Salome
An Edwardian Steam Launch
This is the story of the home construction of an Edwardian steam launch, based on a design by Paul Fisher of Selway Fisher. The original plan is called the Edwardian 26, but it comes with instructions for numerous alternatives in length and beam. The starting point for this boat is the 28' version with a beam of 6'10". A very attractive boat exists, which is based on the 28' plan, but which has been stretched to 29'10", whilst maintaining the same beam. In the same order of length, a Selway Fisher Edwardian 30 is available, but it is slightly beamier at 7'6".
The stretched version to which I refer is owned and was built by Mr Mike Bell, the chairman of the Steam Boat Association of UK, and its construction was documented over a number of issues of "Steamboatin" magazine.
Mike Bell's "Annabelle".
Another inspirational example is the Peter Freebody restored "Wisp". It is an original 1908 built launch which has clearly been an template for modern copies.
"Wisp", after (left) and before (right) her makeover.
Both of these vessels have the
defining features, for me at least, of the elegance of the Edwardian
style: schooner bows and counter sterns. The saloons are in proportion
with the hulls, with raised clerestory sections which allow 6 feet of
passage to the forward cockpit. Clearly, the saloon is meant to be sat
in rather than stood in. These boats have enough displacement to be
able to be powered by electric motors instead of steam. The batteries
would fit under the sole or in seat lockers. They can also accommodate
diesel engines, but
to be true to the period steam or electric would be the locomotion of
choice.
The first boat I built was a slipper launch called Ariadne, named after an operatic heroine of the time when the slipper launch first appeared on the Thames (1911/12). By that time, King Edward was dead, so the name for this boat was chosen from an earlier Strauss opera, Salome, which came out in 1905. Art nouveau was the current fashion. My aim in the construction of Salome is to build a small but elegant luxury launch which will reflect the preoccupations and aesthetics of the period. Construction will be by strip planking. Power will be by steam, but I do not want a fascination with steam mechanics to interfere with the enjoyment of the craft, so it will be by the most straight forward type of steam unit.
Ariadne took me four years to build, and Salome will be a much more complex craft, but I want to put my gained experience to use to see if I can speed things up for this vessel. At 61 years of age I don't know with any certainly that I have four more years to go!
Construction will be divided up into phases, but not necessarily in this order.
1. The Site.
At 28 feet it is definitely too big to be built in my garage, as Ariadne was. A site has to be found and prepared.
2. The Building Jig.
The strongback for the jig will have to be made from members at least 3"x6", and possibly heavier than that. A box construction may give a better stability. Whichever is chosen, it will need lavish cross bracing, and its manufacture will be a major phase in the story.
3. The Moulds.
The offsets for the moulds are given in the plans, so there is no need for lofting. The 26' version uses 15 moulds, but the 28' has 19.
4. The Planking.
Western red cedar strips are recommended at 3/4" for the 26' and 7/8" for the 28'. These plans were drawn up in 1991, so there have been some developments in strip planking which are not considered. One of those is the arrival of "Quickstrip Planking", which is basically tongue and groove strips, but with the groove rounded out a bit so that the strips can butt up against each other tightly, at least on the concave side of the hull. Kiri wood (Paulownia tormentosa) has also emerged as a boat building timber which is available in quickstrips, but it is much softer and lighter than WRC. It is sold in 19 mm. or 42 mm. strips.
5. The Frames.
It would be feasible to build this hull without frames by substituting an inner lining of fibreglass and epoxy, but the frames are useful for attaching the sole bearers, and the strength gained by having the beam clamps (inwales) attached to the inner sides of the frames, instead of directly to the hull, cannot be dismissed. For a traditional look one would also choose frames, although I do not anticipate that there would be any part of the inside of the hull exposed to view. If there is to be a heavy engine plant such as a steam engine installed it is also necessary to incorporate bilge stringers. In this case, the strength gained from the frames is also very significant. I have decided to use frames.
