The Steamboating Forum

Greetings,
I have just joined the forum and would like to introduce myself. My name is Craig Thompson. I live in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, (ok fine, suburban Philadelphia), about 5 miles from the Delaware River / Bay and 40 miles from the Chesapeake Bay.

All my life I have been fascinated with machinery. Automobiles, boats, trains, airplanes, bulldozers, earth movers, diggers, rollers, machine tools, clocks, watches, just about anything mechanical. It makes sense then that I became a Mechanical Engineer & private airplane pilot, small sailboater & windsurfer, currently work in the aircraft industry.

About 10 years ago I visited Mystic Seaport museum in Connecticut, USA while on a vacation with the family. We took a ride on a steam powered boat, the Sabino I believe. I sat next to the steam engine and chatted with the operator of the engine (do not know what his proper title is). This awakened my interest in steam powered boats. Recently my brother-in-law placed an order for a 24’ sailboat. That got me thinking again about boats. I found this forum and have become completely captivated by steam launches. Watching all of the YouTube videos of your magnificent steam launches is such a joy. Those running engines are totally mesmerizing to watch!

I have been thinking about how much fun it would be to explore the Chesapeake Bay in my own steam launch. Not sure if it will happen but I find that I have already started to put together my wish list for a steam launch suitable for this task.

I am looking forward to pursuing this interest with you all.

Craig Thompson

Craig,

Welcome to the forum! You've come to the right place!

Hi Craig!

Plenty of interest in steam and boats int he area. Hopefully Don will chime in and you should put the Lake Nockamixon dates in your calendar for this coming year. Come out to Cabin Fever Expo April 10-12, 2015 at the York Expo Center in York, PA. There are model and full size steam boats and parts around the show. You will certainly be hooked from then on!

Jared Schoenly
Spring City, PA

Welcome Craig. Lots of interest on here, and lots of experience to call on.

Hello and welcome to the forum. I also live near Philadelphia (Jenkintown), and own the steamer Margaret S. You are invited for a ride as soon as spring comes along. Also be sure to visit the Olympia at the Phila Seaport Muse am, It has a couple of very large (about 8000 horsepower each) steam engines.

Craig,

first I had a weird feeling when I saw the post as I grew up with a Craig Thompson in Lansdale Pennsylvania. My name is Don Fenstermacher Jr. and I host steam boat meets on Lake Nockamixon in Bucks County just outside of Quakertown and we just had our 20th anniversary meet this past October with 13 steamboats in attendance. You should make sure to stop out and take a ride this summer, almost anyone will give you a ride in their boat if they have room, the dates for 2015 are June 13, July 11, August 8 and October 9-11. I will link my webpage below and be sure to visit the link for the North American Steamboat Assoc. which I volunteer for and subscribe, with subscription you will receive a bi monthly magazine which is a 6 x 9 - 32 pages in full color, it will have meet dates, boats for sale, stories of meets and events and of course how-to and technical info. Also if you would like to call me or shoot me an email all my info is in the webpage.

Hope to hear from you,
Don Fenstermacher, Jr.
http://www.slphoebesnow.com

Thank you all for your welcomes.

It is interesting to learn how much steam boating activity there is in Pennsylvania. Interest and activities related to steam power of all types seems to be fairly common in this region.

I will most certainly put the event dates into my calendar.

Fred, you have a very nice boat! I would love to see it and get a ride.

Don, I am amazed and pleased that there is such events so close to home. I will be joining the North American Steamboat Assoc.

Anxious for summer to arrive now!!

Craig T.

Craig,
Pennsylvania has a fairly sizable group of boats, probably 6 or 7 withing 50 miles of you, a few in NJ and at least one in DE. Glad to hear you are joining the group. Happy Turkey Day to all.

Craig,

Follow your dreams!

I'm in Ohio.

I'd recommend you consider buying this book. You can buy it for $60, but you can get much cheaper if you look around ($25 in the second link):
Steamboats and Modern Steam Launches by Bill Durham
http://www.steamlaunch.com/books/modernbt.html
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDet ... 2399622804

I'd also consider becoming a member of the SBA, they allow and encourage international members.
http://www.steamboatassociation.co.uk/

-CB

Thanks CB. I will most definitely buy that book. And joining NASBA.

I am anxious to start working on steam launch design but I have a few other projects to complete first.

Craig T.