The Steamboating Forum

Hello Fellow Steamboaters, Capt. Mack here. I will get straight to the point. The Tule Princess Steamboat Co. in San Angelo, Texas ceased operations June 21, 2022. Tule has been on her trailer stored at a family member's rural property in West Texas since that date. Tule MUST be moved as soon as pos...

Hello Folks, After almost 10 years of ownership, I am faced with the sale of the PS TULE PRINCESS. I am considering the best publications or venues to list her in For Sale. 1) Is the International Steamboat Society / publication: STEAMBOATING Magazine still a functioning organization? I looked at th...

You understand correctly. David Sarlin (the orginal designer & owner) modeled his walking-beam engine from that of the SACRAMENTO (Sister vessel is the EUREKA) from San Francisco, CA. The old walking-beams were started in the same manner. The Chief Engineer would manually control take off action...

Good Morning Bart, Thanks for the quick reply. I am grateful for your insightful comments. For TULE, there is no variable cut off gear. We have a manual cam stroke actuator that we use to get the wheels rolling, once we're moving and at hull speed we drop the eccentric arms which take over automatic...

Good Evening Steamboaters, The TULE PRINCESS has been down for almost two years. But, at long last we have located suitable valves to provide Intake & Exhaust steam to her single piston, vertical engine. The old valves were 37 year old 1” Hoffman valves. The replacement Hoffmans we ordered ALL t...

This is TULE's Walking-beam Valve Action Cam Assembly.

These valves are both Intake (2) & Exhaust (2) on TULE's Walking-beam Engine, design circa 1877. Pic 1 is the defective valve, Bottom Right Intake. Pic 2 is the Valve Action Cam Assembly. Once clear of the dock, these engines switch over from manual timing action to engaged eccentric activated s...

Good evening Brothers, This is a revision to my earlier posting seeking a "poppet valve" for TULE PRINCESS. From my investigations and frustrations in getting my defective valve serviced here by local engine machinists that came highly recommended, I am now BEYOND putting up with any more ...

Good Friday Afternoon Gentlemen, Ok, what I am certain I am looking for now is a Hoffman 1" Body Code 05 - 1140 Temperature Regular Body Unit Part #401353. Must be a Union Connection. The only "new" source I've uncovered so far is State Supply Co. @ $1900. Guess I won't be going there...

Thanks Wesley. I am weighing those factors today.

Appreciate your reply.

- Capt. Mack