Steam Boat Swallow - What Happened?

[magnetman]

 

 

Thanks for that

 

I was thinking that someone saying "my engine uses X litres per day" is a completely meaningless statistic. OK so if my engine were running at 2/3 power for 24 hours a day (a 90hp diesel in a barge) it would use about 240 litres over that period of time as it has a fuel consumption of about 15 litres per hour at maximum output.

However the normal 'day' is probably more like 8 hours or something or let's say a maximum of 12 hours. And normally a canal boat will not be operated at full power anyway.

 

I can't get my head round the idea that Swallow (I did see the boat about in the 90s and early 00s) could possibly use that much fuel.

 

[rogerclarke]

Yes she used approx 20L an hour using an industrial oil burner boiler, so use to steam for about 10 hours a day, the boiler was a 600 lbs/hr boiler and just about kept up with the engine requirements, so was burning most of the time, she had a 1250L desiel tank up front with a 2000L water tank up front as well, when both were full she was a bit bow heavy. When I brought her she was laid up in Thorne, near Doncaster, brought her down to Harefield and used 2300L of fuel but it was only 33p/L then. When I used to go to the Rickmansworth festerval worked it out at approx 7-8 galls to the mile, a bit thirsty, BUT great fun.

[MtB]

I think if my boat used 200 litres of fuel a day I'd cut it in half too!

[sirweste]

£3.21 per mile

[junior]

If anyone finds out where it is, do let me know. Sounds like they could be my kind of customer!

[IanD]

Steam engines are *very* inefficient. When we hired Keith Jones's LPG-fulled "Firefly" back in the 80s for 2 weeks it emptied the built-in gas tank (85 gallons?) and more than three 50kg (118l=26 gallon) canisters, which I make to be about 80 gallons of LPG per week, equivalent to about 53 gallons of diesel (higher calorific value) or 240l a week -- good job LPG was cheap in those days. And that's to generate about 3shp flat out...

[Manjackjackman]

Hello, I thought I you might be interested to know that I bought the back half of steam boat swallow, it was cut in half to gotvthe engine out, we are currently turning it into a reading room / out door space for a early years childrens centre, It should be well used for a few more years...

[rogerclarke]

Wow yes thats great, I am so pleased you let us know. I had Swallow for 10 years. Please let us see the finished project, I would be most interested. If you want to know more about the history of Swallow just email me  'coralpress@btconnect.com' and I can tell you lots more and have plenty of pics. Many thanks

[Athy]

10 hours ago, Manjackjackman said:

Hello, I thought I you might be interested to know that I bought the back half of steam boat swallow, it was cut in half to gotvthe engine out, we are currently turning it into a reading room / out door space for a early years childrens centre, It should be well used for a few more years...

Welcome, Jack, and thank you for letting us know the story. 

[DHutch]

1 hour ago, rogerclarke said:

Wow yes thats great, I am so pleased you let us know. I had Swallow for 10 years. Please let us see the finished project, I would be most interested. If you want to know more about the history of Swallow just email me  'coralpress@btconnect.com' and I can tell you lots more and have plenty of pics. Many thanks

Indeed so.

A great shame from my view point not to see the boat in steam, one year we passed in EmilyAnne within a month or so of Rickmansworth festival, but the timings didn't allow us to attend with boat and then I repeated failed to attend by car. 

However, such is life, and it's great to know the outcome and that the hull is being out to use.

Daniel

[rogerclarke]

Yes Daniel, would have been great to see Emily Anne at Rickmansworth, we always had good fun there, President was there one year when we were there and we were going to do the tug of war together but the Black Country Museum stopped it, great shame. 

[DHutch]

2 hours ago, rogerclarke said:

Yes Daniel, would have been great to see Emily Anne at Rickmansworth, we always had good fun there, President was there one year when we were there and we were going to do the tug of war together but the Black Country Museum stopped it, great shame. 

Pahhh, no fun allowed!

Where are you based now, always welcome onboard EmilyAnne if we can find a weekend we're both free.

Daniel

[Dharl]

On ‎27‎/‎07‎/‎2016 at 17:54, junior said:

If anyone finds out where it is, do let me know. Sounds like they could be my kind of customer!

sounds like you should follow them around with a refueling hose perm attatched!

 

 

 

[mrsmelly]

3 hours ago, Dharl said:

sounds like you should follow them around with a refueling hose perm attatched!

 

 

 

RAS been there done that many times and in big seas in the arctic circle amongst others.

[sharpness]

3 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

RAS been there done that many times and in big seas in the arctic circle amongst others.

Likewise

Steve  ex Olmeda, Lyness, Resurgent, Olwen, Grey Rover, Sir Galahad

Edited August 15, 2017 by sharpness

[mrsmelly]

11 hours ago, sharpness said:

Likewise

Steve  ex Olmeda, Lyness, Resurgent, Olwen, Grey Rover, Sir Galahad

Grey Rover rings a bell? she may have been around in the seventies when I was in the RN? Had to do a couple of emergency breakaways up the ice, a bit more interesting as a youngster aged around twenty than being in Uni.

[Dharl]

about 15 years ago as part of MN-RN Experince program I was on board the Gold Rover during some of the 'Thursday Wars' where had the oppotunity to experince at RAS at close quarters.     A batch mate of mine was the Nav Officer on 'Goldie' as well and apparently there was an odd party of two.....details are a bit hazy!    Also had oppotunity to be air lifted over to one of the grey funnel lines frigates' for a day or two to see what the opposition were like as well!    

 

Later on I worked as a STS mooring Master where we did a simular if slower evolution!    Once the two ships where all fast alongside we then proceeded to an anchorage to complete the cargo operations.   

