The Steamboating Forum

As one gets older, the thought of hauling around a 24+ foot steamboat becomes less attractive. So my thoughts have moved me to something in the 12+ foot range. In looking for ideas over the last couple of years - real steamboats, not models of warships or passenger liners with superstructure partially removed to accomodate adults - I have come across some interesting photos/descriptions on the web. I have no info on the two below; the first is probably located in Japan and would appear to be a little over eight feet long and the second is a total mystery, except that it's a fully functional steamboat and I doubt the youngster in the photo is allowed to operate it alone.


All I've got are the pics, no other info.

One of the smaller steamboats in the SBA is Hot Pot. If I remember correct it is 15 foot long. Quite easy to tow behind the average car, where 20+ foot boats are needing larger 4x4 vehicles.

Peter who owns Hot Pot also find it very easy to take the boat out of the water at night instead of risk mooring in the water with such a shall boat. He is able to do this by himself with the minimum of effort as well.

Another regular boat at Windermere is Minnow. I think it is slightly smaller than Hot Pot. David who owns Minnow drives from the other end of England (about 400 miles) to the rally in his camper van with craft in tow behind.

It may be one of the last boats to arrive anywhere, but it is always welcomed with a cheer.

There's something to be said for the simplicity and lack of headaches that small boats provide.

If I recall correctly, Allen Gregg of Tomales Bay, CA, had a 16ft (or less) dory with a small watertube boiler and compound or double-simple engine.

Those dorys sure can take a beating from the bigger boats.

Here is Hot Pot doing about 7 knots

What's that horizontal line running from Hot Pot's bow to the edge of the photo?

Looks like Hit Pot may be getting some extra "pull" to help it exceed hull speed.

Ken

Dear Marinesteam ,

I think the line you see is just a ripple on the lake surface beyond Hotpot .
I also think maltelec is shooting from the hip with his tongue in his cheek when he gives the speed as seven knots , he knows perfectly well that in the UK the convention is to give speeds on inland waters in MPH , on the sea in knots .
There is an unfortunate tendency towards using metric units for speed measurement but as far as I know this is at present mainly confined to the Thames . One of the ploys being used by those who wish to overturn the 10 MPH speed limit on Windermere is to claim that the limit was meant to be in knots rather than MPH , this despite a statement given to the original enquiry (accepted by the enquiry) explaining what the limit that was being proposed was in knots , MPH , KMH , metres per second , feet per second etc .

Two more corrections to maltelecs' otherwise impeccably accurate posting concern the dimensions of the two small boats to which he refers :
HOTPOT : Length 12' , (Beam 5' 3")
MINNOW: Length10' , (Beam 4' 0 )

Yours etc Edward .

http://www.steamboat.org.uk/register/html/seag0673.htm

Further to the mentions of HOT POT and MINNOW I believe that SEA GRAPE is the smallest boat in the SBA Register .

Unfortunately that brings us no closer to identifying the two boats pictured by artemis .

Edward

Hulls designed for planing going below the planing speed would sure cause a lot more wake and shorline erosion than if they were allowed to go at their designed speed, or be outlawed from the lake alltogether.

The reason Hot Pot has a horizontal line from its bow is because it is using some rope to push Elpenor along.