6. The Floors and Sole Bearers.
Wherever possible the floors are built up on the moulds, so that they can be bevelled with the moulds for a tight fit. The sole bearers are not necessarily related to the floors, but rather to the frames. Their number and placement can be altered to suit the sub sole architecture individually.
7. The Saloon.
Here, there is an unlimited opportunity to create an ambiance. This will be the most exacting and critical part of the boat from a visual point of view.
Whilst there is an obvious romance about the use of steam power, and an air of authenticity to the period, there are arguments against its use too. Not the least of these is the expense, but, given that there are no such creatures as cheap boats, and bearing in mind that alternative power sources are not cheap either, I believe that the "novelty" of steam could be a deciding factor. But there are two practical reservations I have about using steam: the first is the noise it makes, and the second, more importantly, is the amount of attention it requires, not only while in action, but in maintenance, and in the seemingly endless tweaking in which its enthusiasts seem to engage themselves. There seems to be little point in trying to find a simple and always reliable steam unit. If such things existed then steam may not have given way to electric and diesel in the first place. So, a balance has to be found between the enjoyment of the boat trip and the demands made by the mechanics. If that cannot be achieved I suggest that the boat would be better powered electrically, which is just as authentic a means, as electric launches are also a feature of the Edwardian era.
Becoming familiar with steam locomotion, and acquiring the plant, might also take some time, and I am currently considering whether it may not be a viable alternative to power the boat with an electric submersible motor initially, and then switch over to steam at a later date. That way, I can get on with the boat's construction without delay. An electric submersible would be mounted through the rudder shaft, and would eventually be replaced by the rudder.
Playing with the Plans
The dimensions of the hull need some thought
too. The
29'10" version of
the 28' Edwardian, which Mike Bell built, has only a 6'10" beam, as did
the 28' and the original 26' version. It seems that the beam dimensions
have
been restricted by the requirements of travel on the UK waterways,
such as the the Llangollen canal, where 6'10" is the maximum allowable
beam and 2' the maximum draft. No such restriction applies to me in
Sydney, and there is an opportunity here to increase the beam for
comfort. Nevertheless, both electric and steam powered boats work best
at length to breadth ratios of between 4 and 5 to 1.
I think that 28' is too short for comfort in the saloon, especially if head and galley are to be included. The idea arose that I could use the original 28' plans, and merely increase them by 10% all over. That results in a length of 30'10", a beam of 7'6" and a draft of 2'5". It is very close to the Selway Fisher Edwardian 30 (length 30', beam 7'6", draft 2'7"). It also saves me from having to purchase the plans for the 30. The length to beam ration would be just under 1 to 4. The extra beam allows the head compartment not to jut too invasively into the central passageway, and the bunks to be widened for comfortable sleeping. It maintains the slim lines of the Bell boat, which is the best looking modern one I can see on the web. Also, importantly, it allows slightly more than 6' of headway inside the saloon, which is just what I require, as I am 6' tall. The scantlings have to be increased to accommodate the larger craft, and 7/8" strip planking would be necessary. That may be a problem if Quickstrip planking is being contemplated.
This playing with the plan is not as outlandish as it sounds. The Bell boat was achieved by stretching out the distance between the moulds forward of the cabin bulkhead, but altering not much else from the plan. Both draft and beam were kept the same as the original. This added length was made necessary by the placement of the locomotive type boiler, which took up more space than it might have, and whose stack was visually a problem because of its forward location on the boiler. The installation of a wash basin in the head and a fridge in the galley also called on more space, so, rather than cut down on the length of the bunks, the rear cockpit was dispensed with and the saloon was carried all the way back to the rear deck.
Annabelle (left) with no rear cockpit, other Selway Fisher designs (centre and right) with cockpits preserved.
