"DSK" wrote in message
...
The original steam propulsion plant MUST be replaced. You have been
warned.


Maxprop wrote:
A great uncle used to own and skipper a steam-powered tug in NY Harbor
back in the Twenties and Thirties.

That must have been an oldie. While there were steam tugs in service up
thru the 1940s (and steam trains up thru the early 1960s) the business was
going to diesel not long after 1900. I've read about a number of tugs &
pilot boats converted from steam to diesel in 19-teens.

OTOH a lot of companies were very fond of steam power and clung to it,
possibly your uncle was in one.

Guy owned his own tug. He contracted with one of the smaller firms in NY
Harbor. He was the same sort who protested the internal ("infernal")
combustion engine replacing the horse. He explained the diesel as a means
of reducing the crew by one man--the fireman. The fireman was a featherbed
job, actually, because most of the steam tugs were fueled with coal oil
automatically.


.... According to him, steam was far more reliable than any old "POS
diesel" ("Ever had a steam engine quit on ya at a critical time, kid?")

Yes. Several times. Of course, that was on much bigger & more complicated
plants. But for such a simple device, a steam engine has many things that
can shut it down... furthermore everything affects everything else... lift
safeties & run low water; lose feed pressure & run high water; burner
drops out (or lose fuel pressure) & lose boiler pressure & run high water;
blah blah blah.

Guy proudly stated that he'd never lost power during his years as a tugboat
captain. Then again Guy was Irish and inclined to "exaggeration."

... and the power output could be regulated over a far greater range than
any gas or diesel engine.

That part may be true, especially for a single-expansion engine with an
advanced valve train such as would have been common in the 1920s onward.

http://www.carferries.com/triple/page13.jpg

Actually this whole web page is great
http://www.carferries.com/triple/

A good website. Thanks.

... We took him out on our first sailboat when he was approaching 95 and
fairly uncommunicative. The boat's Perkins 4-107 ran like a well-oiled
sewing machine and was flawless that day, but Uncle Guy, who'd remained
silent all day, couldn't contain himself as we came in to dock.
"Wouldn't give you a pile of dog **** wrapped in brown paper for that POS
engine. You should repower with steam, kid."

Your comment reminded me of that occasion.


I hope he was having fun anyway.

He never seemed to enjoy himself. I think he was only happy when he was at
the helm of his boats, or when complaining. His negative comment about my
Perkins did bring the hint of a grin to his lips, however.

There are a surprising number of small steamers running around, but it's
not practical for a sailboat if you want to have anything else in the
cabin. Steam engines and all the associated boilers & pumps are bulky.

And heavy. If I ever lost my current Universal diesel, I'd repower with a
lighter weight Yanmar.

Max