My new launch Mary Jane

[mtnman]

My new launch, Mary Jane, is a Thayer 16’ fantail and at this time she has a 1910 Palmer 2hp engine and a spare engine on a stand. Yes, one of those smelly, noisy, infernal sic combustion engines. That will soon change, anyone want to buy a 2hp
Palmer?
I’ve done a little homework and found that here in Tennessee if my boiler has less than 20ft^2 of heating surface it’s considered a Hobby boiler and requires no certification. Being that my launch only requires 2hp to reach hull speed, my boiler will be smaller than 20ft^2, so I don’t see any more problems with the steam inspector! I think I’m going to build a modified monotube boiler and fire it with propane. A little background, I spent 20 years building ships for Tampa Ship and at one time I was a certified welder. I was also a certified Sulzer diesel mechanic (google Sulzer and click on Images, that’s what I build). I can build or repair most anything mechanical.
As for what engine to use, I don’t know yet, I’m poor and semi-retired now so my engine will be the one I find that I can get inexpensively, I own an antique store and I’m always wheeling and dealing so I never know what’ll turn up next. I’m sure there’s a marine steam engine with reversing gear just waiting out there for me to find it. Anyone want to trade a little steamer for 2 Palmers?
I plan on using Mary Jane on Norris Lake. Norris is a TVA lake here in East Tennessee with about 900 miles of shoreline and a launch ramp is less than a mile down the road. She won’t be the fastest boat on the lake but she’ll be the classiest!
I’ve added a few pictures of Mary Jane as she is now:

[Edward]

Dear mtnman ,

That hull looks really pretty and as she had/has a clasic engine I imagine the previous owner cared for her .
I think you could be on the verge of putting a very nice combination together .
All the best of luck with your project .

Regards Edward .

[mcandrew1894]

Hi Mtnman,

Well, A comment.

I have a friend who owned a 16' Thayer and made her into a steamboat.

Great Boat!

But there is a problem.....she's small.

Once you get the boiler and engine in, there is little room for anyone or anything. Two people MAX, and barely at that.....

You may be better off with THAT boat leaving the "one lunger" just as she is

Here's a link to the "Norman D."

http://plsntcov.8m.com/stmbot.htm

Ron is a friend and I KNOW he would steer you in the same direction as I.

Honestly, I would go bigger than 20 feet.....a Rose hull is a good start for a small engine, or a Panatella for that matter! ..but I'm biased.....

Best of luck to you!

Dave

[farmerden]

Sometimes I wish I had a smaller boat. Then I could disappear in a cloud of steam and maybe go fishin'!! I think that's a great boat! And--- you didn't hear it from me but that Palmer looks pretty good too! Den

[artemis]

I know it's un-American, but sometimes smaller is better. I'm at 71 years young and partway into rebuilding a 14'6" steamboat. After my last steamboat - a 26' Navy whaleboat hull with cabin, compound engine, and lots of upkeep - I had been thinking something along the lines of 22' - 24'... Well, that dropped down to 18'. Then I determined that a 15' skiff design was more my style. Suddenly a 14-1/2 footer came along with engine and most other goodies including trailer, but no boiler. The price was right - free! It will comfortably carry two, three in a pinch - but I'm not into the "pinch". It's light weight, easy to move around, doesn't draw much water or require much fuel (less to carry down the dock). I've talked to/heard from/read about steamboaters who found maintaining/trailering/steaming larger boats more stressful with advancing age. I'm acquainted with people who started out small (under 16') due to finances, etc. and 30+ yeards later ended up back at small. Small is good for a first boat (or a last one?). Actually, any size is a good size for a hobby steamboat - just get steaming

[Wearyman]

... Suddenly a 14-1/2 footer came along with engine and most other goodies including trailer, but no boiler. The price was right - free!...

What the Flipitty-flop? How does one just get HANDED a hull and steam engine?

I am now green with envy.

[mcandrew1894]

... Suddenly a 14-1/2 footer came along with engine and most other goodies including trailer, but no boiler. The price was right - free!...

What the Flipitty-flop? How does one just get HANDED a hull and steam engine?

I am now green with envy.

Yea actually, I would like to know too!

Dave

[artemis]

... Suddenly a 14-1/2 footer came along with engine and most other goodies including trailer, but no boiler. The price was right - free!...

What the Flipitty-flop? How does one just get HANDED a hull and steam engine?

I am now green with envy.

Yea actually, I would like to know too!

Dave

Green is a color indicative of "eco" consciousness. Stay green

[mtnman]

SL Mary Jane’s engine came via FEDEX today! It’s a Hasbrouck #1, I paid $750 + $50 for crating + $100 for shipping for a total of $900! I don’t think you can build one for that price. She’s never been worked, only used as a running display. I sold the two Palmers that came with the launch for $875 a few days ago so it was almost an even trade! I found a nice ¾” 300WSP water gauge on ebay for $45/shipped and it too was delivered today. Tomorrow I should receive my ½” US injector via UPS, once again found on ebay for $255.
I’ve been a regular at Noble Metals, Oak Ridge Tennessee the last couple of weeks. They sell Oak Ridge National Laboratories scrap. I got a 24” long piece of 18” seamless pipe with 3/8” walls (boiler), enough 3/8” plate for both tube sheets and the bottom plate, 5-24’ long pieces of schedule 80 1”OD pipe (will cut to 20” for the 61 tubes), A piece of 4”x 8” rectangular tube for the ash pit/damper, another piece of 10”x 10” square tube for the fire box door (both of these will need to be split and modified to fit my cast iron doors) and a piece of thinner walled 18” pipe for the fire box/ash pit. I’ll be lining the firebox with 1” firebrick and I’m using a 16” grate from a pot-bellied stove. The neat thing about a scrap yard is the other stuff I find. These last few trips I’ve also brought home a nice floor safe, a steel burial vault (I own an antique store and sell weird stuff) and 60” of 4” seamless tubing with a 2 3/8” bore (this will be a cannon barrel, another one of my hobbies). All of the above was purchased for the total of $240 and that included 4 cuts at $5 each.
It’s time to start beating, banging and drilling! I’ll fab the whole boiler and I’ve found a pipe welder with a big mig welder to do all my welding. I’ll be steaming by summer!

[DetroiTug]

Hi MtnMan,

That's a nice engine, I bought the plans for that one about 25 years ago, never built it. They're still around here somewhere. Back then, the plans came with a nice photograph of the completed engine (Pre internet/home PC/ink jet printers). That should be the right size for your boat. And, it would be hard to build that for 900. That renault dauphine? cylinder liner was probably expensive and probably not even available anymore.

On the boiler, maybe someone that knows for sure can chime in, but I think they should only be low carbon stick or tig welded. Mig welding is notorious for poor penetration, they are really for production work.

Also, on the tubes, I think schedule 40 is typically used on VFT's. They are faster heating, and also, since steel deteriorates somewhat evenly, the tubes are the first to fail. A much safer scenario obviously.

As I say, this is how I understand it, and that may not be correct.

-Ron