My name is Don Fenstermacher, Sr., whom with my son Don, Jr., have been steamboating now for about 17 years. First on my S. L. Adelaide (sold 2 years ago) and now on our new launch Phoebe Snow. I hail from upper Bucks County, PA, not far from Lake Nockamixon. Many of you may recognize my son as host of the Nockamixon meets and a frequent poster on this forum.
I felt I have lurked this site enough, and at the behest of my son, decided to join in. I have had an interest in small steam boats for 45 years, subscribing to the various publications and attending a number of meets early on. I had been involved with full size steam locomotives for about 25 years, both mainline excursions and tourist railroads. It wasn't until I hung up my gloves from steam locomotives, that I could start to think of getting into steam boating.
I entered into the hobby with S. L. Adelaide, a 20' Rose hull with a Carter Mann watertube boiler and an antique single cylinder engine. We had many enjoyable years with this boat but with our growing families, it was time to consider selling Adelaide. We were fortunete to find a local buyer (NJ) and so still get to see our old boat, now with the name Aubrey Claire.
I picked up an new / old stock Elliott Bay (20' - 4") hull from the west coast. We started outfitting the bare hull with a vertical fire tube boiler from Rappahannock Boat Works and a Pearl Twin Cylinder (2-1/2" + 2-1/2" X 3") engine. About half the seating is completed and we are at present adding the Bronze half oval gaurds. The boat is still a work in progress but did see water for the first time in July. A must for this winters project is a canopy!
I had worked as an enginer / conductor for a local short line freight railroad and have now retired, giving me some much needed free time. I look forward to many more years of steam boating with my son and our families. The new boat gives us more seating capacity as well as the ability to stand up and move about the boat.
See ya on the water,
Don, Sr.
HI TO ALL, FROM BUCKS CO., PA
-
- Just Starting Out
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2013 5:50 pm
- Boat Name: Phoebe Snow
- Location: Bucks Co., PA
HI TO ALL, FROM BUCKS CO., PA
"A bad day of steamboating is still better than a good day at work"
- DetroiTug
- Full Steam Ahead
- Posts: 1863
- Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 5:56 pm
- Boat Name: Iron Chief
- Location: Northwest Detroit
Re: HI TO ALL, FROM BUCKS CO., PA
Don,
Welcome to the forum!
-Ron
Welcome to the forum!
-Ron
- artemis
- Full Steam Ahead
- Posts: 465
- Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 4:13 am
- Boat Name: Pond Skimmer
- Location: Portland, Oregon, USA
- Contact:
Re: HI TO ALL, FROM BUCKS CO., PA
I second the motion.
-
- Full Steam Ahead
- Posts: 936
- Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2011 6:41 pm
- Boat Name: B.N.Y.S.
- Location: Middle Earth
Re: HI TO ALL, FROM BUCKS CO., PA
Hi Don, from the other side of the pond!
Retirement is about doing what floats your boat!
A BODGE : - A Bit Of Damn Good Engineering.
A BODGE : - A Bit Of Damn Good Engineering.