The breather valve for the shaft seal has to be returned to the deck, but this time it is necessary to move it forward of its original position above the drink holder. In order to be able to tighten its nut I have to bring it into the motor compartment and up through the deck just forward of the dash bulkhead.

The carpet over the inspection hatch for the bilge has to be cut out and edged so that it can be lifted with the hatch.


Also, when the forward deck hatches open the clam shell vents on them hit the deck. Some simple door stops prevent damage and allow full opening, which hatch stays would not.


I have decided to go with 12 volt batteries. They are not significantly more expensive than 6 volt ones, and they can be operated in two banks if necessary. What's more, I can do all the water trials with just four of them, and get four more later. The electrics in the motor compartment look even more chaotic with the batteries wired in, but, despite the fact that the motor would not run with just the charger connected, I was confident that the batteries would satisfy the fussy controller. No such luck! Not a whimper out of it. After going over every wire and junction again I was getting to desperation point, when I noticed that a tiny solder joint on the pot box had become detached. Correcting that got the motor running perfectly, although, without water lubricating the shaft bearings the action is very squeaky.


The tiny wire involved in the pot box was the most insignificant looking part of the whole system, but it paralysed the motor. It has got me to thinking about emergency power in case another hard to discover fault develops. I think a pair of light weight paddles might become part of the gear carried in the rudder compartment. But for now, it is ready for launching.

Finally, a cover for trailering the boat is fitted, and it is all ready for the big day.


All that now remains to be done is get it registered, have a trailer made, and get it out of the garage and down the steep driveway. I may need a crane for this. Hopefully, the first launch will happen next month, but it will depend on how much disruption is caused by the holiday season. There will be a video of the launch posted here whenever that happens to be.


In the meantime, having now gained sufficient confidence in boat building, I am ready to proceed to the main aim of the project, namely to build an Edwardian steam launch. I am currently going over the plans from Selway Fisher and altering them to suit my purpose. It will be 31' long, so will not be able to be built at home. Or, at least, the hull will not be able to be built at home. But the saloon can be, so I will start there. It should be a four year project too. Here is a foretaste of things to come.....









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.


Another inspirational example is the Peter Freebody restored "Wisp". It is an original 1908 built launch which has clearly been an example for modern copies.


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!