"Rushforth" is a steamboat!
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Metal Mickey
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Pictures please...............pictures please...........have you any........pictures please........thanks
Brass_Machine
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congrats on the boat...
however,
;D ;D
Eric
j/k... but really, we all would like to see it please.
however,
;D ;D
Eric
j/k... but really, we all would like to see it please.
Hi Guys,
Thanks for the interest all...it means a lot to me coming from you all!
Sorry to disappoint....but I don't have the photo's yet.
One of my Steaming buddies took the photo's ....I forgot my camera of course.
:
Anyway, It probably won't be until the weekend before I get them..His dial up and 8MP camera's don't get along well!
On a good note, I am going to try to get in one more cruise before I winterize the boat and there should be some photo ops there. She's still a bit jury rigged in some of the suction side feed plumbing...but she's safe.
The First Cruise.
I got there on Sunday afternoon. My buddy, Will, who is a seasoned steam guy came to pitch in an fire for me.
I had to back into the site on Lake Manomonac in Ringe, NH.
Once I got 40 feet of truck ,trailer and boat into this driveway backwards, there was no turning around. It had a 90 degree turn next to the owners house that was about 12 feet wide...needless to say the trailer driving lessons from my dad were put to good use!
I got out of the truck at waters edge and realized one of the grease caps on the trailer wheel had come off. Out came a coffee cup and some trusty duct tape and a make shift cap was made.
The boat was backed in to the stern and the fire was lit. No way but forward now!
We then backed her into the water
Will got the fire going while I manned the "Engineers station" and kept a careful check on every thing. To say I was a bit "figidy" would be an understatement!
Steam came up slow as the wood was not ideal, but at least free! ( 15 minutes)
With 50 psi on the clock, I blew down port and starboard equally to half glass via the over board discharge. Its amazing the crud that comes out of a new boiler!
I then opened the main steam stop, put the engine in full ahead gear, opened the cylinder and receiver drains and cracked the throttle. Then put her in full astern and did the same thing. ( to warm the cylinders...)
Once warmed a bit I gave the crank a kick to push some condensate out. after a few reluctant turns she started on her own again at about 50 psi. I let her run slowly astern for a minute while I had one of the growing numbers of onlooker's tie a bowline and secure the bit through the forward cleat. I figured I would tether her to shore for some tests.
The crowd said nothing doing, out you go!, they out numbered me, so the line layed in the forward cockpit......
Out I went, backing out from the ramp.
30 feet from shore I changed to full ahead and opened her up, at about 60 psi.
And Off we gooooooo!
I did a few circles in the cove before coming back in and picking up Will to stoke.
She answers the helm like a slot car which as a concern of mine considering she has a deep forefoot and the proportions of a telephone pole. ( 25 feet long and 5 foot beam). I was worried she would have the turning radius of a semi....but that's not the case as a two boat length radius is quite doable.
She goes where pointed, with little correction, even with a 10 knot cross wind.
I can turn the 1 1/2 square foot rudder with one finger on the wheel ( rope steering with a quadrant) and best of all, where ever I leave the wheel, it stays there, even with the helm full over. That means the balanced rudder design and NACA foil shape are spot on, to say nothing of the rudder location. Remind me to send a thank you to David Geer for writing " The Nature of Boats"
I can walk along the side alone and get little more than 8 degrees of heal. I am not a Little boy either!
So ...out of the cove we went! I had her up to 145 psig with out the condenser ( not hooked up yet).
She moves......I would guess between 5 and 7 mph which is good speed for a displacement hull, 1400 pounds and only 1 to 1 1/2 HP. With the condenser, the blade area reduced, and the RPM up to 600 I think 2 HP is in the calling and based on the wake, I think 6-7knots is possible...maybe a smidge more...
The wake was almost non existant with just prop turbulence.
The pressure lube for the con rods worked very well and the engine pretty much ran itself.
I need to fix a leak in the engine driven boiler feed pump, put more water in the bilge than in the boiler with it, but the hand pump worked well...and I needed the exercise. The whistle doesn't blow for *(%&& I think it;s too restricted.....and the stack hardware is inadequate....all fixable.
We ( 4 of us) passed a 17 foot (ish) sailboat on a Starboard to Starboard pass with two passengers on her and they were just blown away to see a steamboat .....I then turned hard over and crossed their stern and passed them on the downwind run...with just about 1 HP....gotta love waterline length! ;D
I have a ways to go before I can say it's done, but man it's nice to "motate"! It's only been 13 years! ;D
She is showing signs that she is everything I wanted her to be when I designed her....THAT feels great!
I want to take the family this week end....be patient....photo's will come one way or the tother!
Best part of the day.....My 6 year old son giving me a big hug and telling me " Papa....thank you thank you for building our boat!" ;D
That would have been worth it if took twice as long!
Dave
Thanks for the interest all...it means a lot to me coming from you all!
Sorry to disappoint....but I don't have the photo's yet.
One of my Steaming buddies took the photo's ....I forgot my camera of course.
:Anyway, It probably won't be until the weekend before I get them..His dial up and 8MP camera's don't get along well!
On a good note, I am going to try to get in one more cruise before I winterize the boat and there should be some photo ops there. She's still a bit jury rigged in some of the suction side feed plumbing...but she's safe.
The First Cruise.
I got there on Sunday afternoon. My buddy, Will, who is a seasoned steam guy came to pitch in an fire for me.
