The Steamboating Forum

Dear Fellow Steamboaters,

I thought perhaps those on the other side of the pond may wish to see what traditional British steamboating is all about;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g95et_bwmnM&feature=plcp

Video taken at the end of May 2012, from 30ft Thornycroft styled fast launch 'Arlette'. The subject of the video being 'Mosquito'; a 46ft steel construction, fast launch based on the 1896 launch 'Otto'. She was built by Martin Blackburn in 1987, he made everything, the hull (6 weeks!), the boiler; 3 drum Yarrow, 250psi WP, and the engine; a compound, 7" + 9 1/2" x 7", piston valves on both HP and LP, SLRG. Although Windermere now has a 10mph speed limit on it, 'Mosquito' was built for speed and she can sustain 16mph, with short bursts of 17/18mph.

Greg

Greg I was quite happy at 6 knots. Now-- I'm not sure!! That is indeed impressive! Thanks for posting it. Den

Greg:

A class act, as usual! Everything about these launches - their detail, fitting out, engineering and speed - is worthy of emulation. I can only hope to aspire to these standards with my launch.

S. Weaver wrote:
A class act, as usual! Everything about these launches - their detail, fitting out, engineering and speed - is worthy of emulation. I can only hope to aspire to these standards with my launch.

I can only hope to..................launch.....................................................one day!!!!!

Cant see the video at work ( ) but will look this evening.

Daniel

Very nice.

Fantastic boats. I also like this video, which may cause me to sell the sidewheeler and start another project, a fast steamer.

Oh! Sold the side-wheeler ... this is an interesting development. Keep us posted, Fred.

Didn't sell the sidewheeler, but need to figure a way to convince my wife that I need another boat! 3 is hardly enough!

When I build the fast steamer it will have a three cylinder single acting engine, turning at about 1000 RPM, no fun to watch like the walking beam engine in the sidewheeler at 50 RPM. At fast steamboat speeds I should not be watching anything but the water traffic anyway.

fredrosse wrote:Didn't sell the sidewheeler, but need to figure a way to convince my wife that I need another boat! 3 is hardly enough!

When I build the fast steamer it will have a three cylinder single acting engine, turning at about 1000 RPM, no fun to watch like the walking beam engine in the sidewheeler at 50 RPM. At fast steamboat speeds I should not be watching anything but the water traffic anyway.

Which wouldn't be anything like the boat in the video above, which uses a 15hp LIFU compound coupled to a LIFU watertube boiler. The whole point in boats like these is to be a traditional good looking steam boat that has properly designed lines for speed and efficiency, rather than overcoming a badly comprimised hull design with lots of power. When running at normal cruising speed, Oberon is still a pretty boat with a lovely engine and a well finished plant.

I would recommend anyone looking to build a fast launch buys the book 'The Great Age of Steam on Windermere' written by G. Pattinson (ISBN 0 907796 00 1), written by George Pattinson who started the Windermere Steamboat Museum, it documents some of the fastest steam launches in the world in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

Greg