A vertical boiler would have avoided some of the space issues, at the expense of looming over the top of the gunwales, as they do. But the result is a beautifully proportioned boat of which Mr Bell can be extremely proud. The abandonment of the rear cockpit has meant that the rear coaming is not necessary. In the original plan, the coaming is carried all around the boat, including beside the saloon side window frames. But on the Bell boat, the forward coaming is gently tapered away at the front of the saloon. In a personal communication from Mr. Bell, I am advised that he also lowered the sheer at the bow by 2.5 inches, and faired the new bow back to the cabin, resulting in a relatively flat side decking alongside the window frame. From an aesthetic point of view, it was also a good moove: the tall bow seen in the plan profile below seems to be designed to handle rougher waters than these vessels are probably going to navigate, and the upturned nose detracts from their elegance. The gentle sweep of the Bell boat is far more attractive, to my eye at least.
The forward coaming becomes vestigial alongside the saloon.
I think that rake can be overdone in a small boat, such as this Edwardian 19 stretched to 21',
but it looks very effective in the 50 foot classic, Branksome, from the Windemere Steamboat Museum.
S.L. Branksome.
`
The photo above of the stern of Annabelle shows the Schilling rudder, a device usually fitted on large bulk carriers to improve manoeuvrability. Evidently the long and narrow shape of the steam launch also results in manoeuvring problems, some of which, at least in the forward direction, are partly overcome by the use of this fish body shaped rudder. I suspect that the improvement is only small compared with the control gained by an electric submersible, but either of these mechanisms will only give a gain in the stern. For maximum benefit a bow thruster would be the best solution.
Now small bow thrusters are electrically operated, and that would probably rub against the grain of die-hard steamboaters. But the provision of electric fridge, water pump, head, etc. is also contrary to the steam principle, so I can see no objection to a bow thruster. Some consolation can be found in the means of providing the electricity; in Annabelle's case the batteries are kept charged by an alternator run off a second steam engine!
Bow thrusters are easily incorporated into the construction of the hull, which is why I raise the topic here. The unit of choice for a vessel of this size is the Vetus 35.
The Vetus bow thruster.
The first boat I built was a slipper launch called Ariadne, named after an operatic heroine of the time when the slipper launch first appeared on the Thames (1911/12). By that time, King Edward was dead, so the name for this boat was chosen from an earlier Strauss opera, Salome, which came out in 1905. Art nouveau was the current fashion. My aim in the construction of Salome is to build a small but elegant luxury launch which will reflect the preoccupations and aesthetics of the period. Construction will be by strip planking. Power will be by steam, but I do not want a fascination with steam mechanics to interfere with the enjoyment of the craft, so it will be by the most straight forward type of steam unit.
Ariadne took me four years to build, and Salome will be a much more complex craft, but I want to put my gained experience to use to see if I can speed things up for this vessel. At 61 years of age I don't know with any certainly that I have four more years to go!
Monthly Progress Chart
Regular vistors to this site may prefer to follow the daily changes on the Current Status page. If it is bookmarked it will save downloading this page every time, and will quickly show if changes have been made since the last viewing.
Regular vistors to this site may prefer to follow the daily changes on the Current Status page. If it is bookmarked it will save downloading this page every time, and will quickly show if changes have been made since the last viewing.
| January 2010 1. An Unusual Approach |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
| February 2010 2. Framing the Basin |
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| March 2010 3. The First Mould |
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| April 2010 4. Mould Cutting 5. A Short Strongback |
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| May 2010 6. The Inner Stem 7. The Forefoot Knee |
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| June 2010 8. Setting-Up for the Stern Post |
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| July 2010 9. The Quarter Gunwale 10. The Stern Post |
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| August 2010 11. Investigating Steam 12. The Stephenson Reversing Link |
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| September 2010 13. Boiler Basics 14. Back to the Reverse |
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| October 2010 |
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| November 2010 |
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| December 2010 |
Construction will be divided up into phases, but not necessarily in this order.
1. The Site.
At 28 feet it is definitely too big to be built in my garage, as Ariadne was. A site has to be found and prepared.
2. The Building Jig.
The strongback for the jig will have to be made from members at least 3"x6", and possibly heavier than that. A box construction may give a better stability. Whichever is chosen, it will need lavish cross bracing, and its manufacture will be a major phase in the story.
3. The Moulds.
The offsets for the moulds are given in the plans, so there is no need for lofting. The 26' version uses 15 moulds, but the 28' has 19.
