Reliable Steam

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Our 15-40HP V-4 in action, plans $50.00

The Common(est) Questions about
Steam, Steam Engines, Steam Boats & Us

What is a hobby steamboat?
How fast can I go?
Are steamboats dangerous?
Isn't it expensive?
Do they require a lot of maintenance?
Isn't it difficult to find steam stuff?
I don't have a lot of space. How big are steamboats?
I want a wooden boat but don't know much about wood-working
Are there any steamboat hulls available in fiberglass?
I don't know if I want to invest a lot of money or time
It sounds like a lot of fun, but will my family enjoy it?
How does a steam engine even work?
What formats are our plans in?
How's our quality?
What payment methods do we accept?
What kind of shipping methods do we use?
Copyright!

What is a Hobby Steamboat?

A lot of fun! It's a hobby family and friends can enjoy. Wherever there's a body of water on which you can float a boat (and remember, over 3/4 of the world's surface is water), you can operate a steam boat. And you don't need to split and carry wood. Depending on the design of the boiler, you can burn wood, coal, oil, or propane. Most of Reliable Steam Engine Co's boilers are designed for oil (wood takes up a lot of space). If you're environmentally conscious, bio-diesel can be used with no modifications.

Above: A Hobby Steam Boat

Right: Not a Hobby Steam Boat

But really pretty nice, yes?

How fast can I go?

If you want to drive a boat the way most people drive a car - to go from point "A" to point "B" as fast as possible - then you don't want a steamboat!

Hobby steamboaters measure speed not in "miles per hour" but in "fun per mile." Traveling on the water in a steamboat means the "quiet" of a sailboat without having to depend on the wind. You can sneak up on waterfowl and move among them and they don't mind! The owner of this boat and his wife do that - sliding quietly over inland lakes, coming within touching distance of herons.

If you want more info on how fast can a steam boat go try this link: www.quora.com/What-is-the-fastest-steamboat-of-all-time-Could-a-steamboat-built-with-modern-technology-go-faster . Short version, the fastest steam boats recorded have managed to get up toward 38 mph (33 knots), maybe a little more.

More seriously, if you really are interested in raw speed, take a look at our 200 HP Engine and the Torque Chart you'll find on that product's listing.

Are Steamboats dangerous?

NO! You're less likely to have a boiler explosion in a properly designed and maintained steamboat than an explosion from gasoline fumes in a powerboat. In the 25 years we've been involved in the steamboating hobby there has not been a boiler explosion on a hobby steamboat. There are laws in many areas about boiler licensing and, due to the boiler explosion of a steam traction engine in 2001, many of these laws have been strengthened and/or are being rigorously enforced. For those who boat on a navigable waterway of the US (you can go from there to salt water without portaging), you fall under the US Coast Guard by virtue of the Motor Boat Act of 1910 (now codified in 46 USC), and ...

☆ the US Coast Guard does not require the inspection of boilers and machinery of steamboats under 40' in length (measured at the deck) or that do not carry passengers for hire. This act exempts qualifying vessels from any state regulation.
☆ However the owner or operator of a hobby steamboat is still liable under law; so that's not a license to cut corners.
☆ Therefore (!), buy only Good Quality boiler plans and have it built by a Professional Welder.
☆ (You can check our statement of quality here [lower on this page].)

Isn't it expensive?

Unlike a lot of hobbies: NO. You can spend as much or as little as you want. The owner of Genevieve (photo) was still in high school (1997) when he put together a 15' steamboat for a total of $300 over a period of one year. He wasn't a machinist or a skilled wood worker either. Yes, he had help from others in the hobby - but we all enjoy helping each other. He didn't have the most beautiful boat around, but he had more fun with it then any two other steamboaters put together. There are also people who have spent tens of thousands of dollars on a boat, hiring all the work done - their boats are works of art and beauty. They, too, enjoy. Using Reliable Steam Engine Co's plans, castings, or completed units you can assemble a functioning steamboat - within YOUR budget!

Don't they require a lot of maintenance?

No more than any power boat requires, and less than many sailboats. After living many years on and around the water, we have learned that there is no such thing as a maintenance free boat!

