His right hand on Steam and left hand on Ahead-Astern, Dr. Peter Cowie of Sydney, Australia, manoeuvers Witch of Endor, a launch that equals any yacht in Sydney harbor.
Boiler fuel is dry wood and the engine is a triple expansion, a quiet combination.
The big propeller turns slowly, and the rush and roar of modern life recedes in the background.
Cowie and his children machined the engine and built the boat in the family garage using skills from grandfathers’ era. Now they engineer their own marine masterpiece.
If you are considering steam….
Read these two books: STEAMBOATS & MODERN STEAM LAUNCHES, 1997 ed., and FROM MY OLD BOAT SHOP.
SMSL is your first guide to boat-sized marine steam. FMOBS lets you look over the naval architect’s shoulder to see how boats were before gasoline changed everything.
I recommend you read these books, especially the Introduction to SMSL’s 1997 edition. Then we can discuss your plans, whether I build, or you build.
Observations to consider:
Best for then and now. With few exceptions, original 19th century marine steam designs function better than those made of today’s modern alloys and components. If you can, find a marine engine that was manufactured during the steam age, and enjoy discovering the original technology.
Focus on simplicity and quietness. Burn solid fuel: wood, charcoal, or coal (forget pellets) for the quietest steam launch experience. Yes, propane and oil can be used, but they bring added complexities and disadvantages, and more importantly, they deprive passengers the enjoyment of hand firing a boiler—hotter the fire, faster the boat!
Marine steam is different. Railway, traction, or mill steam machinery is not marine, as you will learn by reading SMSL.
Plan and purchase carefully. Don’t buy your engine first thing! My goal is to help you avoid unnecessary cost and project failure. Too many unfinished boat projects moulder in the rain behind the barn!
…or, considering other than steam….
Build an electric!
Elliott Bay 23-foot fantail powered by (8) six-volt batteries.
Easily-driven, high-stability, weight-carrying, fantail hulls are still the most efficient for today’s natural speed electrics. Go all day on a charge or recharge continuously with solar collectors, in silence! After all, 5-7mph is a pleasant speed, the breeze is refreshing, not an annoyance; it is our escape from today’s omnipresent rush and roar.
Build a Hunting Cabin Launch!
Elliott Bay 23-foot fantail with cuddy cabin cruising Desolation Sound, British Columbia. Sleeps (2) adults, (2) children, (2) weeks….
Elliott Bay 23-foot fantail hull:
Elliott Bay hulls and machinery castings have been exported to New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom, France, and Canada. Pictured: Vaporosa, Irmtraud Anna, and Prometheus, gathered near Berlin, Germany.
The “fantail” hull is seaworthy, as following waves lift the stern, and it carries heavy machinery weights low to the water plane, while it is narrow and easily driven. The boiler pictured here is a vertical fire tube design with combustion air preheated for its 2-square-foot grate area. Rail cap and cockpit staving is teak and guards are iron bark. The 23-foot hull is vinyl esther / glass fiber composite, total weight loaded with six passengers: 2200 lbs.