4. The Planking.
Western red cedar strips are recommended at 3/4" for the 26' and 7/8" for the 28'. These plans were drawn up in 1991, so there have been some developments in strip planking which are not considered. One of those is the arrival of "Quickstrip Planking", which is basically tongue and groove strips, but with the groove rounded out a bit so that the strips can butt up against each other tightly, at least on the concave side of the hull. Kiri wood (Paulownia tormentosa) has also emerged as a boat building timber which is available in quickstrips, but it is much softer and lighter than WRC. It is sold in 19 mm. or 42 mm. strips.
5. The Frames.
It would be feasible to build this hull without frames by substituting an inner lining of fibreglass and epoxy, but the frames are useful for attaching the sole bearers, and the strength gained by having the beam clamps (inwales) attached to the inner sides of the frames, instead of directly to the hull, cannot be dismissed. For a traditional look one would also choose frames, although I do not anticipate that there would be any part of the inside of the hull exposed to view. If there is to be a heavy engine plant such as a steam engine installed it is also necessary to incorporate bilge stringers. In this case, the strength gained from the frames is also very significant. I have decided to use frames.
6. The Floors and Sole Bearers.
Wherever possible the floors are built up on the moulds, so that they can be bevelled with the moulds for a tight fit. The sole bearers are not necessarily related to the floors, but rather to the frames. Their number and placement can be altered to suit the sub sole architecture individually.
7. The Saloon.
Here, there is an unlimited opportunity to create an ambiance. This will be the most exacting and critical part of the boat from a visual point of view.
Why Steam?
Whilst there is an obvious romance about the use of steam power, and an air of authenticity to the period, there are arguments against its use too. Not the least of these is the expense, but, given that there are no such creatures as cheap boats, and bearing in mind that alternative power sources are not cheap either, I believe that the "novelty" of steam could be a deciding factor. But there are two practical reservations I have about using steam: the first is the noise it makes, and the second, more importantly, is the amount of attention it requires, not only while in action, but in maintenance, and in the seemingly endless tweaking in which its enthusiasts seem to engage themselves. There seems to be little point in trying to find a simple and always reliable steam unit. If such things existed then steam may not have given way to electric and diesel in the first place. So, a balance has to be found between the enjoyment of the boat trip and the demands made by the mechanics. If that cannot be achieved I suggest that the boat would be better powered electrically, which is just as authentic a means, as electric launches are also a feature of the Edwardian era.
Becoming familiar with steam locomotion, and acquiring the plant, might also take some time, and I am currently considering whether it may not be a viable alternative to power the boat with an electric submersible motor initially, and then switch over to steam at a later date. That way, I can get on with the boat's construction without delay. An electric submersible would be mounted through the rudder shaft, and would eventually be replaced by the rudder.
Playing with the Plans
I think that 28' is too short for comfort in the saloon, especially if head and galley are to be included. The idea arose that I could use the original 28' plans, and merely increase them by 10% all over. That results in a length of 30'10", a beam of 7'6" and a draft of 2'5". It is very close to the Selway Fisher Edwardian 30 (length 30', beam 7'6", draft 2'7"). It also saves me from having to purchase the plans for the 30. The length to beam ration would be just under 1 to 4. The extra beam allows the head compartment not to jut too invasively into the central passageway, and the bunks to be widened for comfortable sleeping. It maintains the slim lines of the Bell boat, which is the best looking modern one I can see on the web. Also, importantly, it allows slightly more than 6' of headway inside the saloon, which is just what I require, as I am 6' tall. The scantlings have to be increased to accommodate the larger craft, and 7/8" strip planking would be necessary. That may be a problem if Quickstrip planking is being contemplated.
This playing with the plan is not as outlandish as it sounds. The Bell boat was achieved by stretching out the distance between the moulds forward of the cabin bulkhead, but altering not much else from the plan. Both draft and beam were kept the same as the original. This added length was made necessary by the placement of the locomotive type boiler, which took up more space than it might have, and whose stack was visually a problem because of its forward location on the boiler. The installation of a wash basin in the head and a fridge in the galley also called on more space, so, rather than cut down on the length of the bunks, the rear cockpit was dispensed with and the saloon was carried all the way back to the rear deck.
