[Public-list] Re steam

[Horton, Ross G.]

Date: Thu, 09 Jun 2005 07:23:04 -0400
From: Gordon White <gewhite at crosslink.net>

As an ex-wiper on a Socony T-2 driven by steam - a Scotch boiler 
powering  a turbine that produced electricity that drove the propellor, 
I can say that steam is probably a little complex and bulky for an 
Alberg.  I know there were steam cars, like the Stanley and the Doble, 
so maybe one could be put in a 30 foot boat. Maybe check a Stanley 
engine for starters. On the tanker we  re-used the fresh water, with a 
condenser cooled by sea water. There was a de-aerator to take the air 
out of the feed water and other complexities.


Gordon, 

As an ex-deck ape on a three different steam driven ore boats, I can
tell you of the joys of fueling that boiler.  The first boat was fueled
with bunker C, which had to be heated in order to be pumped through the
fuel system.  Otherwise, it is the consistency of tar.  When the hose
from the refueling barge broke and dumped several tons of the stuff on
deck it took a looong time to clean up.  One boat was coal fired and was
built in 1918.  Its retrofitted screw type mechanical stoker failed
regularly requiring the boilers to be stoked by hand. (The deck crew got
to participate.) It takes a lot of coal shoveling to keep a boiler
happy.  I'd stick with the A-4 or Yanmar for the Alberg for now.

Ross
Delphi 40