We also used a reciprocating steam pump. No injector. The hand pump was used for hydrostatic testing.

Lexie: MISS FORTUNE does not have a crosshead pump but does have an eccentric-driven pump off the crankshaft. It pumps a bit more than usage and requires scrutiny lest the water "get away" in either direction...high in the glass and she carries over to the engine and/or whistle. Since I have piston valves, this is a concern in the engine. When the water is carried where all is serene, it is little above the nut on the sight glass! When out of sight, it takes all the kings horses to get it back in sight! NOT GOOD! There is a valve off the engine pump that allows water pumped out of the river by the crankshaft pump to return there or, when closed, force it into the boiler. I want something that will restore or maintain the water NOW! I suffered the embarrassment of having a real steamboat engineer observe my frantic antics when it happened during an inspection tour locally. Leaky check valves, since replaced, exacerbated the problem. We did not abandon ship due to the fact that my boiler is a water tube boiler and thus not as dangerous as a fire tube boiler...nonetheless ANY boiler under pressure and temperature is not to be trifled with! What I'd really like to have (in addition to the doctor) is a servo on the by-pass valve that will "read" off the sight glass and maintain the level as well as the hot-well float valve does in MISSIE (condensing). In MISS FORTUNE, you cannot take your eye off the sight glass for more than a half-minute or less! Now, if you have a full-time fireman who is not the captain, host, tour guide and pilot, it should be no problem...right? Cap'n Walnut.

Tom,

Do you have a water column and a sight glass or just the sight glass. I know how our system is setup is that there is a digital sensor on top of our water column, which reports into our Fire-Eye system, from there it's a matter of which pumps we have engaged is to how it operates, opening valves fully or partially to maintain a constant water level, the system also controls the automatic blowdown and chemical feed pump depending on what the sensors read for the water going in, and the current water inside the boiler taken from sensors within the boiler. This completely automated system eliminated the need for a fireman.

WoW! Matt: You have a very sophisticated system, indeed! I'm told that the Florida bunch did not believe in having any electrics aboard beyond marker lights etc for the Coasties. Hence, MISS FORTUNE has only the latter. Bilge water is handled by steam ejector (works finely) and injector for feedwater which I have not got working yet...the latter were all that most locomotives had but they were properly installed, redundant and had professional (trained) operators. I have used an injector on a steam locomotive and it worked OK. On locos you can have clean, cool water with an NPSH (net positive suction head) and on MISS FORTUNE, you draw out of the river and have only the cool water for sure! A little dirt particle in the venturi of the injector and Mr Bernoulli is offended, and you are out of business! MISS FORTUNE has no water column separate from the sight-glass (MISSIE does). The MISS F sight-glass is 3 1/2" tall total, so you see that there is little room to wiggle. Cap'n Walnut

You mentioning a hand pump for hydro tests makes me recall a recent conversation we were having about Chief Crecilius using a hand pump for hydro tests on the Belle. It makes my arms sore just at the thought of pumping our boilers up by hand for that! We have enough fun using electric pumps!

God forbid we would have to fill the whole boiler by hand. What a workout! We just let city water pressure get it up to about 80 lbs., shut of that supply, then crank it by hand to about 200. It usually only took about 10 pumps to do that, but we were hydroing a much smaller boiler capacity than the Belle. Our electric pump has about 150 lb. limit, so that was out. Well, you can't have too many ways to put water in a boiler.

Lexie Palmore;18715 wrote: Well, you can't have too many ways to put water in a boiler.

My engineering teacher would beg to differ with you on that one! the longest topic in one of the early engineering courses was pumps for boilers!

Right. Theoretically. When we got busy with the Ghost, we had firemen other than ourselves. Roy, Ray, or Jay. Roy and Jay had the gift of gab. They would be bending people's ears right off of their heads as the pressure got lower and lower. At that time the tourguide, Captain, host would get in a tiff, as we could hear the gabbing going on, and on and on. Our first boiler was one of those all the kings horses models, no catching up. So we would piddle in to the dock, behind time, with 40 lbs. of pressure. Never had to worry about water levels all that much, just getting there. Ray was the strong silent type and our best fireman as a result.

Reminds me of the time I was in the DQ's engine room. Jim Bryeans had a stern look on his face, and calls Ed Smith in the fireroom on the boat phone. "GIMME SOME STEAM!!!" and hung up.

Since I've never had an engineering course, except for those words of wisdom passed on during engine room conversations, I would like to know why it is a lengthy topic. Also, did you learn anything about gages? I have seen pictures of the mechanics on small launches and counted as many as 10 gages. We had 2 on the Ghost, and one of those was redundant. I suppose only one method of getting water in a boiler would be sufficient if it was 100% reliable. I know big ships have for a long time had one engine or boiler, one prop, one rudder. I recently heard that there is a trend towards making that 2 of each on big ships.