As a kid, I read everything Jules Verne ever wrote and initially,
Capt. Nemo was my hero but then I read Mysterious Island where the
engineer is dropped onto a deserted island with nothing at all and
essentially manages to recreate all the comforts of civilization
making everything from nitroglycerin to firearms from scratch.
Unrealistic, but an interesting goal to be like him. After reading
all that and similar stuff (H.G. Wells, etc.) I was a fan of the
Steampunk genre long before it had a name and have longed to build
something useful that was Steampunk. I do know somebody who built a
steam launch here and named it "Wakulla Queen" and it loos so cool.
So, if I ever got the time. I'd steampunk my Tolman Skiff. Can you
imagine the look of massive rivets and the Nautilus looking curved ram
with metal teeth. A smokestack (a disguised VHF antenna) and all the
instruments with bronze covers. What I have not decided is how to
steampunk the Yamaha 90.
of course, I'll never have time to do this but it is fun to think
about, it would be soooooo cool.