The Steamboating Forum

Well Steamboating Fans & Followers, we are at long last happy to publicly announce the official opening date for the Third Chapter in the life of the somewhat well known Walking Beam Paddle Steamer - TULE PRINCESS. We will open to the public giving regularly scheduled Lake Excursion Tours & Private Charters on Lake Nasworthy in San Angelo, Texas. She's a middle aged lady of 30 years old, but we are confident her new look and functionality will help us steward her, in this incarnation, in to her next 30 years.

My love affair with this boat began back in 1995, in Chicago, while looking for my first steamboat. She was hand built in 1983, and launched in 1984 by one man - David Sarlin of Petaloma, CA. I communicated with this designer/builder/owner and his family at a time when I had no knowledge he was tragically suffering from Liver Cancer and soon to past away, just after our first and only correspondence. When David passed, she then found her way in 1997 to the firm and knowledgeable hands of Ed Norris of Bay City, MI, where she has been lovingly cared for for the past 17 years.

When my opportunity to bring her to Texas to fit a vision of a very special, unique and storied vessel to run tours on our lake, I said many prayers and jumped at the chance to purchase her. We have made some drastic changes to her aft deck plan, but changes focused on helping her transition in to a working life. A life where she can now accommodate paying passengers of such a number as to help pay for her own upkeep and maintenance. A condition I strongly felt must be attained if she had any future ahead as the last, large-scale working example of a Walking Beam Paddle Steamer, circa 1877.

And now, we are, after two years of planning, negotiating, praying, working, stressing and bleeding to bring her not only to Texas but to morph her in to her newer, leaner look of a fine working class open style fantail steamer, here on the verge of rebirth. We open our doors on March 19, 2015 at 10am. Please check out our website: http://www.tuleprincess.com Or, follow my Captain's Log entries and postings on Facebook at: tule princess

If ever you are in Texas, please come see us and take a ride on her. We will be steaming most weekends except the worst of the winter months of January & February. Y'all Come Visit!

Entirely too pretty!!!

Thanks Mike. I can't express how blessed I am tonight. Tomorrow we go live, open to the Public. On top of that, it will be 2 yrs almost to the date since the spark of an idea to acquire her came to my mind's eye. She is indeed the boat of my dreams and such a special lady. Hope you can come down and ride her someday.

Mack,

Very Beautiful steamer.

I looked at the website as well.

My only recommendation is consider putting up some videos online, maybe a youtube channel. It's free publicity and may attract more customers.

-CB

Thanks CB, that is already in the works. We had our final inspection by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (our agency having jurisdiction here on our lake), we passed with flying colors, opened our gangway and actually had one paying customer today. The weather was awful, fog, drizzle, avg. 37 degrees, ice on the boat when we first lit off the boiler, but we ran our business, had a customer AND vessel & crew performed flawlessly. I am a most blessed man tonight.

Lovely boat. Great to see her kept so well!

I do believe, however, that she was actually built to David Sarlin's order by the Millerick Brother's Coast Marine Construction of Sebastapol, CA, which is just up the road a few miles from Petaluma, CA. Not to take anything away from Mr. Sarlin, who made his dream a reality, but the Millerick brothers did the metal work, I do believe. They can be contacted at

Millerick Brothers Coast Marine Construction
5375 Lone Pine Rd
Sebastopol, CA 95472

Phone number (707) 829-2507

They are good guys. They are currently into restoring antique railroad cars and engines. They do know their steam and metalworking.

Thanks Bob for the kind remarks. Yes, you are correct TULE's parentage under the creation and vision of David Sarlin. In fact, David's Captain's Ticket & Photo, plus Capt. Ed Morris, her second captain, his Master's Ticket & photo, both are displayed in honor and respect in TULE's Wheel House. My vision was to have her proudly steaming the waters of our beautiful little lake here in West Texas, and, to keep David's dream of paying homage to those mighty Walking-beam Engines of the 19th Century that he admired and loved so much.

We will have our Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on March 19th, and then be open for weekend excursions and private charters. Come summer, when I done being a classroom teacher, we'll be steaming the boat four days a week, plus private charters.

If your traveling through Texas, try to come visit San Angelo, Texas and take a ride on her. Check out our web page at:

www.tuleprincess.com or follow(LIKE) us on Facebook @ Tule Princess

I'll keep everyone posted on her progress in her new life at age 31 years old.

Just a quick shot of TULE approaching her dock head in to the wind. My Fireman and Business Manager are on deck working the lines.