Topic starter
25/02/2016 1:00 pm
Perhaps Judy can answer this, how fast is the NATCHEZ? I know she's fast, even Alan Bates was amazed at how fast she was when they took her out on river trials when she was new. I have never seen in actual mph how fast she really is in dead calm water. Can she go 20 mph?
25/02/2016 11:57 pm
a day late
Too bad you didn't ask yesterday - I was there and could have gotten the definitive answer on the spot. I'll check with them after I get resettled here. Its hard to know, because there is always some current there, no dead water, and she only uses one boiler. I know she's done 15 to 17, but as you know she hasn't really needed to push it in races. One exception would be the time the AQ let her lead on the upbound, and then turned short of the turning line the NATCHEZ made. Even with that advantage, the AQ lost. My guess would be in dead water, yes she could make 20 if she wanted to.
The first time I narrated, Doc asked Capt. Sam to go half downriver, as it was high water and we were zipping along anyway and Doc wanted me to have time to get my whole spiel in, which I did. I think we were doing 15 then, even at half.
Actually your Chief Engineer friend will be able to find out in person this weekend, from what I hear!!!!
25/02/2016 11:59 pm
Jim, funny you should ask this when you did. I just finished re-reading "Moonlight at 8:30", and Alan said the NATCHEZ was a solid 15 MPH boat. I think we had even asked Alan to confirm this before he passed away, and he did. My question to him at that time was what she might do on, say, Wilson Lake on the Tennessee -- deep water, zero current. He thought 15 or 16 MPH.