The Steamboating Forum

Hey
No the hull is an old logging tug but I extended the hull 5 ft. because it was so short and wide (10 ft. wide)
And yes the ratchet mechanism is clicking in reverse,
tried at first building a soundless but did not work so well (lots of smoke in the boat when it reversed)
the other blocking plate on top of the boiler is a soot hatch, It is convenient when you need to clean the air preheater

Mike
No not very loud, just a low humming at these speeds about 1500 rpm, tested to change gear ratios but where just more noise and burned more wood.

the fan comes from an air dryer from the 40s

Hey Swedtug

And yes the ratchet mechanism is clicking in reverse, tried at first building a soundless but did not work so well (lots of smoke in the boat when it reversed)

I don't know if you already knew about these one way bearings. They come in handy for assemblies like that.
http://www.vxb.com/page/bearings/CTGY/One-Way-Bearings

Is that the original Tugs engine and boiler? And is it still 10' wide? And what is the length over all? I know... I sound like a little kid huh...

Cheers,
Scott

Hey scott
Yes I have thought about one way bearings, but now I've become familiar with the clicking, and its only in reverse.
no original I think it had a hotbulb Engine.
It is 30 ft x 10 ft and it weighs i guess about 13000 lbs

Hey Swedtug

Yes I have thought about one way bearings, but now I've become familiar with the clicking, and its only in reverse.
no original I think it had a hotbulb Engine.
It is 30 ft x 10 ft and it weighs i guess about 13000 lbs

I guess the clicking would be like a back up alarm. Only annoying when your going the wrong way!
I remember the first Old Iron fair I went to and watched a couple old farts start a hot bulb engine. They said it was over a hundred years old and never been rebuilt! Whether it was or wasn't I never found out but the engine ran well once they finally got it started.
WOW!!! That is a bit of weight there! I guess tugs are built to work not play huh.
I am going for a 30'x8' at around 5500 have you ever done any tests with your system? Like making consecutive runs with the fan and without. What your speed was, boiler behavior, water consumption and so forth? I would be interested in knowing how much difference there is.

Cheers,
Scott

Actually, I have a hot bulb engine in my other boat. A bit more noise than steam.
Yea it weighs a lot, built for ice breaking, has not tried to break ice with the steam Engine yet, it is on the TODO list

has not made any tests but the steam pressure rises from 85 to 110 psi with the fan on, the safety valves are set to 150 psi
Speed, I am a little unsure of, would need a GPS but at its best around 6 knots, so far.
Has fitted a super heater this year, it helps a little but not as much as the fan.

Hey Swedtug

Your "other" boat! Oh man don't be teasing me, I don't even have one boat yet.

Around here we don't get ice in our water unless it is a bucket in the back yard in winter. Not much room for icebreakers in there. But you know that actually sounds like fun; I have only seen icebreakers on TV. Do you actually run into the ice or ride up on it and let the weight of the boat break down through it?

Good to see that the fan makes that big a difference, it's going to be interesting making a steam setup of my own work. I look forward to hearing more about your progress.

Cheers,
Scott

Hey Scott

It depends on how thick the ice is, is it thick then the boat rides up on it, but with my little tug, i cannot expect to break any thick ice.
Not enough horsepower for that.
Another problem is that you either need to keep boiler warm night and day, or drain it and all pipes in the winter, there will be much work for each run.