Questions about restorations, limitations???

[Bill Hudson]

It is very good news to hear about the restoration of the Medway Queen and of the upcoming  work on the Maid of the Loch.

 Here in the Pacific Northwest we have the Portland, (see paddle wheel pictures in photo gallery). The Portland, although still needing some work, is an operational boat and able to move under its own power.   The problem it that it has its original boilers (which are  being restored) and these boilers do not meet the modern US Coast Guard specs. For that reason it is not allowed to haul passengers.  The feeling of the Portland membership is that to remove the original boilers and install a modern steam system would compromise the historical status of the boat.  In a nut shell; it is a Catch 22 situation. If they could haul passengers they could raise the revenue to keep the restoration going and maintain  the boat in  the best of conditions. However to do so means upgrading to a modern steam plant which compromises the historic value of the boat.  

Here in the US, in the last decade,  we have seen a trend away from Federal  and State  support in  historical preservation and restoration.  In most cases it is a grass roots effort. There are a few grants out there and it requires a lot of leg and paper work  to obtain them with very little monetary return.


In UK and elsewhere are the restorations done historically or do they make modern adjustments to the steam and drive systems to meet modern safety rules?

In other words will the Medway Queen's boilers and steam  system be replaced with modern boilers and systems?  If so how is it justified historically?  

Bill

[lenknight]

Hello Bill,
I can but only tell you what I know about the UK and my view of the problem re historic ships.
The Heritage Maritime Lottery Fund was set up to deal with historic ships, in as much as to restore to the original concept. But we have moved on since some of these ships were built, albeit it seems we must try to stick to the criteria.
To comform to this need, it is almost impossible to do so today, which will force some sort of compromise, otherwise few of these vessels, other than the static, would not be operational at all
We have so many regulations to conform with, making the requirements not possible, for more reasons than one.
As for the Medway Queen, I am sure we will have our problems over this, we still have the skills here at present, but it is going to be down to more than just that
I feel you must put out feelers to see what can be done about your boiler, to at least look like the original, otherwise you will become a static ship, not quite the idea. Is there no concession over this plight, if you vessel is historic?
Perhaps some active members from the PS Waverley and PS Kingswear Castle can add to this, they are about the only two paddlers that must have had some practical experience over this.
Sorry cannot help more,
Regards Len Knight.

[Bill Worden]

Please conact me off-group to discuss the boiler issue on Portland.

Bill Worden
bworden@ameritech.net

[Walter Snowdon]

This perenial problem about retaining the integrity of design has plagued the restoration movement for far too long. Trying to hold back time is a foolhardy process. If We had tried to keepWAVERLEY as she was built, she would be either scrapped or a lifeless static museum.  Ships always had to be reboilered or modernised during their service lives and preservation is just one more step in the ongoing process. If old style boilers were unsafe (and they were) whats wrong with replacing them?. Does that stop the ship being the same ship?. WAVERLEY had to be refitted to conform to EEC regulations and this was done in such a way that it is difficult to see the "join"!!!
HOW Many good scale models never got finished because the builder "couldnt find the exact shade of paint to match the original". So long as the appeerance and integrity of the ship is not completely altered, go ahead and fit new boilers-99.999 percent of the peple wont even notice and the odd armchair critic who never shifts his backside to help can be totaly ignored. SORRY, the purists make my blood boil- they slow down and hinder the preservation movement far too much. Is george Washingtons axe not recognisable as an axe even with two new heads and three new shafts?.

[thewharfonline]

The Hero's restoration here in australia regarding engines (and pretty much the rest of the boat) is something similar to your problem!

Although in a restorable state a new steam engine (boiler and all) has been created...and it's brand spanking awesome...or will be when fully installed, speed to rival the adelaide! But yes it is a new engine, and the originals were in a restorable estate (or so I am lead to believe)

Not much of the original Hero is left, but it does retain her name, and the registers will continue under her name. I suppose that is the thing, the hero may now be pretty much a new boat, but as it retains the registered name it is the same boat, just rebuilt, like many of our paddlers in Australia have been over time!

Be thankful that your paddler is running, yes it is sad that original may not be used, but hey if you've got it out on the water wow!

[Khephre]

Sounds a bit like my grand-dad's axe - three new handles and two new heads!