Steam-powered Canoes

[hartleymartin]

That's the sort of creature I'm talking about. I would like to know what is the deal with a propellor and shaft for such a wee beastie.

[cyberbadger]

That's the sort of creature I'm talking about. I would like to know what is the deal with a propellor and shaft for such a wee beastie.

A flexible steam hose goes from the boiler to the back/aft. The engine is an outboard. The engine and prop is lifted up in the picture. No penetration through the canoe like hull. You control it like many outboard engines, you actually turn the engine with a tiller.
(As I interpret it from the picture you posted)

Neat setup.

Any better links or photos about this canoe launch?

-CB

[Lopez Mike]

http://www.northweststeamsociety.org/Pa ... SSBtyl.htm

[fredrosse]

15 FT Coleman Square Stern Canoe (Scanoe) with Flash Boiler and 4.7 cubic inch chain saw engine converted to steam. I/O drive, made from a 2.5 HP outboard lower unit, turns a 7" x 7" propeller at 700 RPM, 4 MPH. One of the very few "Car Top Carry" Steamboats.

[fredrosse]

Scanoe Power Plant.

[hartleymartin]

15 FT Coleman Square Stern Canoe (Scanoe) with Flash Boiler and 4.7 cubic inch chain saw engine converted to steam. I/O drive, made from a 2.5 HP outboard lower unit, turns a 7" x 7" propeller at 700 RPM, 4 MPH. One of the very few "Car Top Carry" Steamboats.

That last picture has me particularly interested. At the moment I've been seriously considering building a "Lazy Weekend" Canoe with a view to kit it out to also sail and have a small side-mounted outboard motor. That looks like a rather nifty little hack to have an inboard motor system.

Who knows? Something a little more whacky like using pedal-power from bicycle bits to power the craft.

[cyberbadger]

Hope this isn't to far off topic....

Stirling Engine Powered Canoe

Julian Wood's self-built triple transferator hot-air engine powers his canoe at Thames Traditional Boat Rally. 18th July 2009. Henley on Thames. Transferator engine is made from stainless steel food storage jars. Heat is supplied to engine from propane gas burner located below the hot-caps.

-CB

P.S.

Longer video of the same Canoe: He's not winning any speed records - should have gone with steam



-CB

[Lopez Mike]

I think it is rather like seeing a dog walking on its hind legs. One should not criticize the performance. Rather, one should marvel that it does it at all.

I'm impressed.

[cyberbadger]

I think it is rather like seeing a dog walking on its hind legs. One should not criticize the performance. Rather, one should marvel that it does it at all.

I'm impressed.

I'm impressed by both the steam canoe and the sterling engine canoe.

Different strokes for different folks, that's why I like steam boating. It's an open field. The criteria are with the builder/owner.

I'm taking the brute force/quicker/master-cobbler approach to making a steam launch.
I'm not trying to win any beauty pageants, efficiency goals, or speed records. If I get 4mph on my first pass I will be satisfied. If I get 6mph I will be happy. Then I can tinker with it and make improvements latter.

-CB

[fredrosse]

A few details of the Steam Scanoe Drive system.

The drive system consists a timing belt drive (2:1 Ratio) from the steam engine (600 RPM) to the main horizontal drive shaft (1200 RPM), then an ordinary $20 hardware store right angle drive (1:1 Ratio) to get the output on a vertical shaft (1200 RPM) inside the boat. The vertical shaft (1200 RPM) connects to the Outboard Lower Unit, which has its own gear reduction, 1.7:1, so the propeller output shaft runs at 1200/1.7 = 700 RPM. The "step-up" gearing to the horizontal inboard shaft is required as virtually all small outboard lower units are designed with gear reduction, so the propeller turns at a very much lower speed than the IC engine which originally powered the outboard.

The $20 hardware store right angle drive (1:1 Ratio) is usually used to allow a portable electric drill to be used in conditions where clearances are too tight for use without one.

The attached picture shows this right angle drive as fitted within the Steam Scanoe, located just above the outboard lower unit. This gearbox is good for about 1/4 horsepower, which is the approximate power of the Steam Scanoe. I also added a lubrication tube to assure oil in this gearbox.