New arrival from Northern California

[Bob Cleek]

Howdy all! I'm new in town, but I've been lurking for a while. I've been into traditional boats and boatbuilding all my 61 years, but only in the last four or five years have my interests intesified in the direction of steam powered vessels. Maybe it's age. One reaches a point were going forward in a blow isn't fun anymore and a warm cozy pilothouse is yearned for.

I'm in Petaluma, CA, north of San Francisco. I've got a shop, metal and wood, and restore classic yachts and ship models. My interest in steam developed twenty years ago when I restored a 4 foot long c.1890 steam yacht model with a live steam plant in it, build to plans from a book published in 1919. (Finding that book wasn't research, just an amazing coincidence.) It was pretty much a busted up pile of parts, but when I was done with it, she was turning over like a Swiss watch.

I don't have a steam boat, but may get around to it one of these days. A marine salvor friend of mine some years back tried to give me a sunken steamer he'd pulled off the bottom in some marina. One of those "I wish I knew then what I know now" moments! The old lifeboat hull was a pile of rotten junk and he said I could have the steam plant and fittings if he'd let me dump it off his trailer at my place. The plant looked pretty busted up, no cover on the boiler, pipes disconnected and so on, plus a bunch of mud. I took a pass on it, figuring that after a few days on the bottom, there wasn't much to salvage of the steam plant. I always have too many boat projects going at once. I suppose taking it would have cost me a divorce. I still can't decide whether I should have passed it up.

So, I'll drop by now and then for a "steam bath" and soak up all the knowlege and information I can. Maybe someday I'll be able to ask an intelligent question, or even contribute something.

I'm just learning about steam, but I know plenty about boatbuilding and maintenance. If anybody thinks I might have an answer for them in that area, by all means let me know.

Bob Cleek

[DetroiTug]

Bob,

Welcome to the forum.

-Ron

[farmerden]

Welcome Bob We always need someone who works with wood other than putting it in the boiler! The more I learn about wooden boats the less I know so stick around -your wisdom with wood will be greatly appreciated! Den

[87gn@tahoe]

Bob,

Welcome to the forum.

Have you ever been to the B&W Steamboat meet near Rio Vista, CA?