Margaret S.
Status: Steaming
Owner: Fred Rosse
Area: USA
Hull
Sidewheeler.
Construction: Plywood & epoxy.
Hull model: Sharpie Type Hull designed by Rosse at Philadelphia Pennsylvania in 2004
Built 2010 by BSECo at Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Fit out 2010 by BSECo at Philadelphia Pennsylvania
LOA: 19' 3", LWL: 18' 6", Beam: 5' 0", Draft: 0' 8", Displacement: 2150 lbs.
A flat bottom hull, similar to a historic "New Haven Sharpie Hull", constructed of marine plywood. The relatively narrow beam of a Sharpie suits the sidewheeler well. Extra width of paddlewheels, 7 feet - 4 inches for trailer on the highway, Cruising at a nominal 4-5 MPH (6 - 8 kMeter per hour).
The Margaret S. is fitted with "fold up" stern rudders, and the boat can be backed up to a beach with no dock whatsoever. Passengers can step off the boat onto dry land easily with this configuration.
The flat bottom, along with paddle wheels that do not increase the boat`s draft, allow operation in very shallow water.
Boiler
Stanley Type Designed by BSECo,
Built 2010 by BSECo at Abington
Fuel: Propane, Pressure: 100 psi, Grate area: 1 sqft, Heating area: 20 sqft, Output: 60 lbs/hr,
16" dia X 18" high Steel barrel. 48 X 1 1/4 x 0.095" dia Steel tubes. Welded with rolled in fire tubes construction, Steel Centrifugal Se superheater,
non-condensing, engine driven pump, hand pump, whistle,
A simple vertical firetube boiler supplies the steam, and is fired with Propane. The boiler carries an ASME Code Stamp, and is designed for 250 PSIG (17 Bar) steam pressure. Silent burners from a gas fired house heating boiler are fitted. Steam eductor bilge pump, plus a large (real locomotive) whistle.
Engine
Walking Beam. 3 1/4" X 5 1/4"Built 2006 by other at Abingdon
Design: American Walking Beam by: BSECo
Balanced SVs valve. Marshall - Bremme valve gear.
Power: 1.0 HP
The Margaret S. has an engine layout that is generally faithful to the old American Walking Beam Engine layout. The engine is of a single cylinder double acting configuration, with 3-1/4 inch (83mm) bore, 5-1/4 inch (133mm) stroke, running in the 50 to 65 RPM range at full speed. Boiler feed and condensate/air pumps are driven from the beam, as was typical historic practice. Slide/Piston type valves are used, the valve gear for the Margaret S. copies the design of the Marshall-Bremme pattern. This radial type valve gear allows excellent variable cutoff in forward or reverse running, and uses no sliding surfaces for valve actuation. Two reciprocating pumps are driven directly from rods connected to the engine’s walking beam. A wet vacuum pump (1-1/ 2 inch bore, 2-5/8 inch stroke, 38 x 67 mm), plus a smaller feedwater pump (3/4 inch bore, 1-5/16 inch stroke, 19 x 33mm). A second manually operated feedwater pump provides redundant pumping capability.
Paddles
18 Feathering floats.
44" diameter, 12" wide.
The engine directly drives two 44 inch (1066mm) diameter paddle wheels. The original arrangement uses common fiberglass lunch trays, cut in half to 12 inch wide (300mm) by 8 inch (200mm) high, as paddle floats. Fully articulated paddle wheel mechanisms have since been fitted.
History
We have enjoyed cruising along much of the USA Northeast, from Newport News Virginia to Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, although most of the cruising has been on lakes, or on the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers near Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Of course I named the steamer after my Aunt Margaret, a fine woman who was born in 1903 near Rose Bud, South Dakota. She left me enough funds to build the boat when she died in 2005.
Added to the register: 2014.05.07. Last Modified: 2017.03.09.
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Lake Nockamixon PA Cruising
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