The Steamboating Forum

Hello All,

Is there anyone out there who can confirm the exact dimensions of the Admiralty Motor Whaler? I am considering buying a hull restoration project to suit my steam engine under construction.

There are conflicting dimensions for the width. It is normally stated as 7', but some information I found in metric shows a width that converts to 7' 5". This is of concern to me, as I want something that will fit in a British narrow canal lock, as well as coping with the lower reaches of rivers. I know narrow boats are usually built at 6' 10", and I want to avoid the expensive and embarrassing situation of getting stuck!

I have been stung by this before, after travelling some distance to view a boat advertised at 7' wide, but was actually wider.

The Severn Bore

I cant help on the size of the motor whaler, but while modern boats are built slightly smaller, and there is both regional variation and exceptions where locks have moved, 7ft1 or so should be able to do basically all the system.

The HNBC (historic narrow boat club) have a page of navigational notes for the member, and would I am sure be able to provide background data and or chat that goes with it.

http://www.hnbc.org.uk/navigation-notes


Daniel

question--

I am thinking about building a steamboat. I have
a VFT boiler about 3 HP. and started building a 3 HP twin simple, a task that is going slowly, and now hull.
I was going to use a 26 foot standard metal lifeboat. Is three HP enough to power it?

anian arrow wrote:question--

I am thinking about building a steamboat. I have
a VFT boiler about 3 HP. and started building a 3 HP twin simple, a task that is going slowly, and now hull.
I was going to use a 26 foot standard metal lifeboat. Is three HP enough to power it?

Those metal lifeboat hulls common in the US are not exactly easily driven. It will definitely move w/ a 3 hp engine and a proper prop, but a better way of thinking about the problem is deciding what sort of boat you need for the areas you're frequenting. A 26' lifeboat will be fine in most areas - but if you're going to stick to quiet lakes or other sheltered waters, you may wish to use a hull that will slip through the water more easily.

Offhand, I'd expect perhaps 3-4 knots out of such a combination absent more data about weight, etc.

- Bart

anian arrow wrote:question--

I am thinking about building a steamboat. I have
a VFT boiler about 3 HP. and started building a 3 HP twin simple, a task that is going slowly, and now hull.
I was going to use a 26 foot standard metal lifeboat. Is three HP enough to power it?

Depends on what assumptions you make about HP, and how fast you want to go. As a teenager I helped move a 100' Thames barge down the East coast using a 2.5HP International Seagull clamped to the rudder as propulsion: it didn't go very fast, but we averaged over 3 mph, and no more than moderate care was needed when manoevering. Likewise Stuart Turner 6As are rated by Stuarts at 6 HP, but that's at high pressure and revs, and there are plenty powering 25' boats reasonably well, while not in reality putting out more than 3 HP.

P.S. I also did my power boat training as a Naval Cadet many decades ago, and that was in motor whalers. They were NOT identical, so only go by measurements if buying, and go to 6'10" if building.

thanks for tips. I have a tug set up already, complete with scotch marine boiler. It is great but a bit of a tempermental steamer. I get it up to 75 pounds and it runs great but then cannot hold the output and drops down. VFT for salt water service, completely different rig. I thought a tall VFT in a lifeboat would stand the weight and high centre ofgravity. plus the lifeboat has engine beds already in and shaft hole installed.

However, this Navy may soon go in for fleet reductions.

stinkpot diesels only push lifeboats about 4 or 5 knots so their hullspeed is crap. Their design criteria are heavy seas and many souls. Is there a forum for twin Merlins and Miss England? time to go racing on Derwentwater

My launch is 24' by 6' and has a VFT-30 from Beckman boat shop measuring 18" x 33" and weighing 475 lbs.
See a picture at http://www.steamboating.net/page7.html

I have no problem with stability. In fact the hull has a rather quick motion in roll when encountering a wake which, I believe, denotes a relatively low center of gravity relative to the metacenter (I'm no marine architect!). It is a single chine hull with vertical sides and plenty of shoulder to lean on.

Are you the air pilot Mike from Anacortes?