 

 

[mrsmelly]

13 minutes ago, Dharl said:

about 15 years ago as part of MN-RN Experince program I was on board the Gold Rover during some of the 'Thursday Wars' where had the oppotunity to experince at RAS at close quarters.     A batch mate of mine was the Nav Officer on 'Goldie' as well and apparently there was an odd party of two.....details are a bit hazy!    Also had oppotunity to be air lifted over to one of the grey funnel lines frigates' for a day or two to see what the opposition were like as well!    

 

Later on I worked as a STS mooring Master where we did a simular if slower evolution!    Once the two ships where all fast alongside we then proceeded to an anchorage to complete the cargo operations.   

 

 

All good fun. I and some others as anyone could ask to do it went across from our grey funnel liner to the RFA and back on a line on a bosuns chair!! as that what we did in those days. I would have bloomin kittens today but I was only a baby then. We used to refuel using the method quite often in those days and I suppose they still do. We were refuelling one day when it all went pear shaped just off Iceland in the winter in heavy seas and it was my job when ordered to swing the sledge hammer at the coupling when the order was shouted to emergency breakaway..............I got it first time and a large shot of Rum in the Captains cabin afterwards for getting it right first time!! Bloody brilliant and interesting time of my life which I am seriously pleased I signed up for.

[Dharl]

Thats what you need in an emergency somone who can hit the coupling the first time!       Never fancied the bosuns chair, back of a Seaking was fun enough!

[mrsmelly]

3 minutes ago, Dharl said:

Thats what you need in an emergency somone who can hit the coupling the first time!       Never fancied the bosuns chair, back of a Seaking was fun enough!

Yeah I must have been nuts  Sea Kings were total luxury I went up in our flippin Wasp!! blimey!! We were at the time the only leander class ever to have a sea king land on the flight deck, it was an emergency to fly a criticaly injured trawlerman to hospital. The pilot managed to put the main wheels on the deck and the small rear wheel over the mortars to the tiny rear deck ad kept enough speed on the rotor so it swept over the top of the ships hanger whilst the casualty was loaded. The pilot later received some sort of gong for his unbelieveable skill. Any one who doesn't know what I am talking about consider landing a drum on a pea!!

[sharpness]

11 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Grey Rover rings a bell? she may have been around in the seventies when I was in the RN? Had to do a couple of emergency breakaways up the ice, a bit more interesting as a youngster aged around twenty than being in Uni.

Quite likely in the 70's, it was 1972 I was on her if I remember rightly. They were good times. I joined the RFA in 69 as a navigating officer cadet, MN of course & had 3 1/2 great years all over the world. Then when I took 2nd mates ticket couldn't pass the eyesight test so that was the end of that, end of my world at the time but some great memories. Crazy thing was that being MN employed by MoD I took their test & passed so in theory I could take the Ark Royal anywhere but in the MN eyes I wasn't safe on the Torpoint Ferry. Having done a weeks exchange with the snotties on HMS Blake there was no way I wanted to go in the RN!!

[sharpness]

7 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

All good fun. I and some others as anyone could ask to do it went across from our grey funnel liner to the RFA and back on a line on a bosuns chair!! as that what we did in those days. I would have bloomin kittens today but I was only a baby then. We used to refuel using the method quite often in those days and I suppose they still do. We were refuelling one day when it all went pear shaped just off Iceland in the winter in heavy seas and it was my job when ordered to swing the sledge hammer at the coupling when the order was shouted to emergency breakaway..............I got it first time and a large shot of Rum in the Captains cabin afterwards for getting it right first time!! Bloody brilliant and interesting time of my life which I am seriously pleased I signed up for.

Across & back on a jackstay, did that a few times, great fun unless they dunked your feet. Probably not allowed now, elfin safety.

Steve

[sharpness]

6 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Yeah I must have been nuts  Sea Kings were total luxury I went up in our flippin Wasp!! blimey!!

Sometimes we used to carry a squadron of Wessex 3's? I was very lucky to have a 45min ride in the left hand front seat, brilliant. Another time when the chopper was up, instead of Mayday, Mayday, the pilot said, Oh sh1t, the engines stopped!. They were about 5 miles away & the floats on the wheels kept it afloat long enough for us to pick up the crew.

[mrsmelly]

All great fun

[DHutch]

On 15/01/2016 at 02:23, David Mack said:

Now the Swallow has been scrapped with the back end up for sale on Ebay.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20ft-half-shell-off-a-canal-steam-boat-swaliow-a-conversion-project-/181986628340?hash=item2a5f3f92f4:g:zgEAAOSwT~9WkXmU

 

The images are gone, but below is a copy of eBay description to save it for reference.

 

Sold in Jan 2016 for £642, 7 bids, 3 bidders. Location Rugby. Seller "12.terry".

 

Title; 20ft half shell  off a canal steam boat swaliow  a conversion project

 

Desc; "this steam canal boat was cut in half for scrap and gutted leaving just the shell as seen in the photographs it is 20ft long the open end is 73in wide x85in high i just had to rescue it for a project,it is unique ,and would make a small holiday home ,sun cabin ,office,studio observatory, bird hide, play house,the list is endless,anything but scrap, it can be seen in steam at rickmansworth festival on u tube in a tug off war"

 

I've also found the email correspondence I had with Roger Clarke in April 2012 when he detailed he had her for 9years, moored her at Harefield, do the Ricky festival each year, and planned to attend later that year, as well as his long list of other vehicles and that he owns a pub which keeps him busy.  

 

Just posting and update as someone else was asking my if I knew her whereabouts, as well as because we are having a push in getting the SBA Steamboat Register up-to-date and reprinted. 

 

Attached also are two photos that were shared to me. 

 

Daniel