new on the block

Read this first then introduce yourself here.
ivan the terrible
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new on the block

Post by ivan the terrible » Fri Aug 20, 2021 11:22 am

Hi everyone do hope your all safe and well,
my name is Ivan and I reside on the mendip in a little vilage called Priddy,
I have just purchased the remains of a steam launch named Priscilla / Alice.
I'm currently stuck in Tokyo working on the Olympic games it pays the bill's 😊.
I'm sure I will have loads of questions please remember the only daft question is the one I don't ask πŸ˜„πŸ˜.
look forward to meeting you all eventually
as I'm sure some of you are aware of the devastating fire the befell the hull of this boat so I will be looking for a hull or plans to build my own any pointers gratefully received
think I've bored you enough for now. 😎😊
warning may be grumpy :lol: 8-)
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PeteThePen1
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Re: new on the block

Post by PeteThePen1 » Sat Aug 21, 2021 11:52 am

Hi Ivan

Welcome to this mad band of dreamers, engineers, nautical types and pushers of pens. You should find loads of answers to questions here already, although Search does not always come up with the answer one might wish. However, just ask and somebody will know where the page is, or perhaps will provide you with a custom answer.

The only advice I would offer from painful experience is to make a decision early on whether it is the boating that you want or the engineering/boatbuilding. There are many stories of folk who wanted the boating but ended up doing the building and then being caught out by the shortness of life. Looking at the SBA website there are loads of cheap 'get steaming quick' boats available just now to fill the gap while Priscilla gets re-built.

Look forward to hearing how you get on.

Regards

Pete
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Re: new on the block

Post by fredrosse » Sun Aug 22, 2021 2:20 am

Welcome to the forum.

Getting a hull together can be a task with minimal work, up to a work of art that takes years to finish. A few examples on this forum:

Monotube Javelin, originally purchased, with trailer, for $107 on Ebay. A small fiberglass day sailing hull, and very low cost, as sailboats with a broken mast or bad sails are available for next to nothing. A single day with a common circular saw, cutting out the centerboard well, and fiberglassing a 1-1/2 inch PVC stern shaft tube into the hull, for a propeller drive, was quite easy. Add a couple internal stringers, with small bilge keels external, a shaft support strut, a $5.00 stuffing box, plus a common ball thrust bearing. At this point the hull is ready for a steam plant, and is a very reasonable hull for steaming speeds. All at a cost well below $500, plus about 40 hours of work. This was my first time attempting this type of fiberglass work, all done with readily available automotive repair products. I will provide drawings and details if you want.

New Plywood Sidewheeler Building, a heavy duty purpose built sharpie type hull, using first quality marine plywood, lots of epoxy and total fiberglass covering. The steam plant took years for me to build both the engine and boiler, but only about 6 weeks for me and friend Mark to build the entire hull. A few thousand dollars for wood and fiberglass and epoxy, plus about 500 hours of work for the hull. But it only took 5 days going from a bare hull to steaming on the water, installing the boiler, engine, paddlewheels, feed pump, burners and piping into the hull, although this was comprised of 5 days at 18 work hours per day. This steamer has been running for over 10 years with minimal maintenance work.

My 24' Launch, Steve Weaver's masterpiece of steamboat building. Generally true to Victorian Era steam launch design, with attention to detail at every level. I dare not estimate to amount of work and $ expended on this steamer, but far far beyond what almost all steamboaters could muster. Well worth the effort if you can afford it.

Having a good steam boiler & engine will allow any of these paths to successful steaming, so best wishes for your steaming future.
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Re: new on the block

Post by jhuntley » Mon Aug 23, 2021 8:00 am

fredrosse wrote: ↑
Sun Aug 22, 2021 2:20 am
Welcome to the forum.

Getting a hull together can be a task with minimal work, up to a work of art that takes years to finish. A few examples on this forum:

Monotube Javelin, originally purchased, with trailer, for $107 on Ebay. A small fiberglass day sailing hull, and very low cost, as sailboats with a broken mast or bad sails are available for next to nothing. A single day with a common circular saw, cutting out the centerboard well, and fiberglassing a 1-1/2 inch PVC stern shaft tube into the hull, for a propeller drive, was quite easy. Add a couple internal stringers, with small bilge keels external, a shaft support strut, a $5.00 stuffing box, plus a common ball thrust bearing. At this point the hull is ready for a steam plant, and is a very reasonable hull for steaming speeds. All at a cost well below $500, plus about 40 hours of work. This was my first time attempting this type of fiberglass work, all done with readily available automotive repair products. I will provide drawings and details if you want.

New Plywood Sidewheeler Building, a heavy duty purpose built sharpie type hull, using first quality marine plywood, lots of epoxy and total fiberglass covering. The steam plant took years for me to build both the engine and boiler, but only about 6 weeks for me and friend Mark to build the entire hull. A few thousand dollars for wood and fiberglass and epoxy, plus about 500 hours of work for the hull. But it only took 5 days going from a bare hull to steaming on the water, installing the boiler, engine, paddlewheels, feed pump, burners and piping into the hull, although this was comprised of 5 days at 18 work hours per day. This steamer has been running for over 10 years with minimal maintenance work.

My 24' Launch, Steve Weaver's masterpiece of steamboat building. Generally true to Victorian Era steam launch design, with attention to detail at every level. I dare not estimate to amount of work and $ expended on this steamer, but far far beyond what almost all steamboaters could muster. Well worth the effort if you can afford it.

Having a good steam boiler & engine will allow any of these paths to successful steaming, so best wishes for your steaming future.
Hi Fred, I'm about to start my first foray into boat work - I have a hull, engine and boiler and I would like to put them together now so would be very interested in seeing details of your build of Monutube Javelin also.