Fiberglass requires just as much attention as a wooden boat - washing, waxing, buffing, polishing chrome or stainless - and a steam power plant doesn't take any more maintenance than gas or diesel engine (unless you're one of those people who changes the oil in your car every 3,000 miles whether it needs it or not). the Edith Mae, hand built steam boat

The 22' fiberglass hull cabin cruiser Edith Mae (photo right) has a totally automatic power plant; just turn the switch on. She has a head, galley, and can sleep two. The owners built it themselves (when in their early 80's) in a little over a year and it takes less maintenance than a comparable gas or diesel boat.

Isn't it difficult to find "steam stuff?"

It's true that the days of finding small marine steam engines and accessories in the junk yards are gone. Most people who have old equipment are aware of the value - just like any antique collector. Reliable Steam Engine Co is one of a number of companies that manufacture new equipment. Most of our engines look like the traditional designs, but with all modern metals, bearings, etc. (Our 5 HP Compound Engine is a good example).

We sell our engines in kit form, as castings and you machine it. We also sell "ready to run." You may purchase plans for any of our engines to determine which is the best way for you to go. Boilers are available in all shapes and sizes; off-the-shelf ready to steam. If you're skilled in welding, you may be able build your own from our plans. Most steamboat club newsletters have a classified section.

There's also eBay.com where you may find whistles, gauges, and so on, and sometimes even a steam engine.

See our Links Page for enough suppliers and other resources to get you started

I don't have a lot of space; how big are steamboats?

If you've got room for a canoe, you've got the space for a steamboat. Tippicanoe (shown here) is a 16' Coleman canoe with steam powered outboard (called Tyler). Total weight is 140 lbs. Engine and boiler are removable so the canoe can be loaded on top of any vehicle and the power plant put in the trunk! Most steamboats are in the 16' to 24' range - easy to trailer so you can drive to where you want to have fun, put her in the water, and in twenty minutes from "lighting off" be enjoying a quiet, laid back time with three or four friends.

I want a wooden boat, but don't know much about wood-working

You can have a hull custom built in wood. Or you can buy a powerboat hull whose lines you like and install a steam plant (one of our "high rpm" engines would work very well in a such a hull). Although not using any of our products, Southpaw (seen to the right) is exactly that - and there is plenty of seating for

guests as well as a steering station for the owner. Contrary to some people's opinions, there is no law that says a hobby steamboat must look a certain way - the idea is to have FUN!

In this day of plywood and epoxy, "stitch and tape" boatbuilding, and hundreds of designs and boat building forums out on the internet, there's no reason why you can't build your own hull! Basic hand and small power tools, and space are the primary requirements.

Kristen (below) is very similar to our Traveler hull,

fitted with our 5 HP Compound Engine and 4 - 7 HP Ofeldt boiler.

While Reliable Steam Engine Co [that's us!] has several hull designs available (see those here), there are many other plans available from other reputable dealers on the internet.

For example, some of the designs by William and John Atkin - particularly their Sea Bright Skiff series - would be very suitable. The Atkins designed them from 17' to 28' and with the home boatbuilder in mind. Try the website at www.atkinboatplans.com, then go to "Inboard Utilities & Runabouts" (link at bottom of their page).

Are there any steamboat hulls available in fiberglass?

26 foot fiberglass hull from Mosquito Enterprises

There are a number of manufacturers of fiberglass steamboat hulls located throughout the USA. Mosquito Enterprises (a boat dealer in Everett, Washington, USA with a Facebook Page here) makes a very good quality hull (see photo), but there are many others as well.

We have a list of suppliers to help get you started on our Links Page. Most of the firms produce a good product - if they didn't they wouldn't be in business long as most steamboaters talk to each other.

I don't know if I want to invest a lot of money or time.

Click for ISS Home Page

(No, that's not the Space Station)

In just about every part of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Great Britain -- everywhere! -- there are organizations, clubs, and societies (see our Links Page).

Now that the International Steamboat Society is back there is an organization that will attempt to provide a worldwide coverage of steam events as well as a bi-monthly magazine that is primarily how-to. The Northwest Steam Society has an excellent website and, if you go to their boats &c page and select boats, you'll be able to view photos and complete descriptions of over 80 hobby steamboats.

The Steam Boating Forum is an excellent source of info and is very active. Most hobby steamboaters are willing to share their knowledge (and, more importantly, their mistakes) with others. If you're going to be in the neighborhood, give advance notice and you'll likely get a ride.

