The Steamboating Forum

These are some pictures someone sent to me a while back. Apparently this was supposed to be an art? project or something? Or what to do when the bunker is empty. Not really sure, seems a waste of a nice little steamer.







-Ron

It would be nice to find those fellows and give them a swift punch to the face. I'm sure they'd feel the same way of someone were to put a Picasso in their firebox...

Clearly, the owner of that sweet little boat, did not truly understand and appreciate the "Art of Steamboating" or the spirit that some believe resides in any vessel built with love and caring, at least at some point.

I would not waste the skin on my knuckles to "punch that guy in the face", but I would not hesitate to look him in the face and tell him, he was an idiot.

Mack

So where is this? I see a good boiler and engine sitting on the bottom of a freshwater lake waiting to be salvaged!

I remember this being described in the Funnel around the time the York engine articles were being serialized. I can't seem to find the issue but if I remember correctly this was an "art" project. The engine and boiler were salvaged from a lake, put into a hull. The boat was powered by "consuming itself" and in the end was returned to the lake. I think the location was Windermere. Could still be there, though I would find it hard to imagine that if the steam boaters in the area knew of its location that they wouldn't have already recovered the goods.

Ken

It was on Windermere 4 or 5 years ago I think. It was an art project using moving sculpture to sum up the plight of seemingly useless things and how in the throw-away society that the 'West' has become it has become acceptable to dispose of 'useless' junk simply because it is old or considered obsolete.

The entire boat was built using recycled parts, the boat was a fairly knackered clinker dinghy, with an old engine (make?) and a Merryweather boiler.

It set off over the lake consuming itself as it went in a demonstration that useful work can be had from 'junk', and to invoke emotions and thought processes that are now rare- except in steamboaters perhaps...? Rather apt, then, that the artist (name?) chose to make a steamboat as his 'sculpture'.

I don't know if it was recovered or not.

Greg

All seems totally pointless unless you make a gigantic play to tell the WHOLE world what you are doing and why, so still a waste!

Well, you know about it now and you live 1000's of miles away The fact that you feel so strongly proves that he has in fact achieved the exact thing he set out to do, so not too pointless eh...?

Greg

Well yes it is, as I was already converted and one or even a thousand people knowing isn't going to change the world, unfortunately.

'Middle Earth' is only a couple of hours away actually.

Perhaps there was a point made with this effort. On the plus side I am sure such an operation would not be far from a contingent of tree huggers who would not allow the remains to stay in the water.

If you examine the last picture you can see the perpetrator to the right flailing around but the one on the left appears to be standing on the bottom. The stern also looks to be aground while the bow has sunk. This would indicate the sinking was very near shore so the debris could easily be retrieved & hopefully the good parts salvaged. The camera was likely ashore.

I am sure I am not alone in watching more than one repairable craft return to nature in the hands of a well meaning owner who is "going to fix that someday". Really not much different only a lot less dramatic.