Annabelle (left) with no rear cockpit, other Selway Fisher designs (centre and right) with cockpits preserved.
A vertical boiler would have avoided some of the space issues, at the expense of looming over the top of the gunwales, as they do. But the result is a beautifully proportioned boat of which Mr Bell can be extremely proud. The abandonment of the rear cockpit has meant that the rear coaming is not necessary. In the original plan, the coaming is carried all around the boat, including beside the saloon side window frames. But on the Bell boat, the forward coaming is gently tapered away at the front of the saloon. In a personal communication from Mr. Bell, I am advised that he also lowered the sheer at the bow by 2.5 inches, and faired the new bow back to the cabin, resulting in a relatively flat side decking alongside the window frame. From an aesthetic point of view, it was also a good moove: the tall bow seen in the plan profile below seems to be designed to handle rougher waters than these vessels are probably going to navigate, and the upturned nose detracts from their elegance. The gentle sweep of the Bell boat is far more attractive, to my eye at least.
The forward coaming becomes vestigial alongside the saloon.
This arrangement with the side coaming allows the
lower rail of the
windows to be narrower than it otherwise has to be in order to rise
above the
coaming. That delicacy of proportion is carried around to all the other
timber members, and the effect is a wonderfully light and airy look,
which captures the essence of the Edwardian era. In moving away from
the dark and heavy Victorian style, into the more organic and lithe
look of the Belle Epoque, the Edwardian period embraced change and
suggested, once again, that levity might exist for its own sake.
Now, while I do not intend to do away with the rear cockpit in my boat, I am interested in getting the lightness of touch of the Bell boat. There will have to be a rear coaming, but perhaps it could taper up again from the saloon.
Other departures from the plan can be seen. The lower window rail see above is in a straight line, not parallel to the concavity of the deck line. The plan deliberately calls for the rails of each window to be out of line, so as to retain a segmental parallel with the deck. Furthermore, the stiles of the window frames are raked back in the plan to an angle of about 6.5° off perpendicular.
The Selway Fisher Edwardian 26. Design by Paul Fisher.
Now, while I do not intend to do away with the rear cockpit in my boat, I am interested in getting the lightness of touch of the Bell boat. There will have to be a rear coaming, but perhaps it could taper up again from the saloon.
Other departures from the plan can be seen. The lower window rail see above is in a straight line, not parallel to the concavity of the deck line. The plan deliberately calls for the rails of each window to be out of line, so as to retain a segmental parallel with the deck. Furthermore, the stiles of the window frames are raked back in the plan to an angle of about 6.5° off perpendicular.
The Selway Fisher Edwardian 26. Design by Paul Fisher.
Any backward rake on
Annabelle is very slight. I had suspected that there was none, but I
am adivsed that there is, in fact, a 4.5° rake.
I think that rake can be overdone in a small boat, such as this Edwardian 19 stretched to 21',
but it looks very effective in the 50 foot classic, Branksome, from the Windemere Steamboat Museum.
S.L. Branksome.
`
A brief view of Annabelle under steam
can be seen at the beginning of this Youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-Yl5dxUMns
Manoeuvrability
The photo above of the stern of Annabelle shows the Schilling rudder, a device usually fitted on large bulk carriers to improve manoeuvrability. Evidently the long and narrow shape of the steam launch also results in manoeuvring problems, some of which, at least in the forward direction, are partly overcome by the use of this fish body shaped rudder. I suspect that the improvement is only small compared with the control gained by an electric submersible, but either of these mechanisms will only give a gain in the stern. For maximum benefit a bow thruster would be the best solution.
Now small bow thrusters are electrically operated, and that would probably rub against the grain of die-hard steamboaters. But the provision of electric fridge, water pump, head, etc. is also contrary to the steam principle, so I can see no objection to a bow thruster. Some consolation can be found in the means of providing the electricity; in Annabelle's case the batteries are kept charged by an alternator run off a second steam engine!
