Welcome to Andy's Steam Boat Page.
Launch day on the slipway. Launch day on the slipway, 1st of June 1998, at my local canal. I had decided to build a steam powered vehicle, with my dad, during the summer of the previous year, but couldn't think of anything which would get used regularly enough to warrant the significant financial and physical outlay.

Why I didn't think of a small launch straight away illudes me to this day because I've always enjoyed boating activities of any sort. Anyway, here it is and what great fun we had building it, and still have, steaming along in it.

Apart from the engine castings, and raw materials (eg wood, steel etc) everything was home made, boat, engine, boiler, trailer, the lot. Even the propellor was created with a hammer and a welding set along with a bit of imagination. And after a few de-bugging voyages, it behaved perfectly.

Specifications.

  • Hull. 12' 2 1/2"long x 5' beam traditional style, V bottomed design. Made from 6mm marine ply, mahogany and pine. External surfaces sealed with an epoxy system applied woven glass fabric. Finished in simple oil based paints.
  • Engine. Stuart Turner No 1 with modified main, big end and little end bearings. Displacement 2"x2" with slide valve, mechanical steam lubricator, crank driven feed water pump and gravity lubrication to the main and big end bearings.
  • Boiler. Blackstaffe type with 5 1/4"dia. x 14" main drum and 1 3/4" dia. mud drums with 8 steam raising coils, 6ft long each, all copper construction, approx. 8sq.ft. heating surface area. Draught is induced by engine exhaust steam. Test pressure 250psi. Max. working pressure 125psi. Normal running pressure 100psi. Fitted with a small blower and a 3/4" x 2" hand pump for manual feed water introduction.
    First voyage. Me and my dad setting off on the very first voyage. At this time the engine's exhaust steam was disposed of to atmosphere through the side of the hull via a feed water pre-heater. Using the waste steam to induce draught through the boiler was found to be much more beneficial.





    Castings. Next on my project list is a longer launch, about 16 to 18 ft, with an own designed 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" engine and completely new steel boiler with 13 to 15sq.ft of heating surface area.
    The engine incorporates all that I have learned about structural integrity and bearing life along with simplicity of design and manufacture. I am currently working on the castings which I have had made at my local foundry, see picture on right with patterns. I hope to be able to offer sets of castings and plans along with stock materials to anyone that requires such an engine for their personal home construction.
    The engine features a 1 1/4" dia. crank shaft, heavy duty con rod with adjustable little end bearing, a 5/8" dia. wrist pin which coupled with its length, will be extremely lightly loaded. The valve arrangement is all designed to well tried dimensions and geometry to give unrestricted power and maximum flexibility. This engine is designed for very heavy work and will suit long, trouble free periods of use with no knocking, mechanical failures or tedious lubrication procedures.
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