It sounds like a lot of fun, but will my family enjoy it?

We've never heard of a divorce or custody battle that resulted from the steamboat hobby itself. There have been cases where the ownership of the steamboat was more bitterly contested than custody of the children. Most wives of steamboaters have a lot of fun at meets - they refer to themselves as "steamboat widows" and organize sightseeing and shopping trips while their spouses play with their "toys." Many women own steamboats, too, or can bend a wrench as well as, if not better than, a lot of men.

The Steamboat Bug does not discriminate, and is happy to consume entire families at a gulp!

How does a Steam Engine even work?

We have a nice primer on how a marine steam power plant works. It was originally put together by Ron Fossum, and has been updated (added to) some what since. (Click the link just below.) It will get you started.

And since you were able to find this web site, you know how to use the internet, so go to our Links Page for grand explorations. We've provided links to most hobby steamboat suppliers who have websites - Reliable Steam Engine believes that in order to make an intelligent decision you should be able to view everything that is available. You can also visit the Hobby Steamboaters Web Ring by selecting their icon to the right. There you'll also find quite a few useful websites for hobby steamboats.

☀ Find out more on our Primer / Steam Tutorial page ☀

What format(s) are our plans in?

We offer our plans in electronic form as PDF files, shipped to you via email. After you receive your order, you may view it on your computer, laptop, tablet, whatever, using Adobe's Acrobat Reader.

We have discontinued selling plans as paper copy, due in part to the cost of shipping paper copies versus simply emailing it to you.

You may also take the PDF(s) (on a memory stick, say) to your local print shop or copy center and have them printed out there. There's really no substitute for holding a plan sheet in your hands, penciling it all over with notes, and even being able to wad it into a ball to throw across the room, occasionally -- and you can always print another copy.

How to Use/Read PDF Files...

If you do not have a PDF reader (software to let you look at, even print, a PDF) you can go to adobe.com (never use a PDF reader that wasn't made by adobe, the inventors of PDF -- look-alike PDF readers have become a serious nest of predators and malware), or click here: the One True Adobe PDF Reader - Download. There are many imitators and a lot of those come with "fleas" to infect your computer. Always go straight to Adobe for PDF products.
(Personally, we would turn off their "free offers" prior to clicking the download button [as those are for non-Adobe products], but that's your call.)

BTW: PDF stands for Portable Document Format. It's just a secure way (the secure way, actually) to move documents around electronically.

How's Our Quality?

All mechanical equipment is designed by us and is made in the USA. Reliable boilers and steam generators are designed to A.S.M.E. (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) Code Rules for fired pressure vessels, and are built to high quality standards with best specification materials. Our castings are warranted free from material defects. Any casting showing defects during machining will be replaced at no charge if returned within six months of sale. Casting kits are always in stock. Our castings come in batches, so sometimes your requirements are ready to ship, and other times may require 8 to 10 weeks for delivery.

What Payment Methods Do We Accept?

In addition to the traditional method of payment by check or money order, we now accept on-line credit card payment for our PLANS, Parts and other products. We use PayPal as our credit card processing service.

On orders for completed engines and engine parts - where available - we require 50% down payment, and the balance before shipment.

We process credit and debit cards using, and accept payments from, PayPal.
Find out more about PayPal here.

We also accept Ethereum (ETH), a modern CryptoCurrency. Find out more about Ethereum here.

We also accept BitCoin (BTC), another popular CryptoCurrency. Find out more about BitCoin here.

All prices are shown in U.S. Funds (USD).
There are many currency conversion tools on the internet. Here's one: www.oanda.com/currency/converter/
NOTE: PayPal automatically converts currencies at the correct, up-to-the-moment rates

What shipping methods do we use?

We now ship our plans via email, eliminating any shipping charge for these items. Plans are shipped promptly on receipt of your payment to the email address you provide with the order. Castings and completed engines are shipped F.O.B.

(For definition of "F.O.B." see this Wikipedia article)

Reliable Steam Engine Co's drawings and equipment are sold for private (non-commercial) use by the purchaser. Federal copyrights and commercial usage rights are expressly retained by Reliable Steam Engine Co.

Thank you for your attention!

We will be pleased to be of service.

Sincerely,
RELIABLE STEAM ENGINE CO.

PETER CARLICH