Bow thrusters are easily incorporated into the construction of the hull, which is why I raise the topic here. The unit of choice for a vessel of this size is the Vetus 35.
The Vetus bow thruster.
The athwartships tube into which the
thruster's propeller is mounted is 6" in diameter, and is installed
though the hull sides as far forward as is practical, while still
allowing access to the motor and without compromising the stem/hog
complex. The marginal loss of speed caused by an open tunnel is not
noticed in a low speed displacement vessel like this, and the control
gained is very comforting, especially if the boat is to be trailered
and has to be extracted out of the water at a public ramp in a minimum
of time.
Saloon Fit-Out
The period of the
Edwardian reign was the period of Art Nouveau. Despite the fact that
it was a form barely tolerated in London, it owed its extistence to
English forebears, such as William Morris and the Liberty organization,
so while the Edwardian style of furnishing and architecture is more a
lightening of the Victorian gothic revival than a revolution into the
flamboyant, the influence of Art Nouveau is plainly seen, as is Art
Nouveau's debt to the Victorian aesthetic.
To contemplate a decor of Art Nouveau in a boat is both anachronistic and inaccurate. Boat builders have never been too concerned with developments in the art world, and have concentrated on function rather than form. So there are no boats of which I am aware which boast exuberant floral tendrils or brooding fleshy females as part of their livery. But that does not mean that they should not. The saloon of the Edwardian launch clearly divides the occupants of the boat into two camps: the insiders, who prefer to remain sheltered from the sun, rain and soot, and the outsiders, who are fully occupied with keeping the boat running. In Edwardian days that would have meant the ladies within and the chaps without, or, perhaps, the aristos within, and the lackeys without. So, the ambience of the saloon is eminently suited to a touch of the decorative arts for the pleasure of the ladies and their beaus, and there is nothing more decorative than Art Nouveau.
However, distinction should be drawn between the flamboyant and excessive style preferred by the French, Spanish, Belgian schools, and the more restrained styles of the British, Austrian and German schools. The pre-eminent British exponent of Art Nouveau was Charles Rennie Macintosh, a Scott of broad and influential talent. In Germany the Jugendstil movement, and in Austria the Secessionist movement, shared the relatively spartan aesthetic with Macintosh, whereas in France and Spain in particular, the profusion of the brooding female, in flowing drapes and garlanded hair, heralded an entirely self-indulgent rush towards the hackneyed, which eventually brought the Art Nouveau period to a premature close, but remained the inspiration for the New Age kitsch reinterpretations which blight the market these days. If you can fight your way though the fake fairies and bronzed resin picture frames of the Ebay variety, you may still find some gems, and not yet at such high prices as some of the earlier periods. Much of the later Art Nouveau is barely 100 yeards old, and so does not yet qualify for the "antique" tag.
Finding good pieces, and finding good pieces for a boat, are two different disciplines, and it is inevitable that some of the prized finds will eventually be rejected as being unsuitable, but that is no reason not to keep the eye peeled for bargains, and collecting them while the boat is being built. They can only appreciate in value during the construction phase, provided they are carefully chosen.
With the pieces in mind, the saloon can be planned, to a degree, before it is even begun. For example, the acquisition of an old railway fold down wash basin, which will grace the head, means that the bulkhead to which it is attached has to be thick enough to conceal its workings.
Some railway wash basins.
To contemplate a decor of Art Nouveau in a boat is both anachronistic and inaccurate. Boat builders have never been too concerned with developments in the art world, and have concentrated on function rather than form. So there are no boats of which I am aware which boast exuberant floral tendrils or brooding fleshy females as part of their livery. But that does not mean that they should not. The saloon of the Edwardian launch clearly divides the occupants of the boat into two camps: the insiders, who prefer to remain sheltered from the sun, rain and soot, and the outsiders, who are fully occupied with keeping the boat running. In Edwardian days that would have meant the ladies within and the chaps without, or, perhaps, the aristos within, and the lackeys without. So, the ambience of the saloon is eminently suited to a touch of the decorative arts for the pleasure of the ladies and their beaus, and there is nothing more decorative than Art Nouveau.
