Good afternoon from the River Tamar

Read this first then introduce yourself here.
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PeteThePen1
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Re: Good afternoon from the River Tamar

Post by PeteThePen1 » Sun Feb 12, 2017 10:34 pm

Hi Rob

Welcome to the Forum and the world of steamboating. That is very nice craft you have built shown in the photo. Clearly the building will not offer you many difficulties.

However, having myself followed the sort of trajectory you are suggesting, can offer some hard earned advice? Do decide what it is you want to do with steamboats. Do you want to run one, or is it the building that is really your love. I was keen to go steaming, but at the time boats were selling like hot cakes and there was nothing to buy that was anywhere near what I was looking for. A bit in the dumps about it, I allowed myself to be persuaded by other SBA members that building a boat was easy, and I embarked on the task. Like you I had several boats in my portfolio, but a 20ft launch is a whole lot bigger than the previous dinghies, boilers were then hard to acquire, etc, etc. So my two year plan turned into a five year outcome and the cost was way more than expected. Stemboating hopes became steamboat building blues and now my circumstances have changed and there may not be much steamboating in the future.

Just of late there have been some first class boats about at give away prices. The SBA website has been cleared of the smaller boats for the time being, but I think you will find several emerge in the next six months. The steam launch market has not really recovered from the 2008 banking crisis so prices are low.

Anyway, good luck with the project whichever way you jump. The great guys on this Forum will answer just about any question you need to ask.

Regards

Pete
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