I had to back into the site on Lake Manomonac in Ringe, NH.
Once I got 40 feet of truck ,trailer and boat into this driveway backwards, there was no turning around. It had a 90 degree turn next to the owners house that was about 12 feet wide...needless to say the trailer driving lessons from my dad were put to good use!
I got out of the truck at waters edge and realized one of the grease caps on the trailer wheel had come off. Out came a coffee cup and some trusty duct tape and a make shift cap was made.
The boat was backed in to the stern and the fire was lit. No way but forward now!
We then backed her into the water
Will got the fire going while I manned the "Engineers station" and kept a careful check on every thing. To say I was a bit "figidy" would be an understatement!
Steam came up slow as the wood was not ideal, but at least free! ( 15 minutes)
With 50 psi on the clock, I blew down port and starboard equally to half glass via the over board discharge. Its amazing the crud that comes out of a new boiler!
I then opened the main steam stop, put the engine in full ahead gear, opened the cylinder and receiver drains and cracked the throttle. Then put her in full astern and did the same thing. ( to warm the cylinders...)
Once warmed a bit I gave the crank a kick to push some condensate out. after a few reluctant turns she started on her own again at about 50 psi. I let her run slowly astern for a minute while I had one of the growing numbers of onlooker's tie a bowline and secure the bit through the forward cleat. I figured I would tether her to shore for some tests.
The crowd said nothing doing, out you go!, they out numbered me, so the line layed in the forward cockpit......
Out I went, backing out from the ramp.
30 feet from shore I changed to full ahead and opened her up, at about 60 psi.
And Off we gooooooo!
I did a few circles in the cove before coming back in and picking up Will to stoke.
She answers the helm like a slot car which as a concern of mine considering she has a deep forefoot and the proportions of a telephone pole. ( 25 feet long and 5 foot beam). I was worried she would have the turning radius of a semi....but that's not the case as a two boat length radius is quite doable.
She goes where pointed, with little correction, even with a 10 knot cross wind.
I can turn the 1 1/2 square foot rudder with one finger on the wheel ( rope steering with a quadrant) and best of all, where ever I leave the wheel, it stays there, even with the helm full over. That means the balanced rudder design and NACA foil shape are spot on, to say nothing of the rudder location. Remind me to send a thank you to David Geer for writing " The Nature of Boats"
I can walk along the side alone and get little more than 8 degrees of heal. I am not a Little boy either!
So ...out of the cove we went! I had her up to 145 psig with out the condenser ( not hooked up yet).
She moves......I would guess between 5 and 7 mph which is good speed for a displacement hull, 1400 pounds and only 1 to 1 1/2 HP. With the condenser, the blade area reduced, and the RPM up to 600 I think 2 HP is in the calling and based on the wake, I think 6-7knots is possible...maybe a smidge more...
The wake was almost non existant with just prop turbulence.
The pressure lube for the con rods worked very well and the engine pretty much ran itself.
I need to fix a leak in the engine driven boiler feed pump, put more water in the bilge than in the boiler with it, but the hand pump worked well...and I needed the exercise. The whistle doesn't blow for *(%&& I think it;s too restricted.....and the stack hardware is inadequate....all fixable.
We ( 4 of us) passed a 17 foot (ish) sailboat on a Starboard to Starboard pass with two passengers on her and they were just blown away to see a steamboat .....I then turned hard over and crossed their stern and passed them on the downwind run...with just about 1 HP....gotta love waterline length! ;D
I have a ways to go before I can say it's done, but man it's nice to "motate"! It's only been 13 years! ;D
She is showing signs that she is everything I wanted her to be when I designed her....THAT feels great!
I want to take the family this week end....be patient....photo's will come one way or the tother!
Best part of the day.....My 6 year old son giving me a big hug and telling me " Papa....thank you thank you for building our boat!" ;D
That would have been worth it if took twice as long!
Dave
Brass_Machine
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Dave,
What a great story. I can't wait to see the pictures of your boat (launch?). That would be a great future project for me.
Thanks for sharing
Eric
What a great story. I can't wait to see the pictures of your boat (launch?). That would be a great future project for me.
Thanks for sharing
Eric
Metal Mickey
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Lovely description Dave, brought a tear to my eye when you recounted your son's remarks. I am looking forward to seeing the pictures even more! The power you are getting is tremendous! I don't think with the hull shape and type you have that any more speed is possible. The efficiency your achieving is really really good.
Well done :bow:
Well done :bow:
Morning guys,
Saturday looks like the day we will get pictures, either from the second run or the first.
Bob, the boiler has a firebox door forward and aft, I can fire too and meet you in the middle! ;D
I figured out what the feed problem was. I have a reducing bushing around the pump ram so that I can put in a new/differant diameter ram without remaking the packing nut. Well some fool used oilite bronze to make the bushing :big: :......Oil is not the only thing that will squirt through oilite.....She has a new brass one now, that should solve that problem. ( DOOOOOOOOOOH!!)
Dave
Saturday looks like the day we will get pictures, either from the second run or the first.
Bob, the boiler has a firebox door forward and aft, I can fire too and meet you in the middle! ;D
I figured out what the feed problem was. I have a reducing bushing around the pump ram so that I can put in a new/differant diameter ram without remaking the packing nut. Well some fool used oilite bronze to make the bushing :big: :
......Oil is not the only thing that will squirt through oilite.....She has a new brass one now, that should solve that problem. ( DOOOOOOOOOOH!!)Dave
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