The Steamboating Forum

Hello everyone. I have been lurking here for a while and I thought an introduction should be in order.

I have been a steamboater for a while but have been out of the circuit for a long time. Back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s I had a full service welding and machine shop and I had access to all the machinery that most of us on this site would die for. First, in my spare time, I built a small 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 engine, then a boiler. After I got the engine and boiler to play with I had to find something to use them for. The year I saved up for the plywood I ended up haveing to use the money to pay taxes... Then it hit me... a fellow with a welding shop needs to build his boat out of iron.

In 1983 and 84 I built Bettie Rose. Named after both of my grandmothers, the Bettie Rose is 21' centerline and 8' beam. An all steel flat bottom dory style hull 5' wide at the tramsom. I found out real quick that the first boiler was not near big enough so another had to be built. Soon after I replaced the engine with a little Mason engine from an early Stanley steam car. After several years faithfull service the Stanley was replaced with the current engine, a Semple 354 DL.

Now this brings us to the heartbreaking part... I disassembled the Bettie Rose several years ago for a complete refit and a new boiler. The project fell on the back burner and has not been completed... I got side tracked on setting up the only steam powered sawmill in the state of Florida... In the past year I went through a series of strokes and now I am too disabled to do much of anything.

Here's where I need your help... I willed the Bettie Rose to my best friend, a younger fellow that has been around steam all his life. Jeff and his son are the engineer and fireman on my sawmill when I am able to run it.

Jeff is willing to accept the offer of the boat but he wants to buy the engine. He realizes the value of the engine and he is insisting on paying me a realistic price for the engine... Can someone help with realistic value of just the engine... Is in excellent mechanical condition, it only needs a little clean up and freshen up the paint.

I hope I have not stepped out of line by posting this here. I really enjoy your site and I wish this had been available back in the day when I got started.

Forgot to mention... I was a member of the International Steamboat Society back in the old days. There is a writeup on the Bettie Rose in Steamboating magazine, I think it was issue# 19 if any of the oldtimers still have it. Go on Youtube and type steamboatal in the search box at the top if you want to se some of my stuff. (I'm the bass player in the music videos.)

Sorry, I forgot to post pictures of the engine in question.

It has been covered up in the corner of the garage for about six years.

Sorry the pix are too big... What I don't know about pictures and computers would fill a really big book.

Alan

Welcome Alan, I cant help with a value for your engine but I'm certain someone on here will help; it's that kind of place.

Bob.

I watch the auction sites and those Semple 354 engines do not typically draw a very a high price.

Cleaned up, ready to use with a video of it running it would draw around 3k, in it's present condition, about 1400-1700. Considering the situation between friends, 1500 would be fair for both of you.

These engines should sell for way more than that, but the money is tight right now and most people aren't spending it the way they once did.

I've seen nice ready to run complete boats with trailer sell lately in the 5k range.

-Ron

Thanks for the input Ron, that is what I was hopping for.

The story is that this engine was built in 1968 and used in an alternative energy project at a south Florida college. After the project was over the system was disasembled and sold at action. I traded a 25 HP Reid oil field engine for it that I only had about $500 invested in. Look at all the fun I had with it since.

I didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea that I am fishing for value just to put this thing on the market. My original plan was to put the engine on ebay and just give the boat to Jeff since he already has an engine that will work. Now he is thinking that rather than refitting his engine it will be much easier to go back with the Semple and it will, according to him, "be original." My friend doesn't feel right about accepting this so he wants to buy the engine out right. We thought about putting it on ebay with a high reserve but that goes against my grain.

I would like to give the engine a facelift and new paint but right now I'm just not able to. I forgot to put the oiler back on for the pictures, right now it is on a GE steam driven generator set.

Alan