COTTON BLOSSOM status

Thanks Judy, I started the CB search accidentally on Steve Huffmans thread about the Sternwheel Towboat calender. She was miss March as the Techumse this year. I always loved that boat and those canal trips.

Cotton Blossom On The Tchefuncta River

Greetings From The Tchefuncta River!
Just an up-date on the current condition and status of the M/V Cotton Blossom . As was previous stated the M/V Cotton Blossom is currently and formerly operated by Capt. Frank Crane but due to unfortunate circumstances between Capt. Crane , the City of Madisonville and a private resident , the M/V Cotton Blossom is no longer in operataion and is in storage in Capt. Frank Crand's priovate slough on the Tchefuncta RIvvver . Hopefully at some point and time the Cotton Blossom witll resume operations on the Tchefuncta River for the benefit of the entire North Shore Community !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson

mel hartsough;19196 wrote: Thanks Judy, I started the CB search accidentally on Steve Huffmans thread about the Sternwheel Towboat calender. She was miss March as the Techumse this year. I always loved that boat and those canal trips.

Wow thanks for the pics Capt. Ted, Been a while since I've seen her. I got a lot of steering time back in the canals on that boat with Steve as Capt. I really loved riding her.

Greetings From The Tchefuncta River & The North Shore !

Greetings !
Just a few more pictures of the M/V Cotton Blossom during a more happier and productive day when she was running excursions out of Madisonville , La. on the " North Shore " of Louisiana . For those of you that may not be too familiar or aware of the Louisiana , " North Shore " , it is simply the small bedroom communities , due north of the Greater New Orleans area . These communites include going from east to west ; Slidell , LaComb , Mandeville , Madisonville , Ponchetoula and Hammond just to name a few . Having said that , you would have to imagine that there would be enough people in these communities to want to take a ride on a vintage paddlewheel boat like the Cotton Blossom ! Go figure !
Hope you enjoy the pictures !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted davisson

mel hartsough;19293 wrote: Wow thanks for the pics Capt. Ted, Been a while since I've seen her. I got a lot of steering time back in the canals on that boat with Steve as Capt. I really loved riding her.

Ted,
Actually your black & white photo is of the SCOTT (now PA DENNY), not the TECUMSEH. But since those 2 boats were almost sisters, both built at Charles Ward Engineering, it's a good example of how the TECUMSEH looked. The TECUMSEH came out 2 years earlier (1928) and was actually a bit longer than the SCOTT and FORT ARMSTRONG, which were exact duplicates. Your black & white photo of the SCOTT was taken on December 5th, 1930, on the Kanawha River near Charles Ward Engineering.

Attached is a 1935 photo of COTTON BLOSSOM when she was the TECUMSEH. This photo appeared on the March page of our 2009 sternwheel towboat calendar, and is courtesy of the Boat Photo Museum.

Great Information !

Capt. Steve ,
Thanks for that great information concernng the history of these two boats ! In all honesty I have to plead guilty concerning the picture of the picture I took when I was on the M/V Cotton Blossom . I assumed that the picture I took was of the Cotton Blossom and I was unaware that she had a sister ship as well . Do you have any other information concerning the Tecumseh as far as where her remains and history may be ? For that matter wern't these boats at one time Corps of Engineers boats ? I thought at one time Capt. Harry Louden told me that these were Corps Of Engineers boats ??
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson

Steve Huffman;19300 wrote: Ted,
Actually your black & white photo is of the SCOTT (now PA DENNY), not the TECUMSEH. But since those 2 boats were almost sisters, both built at Charles Ward Engineering, it's a good example of how the TECUMSEH looked. The TECUMSEH came out 2 years earlier (1928) and was actually a bit longer than the SCOTT and FORT ARMSTRONG, which were exact duplicates. Your black & white photo of the SCOTT was taken on December 5th, 1930, on the Kanawha River near Charles Ward Engineering.

Attached is a 1935 photo of COTTON BLOSSOM when she was the TECUMSEH. This photo appeared on the March page of our 2009 sternwheel towboat calendar, and is courtesy of the Boat Photo Museum.

Right, the TECUMSEH, SCOTT and FORT ARMSTRONG were all built for the U.S. Engineers, and they all used innovative diesel-electric drivetrains (just like diesel locomotives use today) and were ahead of their time in this respect. They were all eventually converted over to tried-and-true "direct diesel" powertrains, but I feel that diesel-electric drives have been unfairly under-exploited on the rivers. The diesel-electric concept has been receiving some attention again as a "green" hybrid solution. Diesel-electrics are still quite commonly used on hawser/ship assist tugs.

The TECUMSEH (built 1928) is the COTTON BLOSSOM.
The FORT ARMSTRONG (built 1930) is Madison Coal's ANNA MARIE steam barge.
The SCOTT (built 1930) is the P.A. DENNY.

The SCOTT and FORT ARMSTONG were built on the same plans and have the same hull size. The TECUMSEH was built 2 years earlier and is about 12' longer.

Coincidentally Capt. Harry Louden's son was aboard the Barbara H a few weeks ago during a private fall foliage cruise.

Attached is another photo of the TECUMSEH, in the Portland Canal at Louisville, April 11, 1950, along with a photo of the SCOTT, taken at the same location on the same day. You have to look close to see the differences, even though these 2 boats were not exact duplicates!
(again, photos courtesy of the Boat Photo Museum).