The Steamboating Forum

A picture of Nyitra steaming into Point Chautauqua tonight right before the rain came, from a neighbor.

A critical 1/4"x1/4" shaft key fell out on the highway!
I noticed as I was warming up the engine and the propellor stopped moving.

Some nice old gentlemen at the dock gave me a screw, I screwed that screw where it didn't belong. They gave me a spare in case the first screw fell out.
It worked for today which all that was required.

Fair weather mooring on our dock. On a mooring buoy most of the time.

I put Nyitra on a mooring buoy for the summer.

It is safer on a mooring than on the dock. Nyitra has a fair bit of windage and weight and in a bad storm she could push the dock and start breaking things.

Chautauqua is a fresh water lake where most people put in steel or aluminum horses that wooden dock sections are put ontop of. Many motorboats are on lifts that raise the boats completely out of the water.

I have thought of buying such a lift for Nyitra.

-CB

The Chautauqua Belle was out on an excursion on this rainy day, I believe they heard Nyitra and the Belle came to say hello to Nyitra on her mooring. we had a drive-by steamboat whistle hello.

Sorry for shakey video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APK-EC-6gPs

Also I took an infrared video of warming up the two cylinder 1902 Toledo from cold(ambient). You can see the steam comes in from a stainless hose, and then the porting in the center of the engine warms up (piston valves, the swift lubricator, first one cylinder, then the other, then the engine is warm enough to start turning with petcocks open.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijVk5rrewTU

-CB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVRX7UXrGV4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGMtAJaK4FQ

I've been enjoying some of the summer taking a few family members out on Nyitra.

-CB

On Saturday I held a private race with my buddy Steve.

The race is what I call the Fern Lodge 1890's Classic: Sail vs Steam. This is the 3rd of such races I have held. Nyitra always represents Team Steam, and this year team Sail was my buddy Steve on a Sunfish sailboat.

First year was a technical tie.

Second year Team Sail won with my buddy Steve on a Sunfish sailboat after Nyitra had 3 breakdowns concluding with the boiler stack falling overboard.

This year Team Steam with Steam Launch Nyitra operated by myself, Andrew Jalics, won!!

The 3 leg course was 6 nautical miles, Nyitra completed in just over 2hrs.

-CB

Congratulations on your triumph over the rag flyers! I am sure the sweet taste of victory will be savoured until your next match. Does your trophy work as a chalice as well?

TahoeSteam wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 16, 2021 8:37 pm

Congratulations on your triumph over the rag flyers! I am sure the sweet taste of victory will be savoured until your next match. Does your trophy work as a chalice as well?

Thanks Wes.

My buddy also participated in the much much larger Mackinaw race this year. My buddy was telling other sailors about the 1890s Classic and they really liked the concept. My buddy emphasized that we probably need more steamboat competitors before we allow more sailboats participants.

The trophy doesn't currently have a drinking cup, but it might in the future. The sprocket in the trophy was actually used on Nyitra in the past. The trophy needs an element that would represent an element of sail technology but we haven't come up with anything yet. The brass tag I made by a photo transfer and etched it. The brown part is 3D printed. The brown 3D printed part is supposed to look like a piston, but it looks more like an IC piston.

I was very happy with Nyitra's operation this summer. She's definitely a handful to run alone, but eventually I always got there. Nyitra is back safely in Ohio for the winter.

My buddy is sort of looking out for a hull for a second iteration of Nyitra. Something like 30ft+ and sea worthy for the Great Lakes. (Maybe 50's or 60's Steel Clipper, just plop in my steam plant)

-CB