However, distinction should be drawn between the flamboyant and excessive style preferred by the French, Spanish, Belgian schools, and the more restrained styles of the British, Austrian and German schools. The pre-eminent British exponent of Art Nouveau was Charles Rennie Macintosh, a Scott of broad and influential talent. In Germany the Jugendstil movement, and in Austria the Secessionist movement, shared the relatively spartan aesthetic with Macintosh, whereas in France and Spain in particular, the profusion of the brooding female, in flowing drapes and garlanded hair, heralded an entirely self-indulgent rush towards the hackneyed, which eventually brought the Art Nouveau period to a premature close, but remained the inspiration for the New Age kitsch reinterpretations which blight the market these days. If you can fight your way though the fake fairies and bronzed resin picture frames of the Ebay variety, you may still find some gems, and not yet at such high prices as some of the earlier periods. Much of the later Art Nouveau is barely 100 yeards old, and so does not yet qualify for the "antique" tag.
Finding good pieces, and finding good pieces for a boat, are two different disciplines, and it is inevitable that some of the prized finds will eventually be rejected as being unsuitable, but that is no reason not to keep the eye peeled for bargains, and collecting them while the boat is being built. They can only appreciate in value during the construction phase, provided they are carefully chosen.
With the pieces in mind, the saloon can be planned, to a degree, before it is even begun. For example, the acquisition of an old railway fold down wash basin, which will grace the head, means that the bulkhead to which it is attached has to be thick enough to conceal its workings.
Some railway wash basins.
Clearly, this has to be
allowed
for before
the head compartment is constructed, so the
more objects collected at
this stage, the better will be the planning to incorporate them.
This railway
connection is not so far from the fact, if you consider the interior of
this old Victorian carriage.
It is quite similar to the layout of the saloon in a steam launch. The
ceiling lights are out of the question, but almost everything elso you
see could be adapted to the boat. The possibilities are endless.
Computer
Programming
The advent
of CAD programs on the home computer has made the construction of these
boats much simpler than they otherwise might have been. Firstly, the
mould shapes are all given as offsets, taken off the program, so
lofting the full size plan is not necessary. Secondly, the computer can
be used to generate the offsets for any other members which are not
given in the plan. Included in this are the bulkheads and the sole
panels.
A complex, round shaped hull is very different to a hard chined design, and the program has to more sophisticated than the Carlson "Hulls" software which was suitable for the Ariadne. Instead, Freeship is perfectly suitable, and is free to use as well. It requires a rather laborious generation of the basic shape of the hull from the offsets given. In my case I generated the exact dimensions of the original 28' plan, which was the starting point for the Bell boat. The resulting blueprint was then scaled up 10% in all directions to give a boat length of 9.394 metres.
The rear saloon bulkhead sits slightly astern of the fifth mould from the stern, so its profile can be extrapolated by inserting a transverse cut through the hull at the appropriate position on the x-axis, which is the fore/aft direction in this program.
Similarly, horizontal cuts through the hull at the appropriate heights above and below the waterline will give the shape of the sole panels, and any other intermediate horizontal structures which have to be bonded to the hull, such as locker tops.
Here, the rear bulkhead is outlined in yellow. Its offsets can be extracted for every waterline level.
The athwartships view shows the shape of the bulkhead on the left.
The half beam at the
level of
the rear bulkhead reads at 931.9mm. That is the distance from the
centreline of the boat to the inside of the hull. Subtract from that
25mm. for the frame thickness, 40mm. for the beam clamp, 12mm. for the
coaming and 19mm. for the saloon wall and you are left with 835.9mm. If
the central passageway is 880mm. wide, 440mm. of that comes off the
half
beam, leaving 395.9mm. Another 19 off for the inner wall of the head
compartment leaves 376.9mm. That is the available room inside the head
at its narrowest (sternmost) point, if the inner wall is not to jut
into the corridor.
