Topic starter
16/01/2012 3:05 pm
21 hours later the Steamer American Queen is tied up safe and sound at the shipyard awaiting dry dock in the morning! Our route included the Calcasieu River, Gulf of Mexico, Atchafalaya River and the Bayou Chene to Bollinger Amelia. The boat ran great and the Steamboat gods favored us with warm sunny weather out in the Gulf of Mexico. We are checking the blocking to day and planning to be up and dry tomorrow.
16/01/2012 3:14 pm
Great news! Kudos and thanks to a great team of professionals and crew we will soon have overnight steamboating back on the rivers of America! Best wishes for a safe and easy drydocking.
16/01/2012 3:46 pm
Greg & Steamboating colleagues:
I second the posting by Travis above. Indeed great news. Any chance photos were snapped during at the AQ departure, delivery, arrival and going into the docks? Keep us posted.
R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.
Topic starter
19/01/2012 4:12 am
American Queen on Dry Dock
We made it out of the water today after a long and careful process of blocking, shimming and having divers check our contact on the blocks. At about 2130 this evening we finished pumping out. A quick walk around the hull would indicate that other than covered in marine growth she is as sound as ever. Tomorrow we scrape! and scrape...
19/01/2012 12:33 pm
*RE: AQ in dry dock & photo.*
Hi, Greg & Steamboating colleagues:
Thanks for the AQ report and the great night photo of her. This one dramatic shot. Keep us posted with more photos of the continuing work if you can. Shimming and blocking any vessel one big job and it has to be done right as you know.
R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.
19/01/2012 7:33 pm
Where is the Wheel?
Greg,
What a great photo!
Where is the paddlewheel?
Wesley
19/01/2012 9:55 pm
You can tell that the AQ is a modern gal. She doesn't have a bustle.
Topic starter
19/01/2012 9:56 pm
Where is the wheel
Two answers actually
First answer is that we have not put it together yet. It is actually on pallets on the roof deck. We went a slightly different direction in its construction than in years past. The wheel components were all milled, drilled and shaped with a CNC type machine and a custom log home manufacturer named Stonemill Log Homes and Timber in East Tennessee. We even painted it in advance. It is a fairly complicated wheel and building it apiece at a time is very time consuming. I am happy to report that the results are fantastic. Everything fits together like a piece of furniture. All that is left is for the crew to put it together.
Second answer, As a going concern the wheel is too heavy to be dry docked with the boat. There is a set of cradles we use to hold it when it is off of the boat.
19/01/2012 11:32 pm
Shades of the DQ's ocean transit!
Without doublechecking in Saga, I believe the DQ's wheel parts were disassembled and stored in the Orleans Room for her transit from California to NOLA. On another note, check out the ACL facebook page and look at the most recent photo of the QoM - where is the pilothouse???? The MQ's ph profile was low, but this one is ridiculous, with no rear visibility as they zip along at 13 mph to the competition's 8... hmm let's see, which would I prefer as a non-swimmer???? It is so good to see a boat company that knows how to run a boat. GASCo. is a fine part of the Greene Line heritage.
20/01/2012 8:13 am
So, the AQ is getting ALL new wood for the wheel? Was the old wheel in bad shape, or is there a change being done to the wheel design?
And yes, I believe the DQ's wheel was dismantled and stored in the Orleans room area, which, a that time, was still the "automobile storage, etc." area.
S'
David D.
20/01/2012 8:10 pm
20/01/2012 9:45 pm
David Dewey;28660 wrote: Was the old wheel in bad shape, or is there a change being done to the wheel design?
Repairing a paddlewheel is costly in supplies and more importantly down time. Throwing new pieces at a old wheel is just a band aid. Might as well do it right the first time than have arms coming off somewhere above Cave In Rock or some other silly place along the river.