HI TO ALL, FROM BUCKS CO., PA
Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 7:15 pm
My name is Don Fenstermacher, Sr., whom with my son Don, Jr., have been steamboating now for about 17 years. First on my S. L. Adelaide (sold 2 years ago) and now on our new launch Phoebe Snow. I hail from upper Bucks County, PA, not far from Lake Nockamixon. Many of you may recognize my son as host of the Nockamixon meets and a frequent poster on this forum.
I felt I have lurked this site enough, and at the behest of my son, decided to join in. I have had an interest in small steam boats for 45 years, subscribing to the various publications and attending a number of meets early on. I had been involved with full size steam locomotives for about 25 years, both mainline excursions and tourist railroads. It wasn't until I hung up my gloves from steam locomotives, that I could start to think of getting into steam boating.
I entered into the hobby with S. L. Adelaide, a 20' Rose hull with a Carter Mann watertube boiler and an antique single cylinder engine. We had many enjoyable years with this boat but with our growing families, it was time to consider selling Adelaide. We were fortunete to find a local buyer (NJ) and so still get to see our old boat, now with the name Aubrey Claire.
I picked up an new / old stock Elliott Bay (20' - 4") hull from the west coast. We started outfitting the bare hull with a vertical fire tube boiler from Rappahannock Boat Works and a Pearl Twin Cylinder (2-1/2" + 2-1/2" X 3") engine. About half the seating is completed and we are at present adding the Bronze half oval gaurds. The boat is still a work in progress but did see water for the first time in July. A must for this winters project is a canopy!
I had worked as an enginer / conductor for a local short line freight railroad and have now retired, giving me some much needed free time. I look forward to many more years of steam boating with my son and our families. The new boat gives us more seating capacity as well as the ability to stand up and move about the boat.
See ya on the water,
Don, Sr.
I felt I have lurked this site enough, and at the behest of my son, decided to join in. I have had an interest in small steam boats for 45 years, subscribing to the various publications and attending a number of meets early on. I had been involved with full size steam locomotives for about 25 years, both mainline excursions and tourist railroads. It wasn't until I hung up my gloves from steam locomotives, that I could start to think of getting into steam boating.
I entered into the hobby with S. L. Adelaide, a 20' Rose hull with a Carter Mann watertube boiler and an antique single cylinder engine. We had many enjoyable years with this boat but with our growing families, it was time to consider selling Adelaide. We were fortunete to find a local buyer (NJ) and so still get to see our old boat, now with the name Aubrey Claire.
I picked up an new / old stock Elliott Bay (20' - 4") hull from the west coast. We started outfitting the bare hull with a vertical fire tube boiler from Rappahannock Boat Works and a Pearl Twin Cylinder (2-1/2" + 2-1/2" X 3") engine. About half the seating is completed and we are at present adding the Bronze half oval gaurds. The boat is still a work in progress but did see water for the first time in July. A must for this winters project is a canopy!
I had worked as an enginer / conductor for a local short line freight railroad and have now retired, giving me some much needed free time. I look forward to many more years of steam boating with my son and our families. The new boat gives us more seating capacity as well as the ability to stand up and move about the boat.
See ya on the water,
Don, Sr.