That is quite narrow. The toilets themselves start at about 375mm. width. However, the compartment widens as it moves forward. Given that the length of the saloon is about 12' on the scaled up version, there is plenty of room for the toilet to be moved forward, which would leave space behind it for extra galley equipment to be stowed in a separate narrow compartment.
Some of the older steam launches overcame the space problem by placing the head at the forward end of the saloon, but that robs passengers of the view. The central passageway is generously wide at 880mm., but to reduce that would mean either to jut the wall of the head into the passageway, or to reduce the width of the clerestory section of the roof and increase the outer segments, thereby violating the relationship between them. Nothing is set in concrete though, and either of these variations might be accommodated if they offer clear advantages.
Ultimately, the engine and boiler will determine the arrangement in the saloon, because if there is not enough room for them the saloon will have to be shortened. So, at this early stage it is sufficient to know roughly where the toilet will be so that items like the holding tank and the vacuum pump can be planned for in the construction of the hull.
Links
This section will house links to suppliers or useful information, which will be added to as the work progresses. To follow the progress of the boat, use the links in the monthly progress chart above to jump to the relevant chapter. The current state of work can be viewed by clicking on Current. The information on that page changes every day some work has been done.
Creative Marine in the UK, for the Frolic line of launches.
Steam Boat Association of the UK
Selway Fisher Design
Stuart Steam Engines for model engines and some larger ones
Contact Information
Greg and Margaret Clapp email: boatbuilder@steamlaunch.net
Forward to the next month
A complex, round shaped hull is very different to a hard chined design, and the program has to more sophisticated than the Carlson "Hulls" software which was suitable for the Ariadne. Instead, Freeship is perfectly suitable, and is free to use as well. It requires a rather laborious generation of the basic shape of the hull from the offsets given. In my case I generated the exact dimensions of the original 28' plan, which was the starting point for the Bell boat. The resulting blueprint was then scaled up 10% in all directions to give a boat length of 9.394 metres.
The rear saloon bulkhead sits slightly astern of the fifth mould from the stern, so its profile can be extrapolated by inserting a transverse cut through the hull at the appropriate position on the x-axis, which is the fore/aft direction in this program.
Similarly, horizontal cuts through the hull at the appropriate heights above and below the waterline will give the shape of the sole panels, and any other intermediate horizontal structures which have to be bonded to the hull, such as locker tops.
Here, the rear bulkhead is outlined in yellow. Its offsets can be extracted for every waterline level.
The athwartships view shows the shape of the bulkhead on the left.
That is quite narrow. The toilets themselves start at about 375mm. width. However, the compartment widens as it moves forward. Given that the length of the saloon is about 12' on the scaled up version, there is plenty of room for the toilet to be moved forward, which would leave space behind it for extra galley equipment to be stowed in a separate narrow compartment.
Some of the older steam launches overcame the space problem by placing the head at the forward end of the saloon, but that robs passengers of the view. The central passageway is generously wide at 880mm., but to reduce that would mean either to jut the wall of the head into the passageway, or to reduce the width of the clerestory section of the roof and increase the outer segments, thereby violating the relationship between them. Nothing is set in concrete though, and either of these variations might be accommodated if they offer clear advantages.
Ultimately, the engine and boiler will determine the arrangement in the saloon, because if there is not enough room for them the saloon will have to be shortened. So, at this early stage it is sufficient to know roughly where the toilet will be so that items like the holding tank and the vacuum pump can be planned for in the construction of the hull.
Links
This section will house links to suppliers or useful information, which will be added to as the work progresses. To follow the progress of the boat, use the links in the monthly progress chart above to jump to the relevant chapter. The current state of work can be viewed by clicking on Current. The information on that page changes every day some work has been done.
Creative Marine in the UK, for the Frolic line of launches.
Steam Boat Association of the UK
Selway Fisher Design
Stuart Steam Engines for model engines and some larger ones
Contact Information
Greg and Margaret Clapp email: boatbuilder@steamlaunch.net
Forward to the next month