Jim
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Re: new on the block

Post by Mike Rometer » Mon Aug 23, 2021 8:13 am

I think the title should really be "New on the Dock", welcome to the the forum. It could be said that we are all here, because we are not all there. :o

Thoughts. I must get on with that twin!
Retirement is about doing what floats your boat!

A BODGE : - A Bit Of Damn Good Engineering.
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Re: new on the block

Post by fredrosse » Tue Aug 24, 2021 9:15 pm

You have a hull? Please post some pictures.
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Re: new on the block

Post by cyberbadger » Wed Aug 25, 2021 2:37 pm

PeteThePen1 wrote: ↑
Sat Aug 21, 2021 11:52 am
The only advice I would offer from painful experience is to make a decision early on whether it is the boating that you want or the engineering/boatbuilding. There are many stories of folk who wanted the boating but ended up doing the building and then being caught out by the shortness of life.
Excellent advice.

Steamboating is excellent because it is a choose-your-own-adventure. You can acquire an existing steamboat, assemble your own from parts, or make it all completely from scratch, and everything in between.

I'm definitely in the camp of trying to get out on the water as soon as possible. I assembled a 24ft aluminum tripontoon steamboat using a 119 year old automotive steam engine and a brand new commissioned custom ASME boiler.

Perhaps in the future I will replace the hull with something more historically appropriate. For me the technical challenge of getting a steam plant to work on the water, and iteratively improving it has been a big part of what I have enjoyed in this hobby.

Welcome aboard Ivan! Indeed, please show us what you are considering using!

-CB
ivan the terrible
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Re: new on the block

Post by ivan the terrible » Thu Aug 26, 2021 3:10 am

PeteThePen1 wrote: ↑
Sat Aug 21, 2021 11:52 am
Hi Ivan

Welcome to this mad band of dreamers, engineers, nautical types and pushers of pens. You should find loads of answers to questions here already, although Search does not always come up with the answer one might wish. However, just ask and somebody will know where the page is, or perhaps will provide you with a custom answer.

The only advice I would offer from painful experience is to make a decision early on whether it is the boating that you want or the engineering/boatbuilding. There are many stories of folk who wanted the boating but ended up doing the building and then being caught out by the shortness of life. Looking at the SBA website there are loads of cheap 'get steaming quick' boats available just now to fill the gap while Priscilla gets re-built.

Look forward to hearing how you get on.

Regards

Pete
Hi Pete for me the main attraction is the combination of water and steam so my plan will possibly be to get an old hull and get on the water asap and then build a near as dam it replica of the original boat.
as below the remains of a broken sail boat is a very interesting proposal
thanks for the welcome toot toot 😁
warning may be grumpy :lol: 8-)
ivan the terrible
Lighting the Boiler
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Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2021 12:01 pm
Boat Name: Pricilla/Alice
Location: deepest darkest Somerset

Re: new on the block

Post by ivan the terrible » Thu Aug 26, 2021 3:14 am

fredrosse wrote: ↑
Tue Aug 24, 2021 9:15 pm
You have a hull? Please post some pictures.
no hull as it says it got burnt all that remains is the propshaft, rudder, propeller and a very small part of the keel
Attachments
s-l1600 (9).jpg
warning may be grumpy :lol: 8-)
ivan the terrible
Lighting the Boiler
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Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2021 12:01 pm
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Location: deepest darkest Somerset

Re: new on the block

Post by ivan the terrible » Thu Aug 26, 2021 3:19 am

fredrosse wrote: ↑
Sun Aug 22, 2021 2:20 am
Welcome to the forum.

Getting a hull together can be a task with minimal work, up to a work of art that takes years to finish. A few examples on this forum:

Monotube Javelin, originally purchased, with trailer, for $107 on Ebay. A small fiberglass day sailing hull, and very low cost, as sailboats with a broken mast or bad sails are available for next to nothing. A single day with a common circular saw, cutting out the centerboard well, and fiberglassing a 1-1/2 inch PVC stern shaft tube into the hull, for a propeller drive, was quite easy. Add a couple internal stringers, with small bilge keels external, a shaft support strut, a $5.00 stuffing box, plus a common ball thrust bearing. At this point the hull is ready for a steam plant, and is a very reasonable hull for steaming speeds. All at a cost well below $500, plus about 40 hours of work. This was my first time attempting this type of fiberglass work, all done with readily available automotive repair products. I will provide drawings and details if you want.

New Plywood Sidewheeler Building, a heavy duty purpose built sharpie type hull, using first quality marine plywood, lots of epoxy and total fiberglass covering. The steam plant took years for me to build both the engine and boiler, but only about 6 weeks for me and friend Mark to build the entire hull. A few thousand dollars for wood and fiberglass and epoxy, plus about 500 hours of work for the hull. But it only took 5 days going from a bare hull to steaming on the water, installing the boiler, engine, paddlewheels, feed pump, burners and piping into the hull, although this was comprised of 5 days at 18 work hours per day. This steamer has been running for over 10 years with minimal maintenance work.

My 24' Launch, Steve Weaver's masterpiece of steamboat building. Generally true to Victorian Era steam launch design, with attention to detail at every level. I dare not estimate to amount of work and $ expended on this steamer, but far far beyond what almost all steamboaters could muster. Well worth the effort if you can afford it.

Having a good steam boiler & engine will allow any of these paths to successful steaming, so best wishes for your steaming future.
Hi Fred
the old sailing boat idea has great appeal for me and any drawings or pictures would be gratefully received
that would get me on the water quickly and then give me time to build something close to the original.
great idea I love it many thanks
warning may be grumpy :lol: 8-)
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