APAM- List of Paddlers Part 1 Modern and Restored Vessels

[Roderick Smith]

I have an answer back from my Tasmanian contact.
He reminds me that Port Huon and Huonville are two separate places, about 20 km apart.
He had a pleasant day with his wife at Port Huon, but found no trace of MQ, and nobody associated with wharves or water to whom he spoke had any recollection.
He is now seeking a better lead: where in Tasmania do people think that the boat went?  Any idea Leith?

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[ljhall]

Can't help much on this one ! - it was definitely either Huonville or Port Huon, my only guess is that perhaps Will has sold her and she's simply 'slipped under the radar'.
Buster may know if Will has sold the boat ?

Have just seen Michael's photo of the 'Bull Frog', - she's in worse shape than I thought, I wish I could figure out how to post the photo that I received in a 'private message', onto this forum.
The photo was taken back in 1980, and shows the 'Bull Frog' as the 'Susan Joy' and in much better shape.

Finally, the hull of the 'Sundowner' has turned up !, just when I thought that the whole boat had been scrapped, from memory the hull is made of ferro concrete, like the 'Colonial Lass' and 'Florence Annie'.

[thewharfonline]

Looks more metal to me in the photo.

The bikes in Bull Frogs photos look like they stand a better chance of moving than Bull Frog- Would the wheels be any good for Sundowner Michael?

What are your plans for Sundowner?

Slowly boat by boat we can start to replace the images and fill in the missing information in Peter Plowman's book keeping what we know updated. Isn't it a shame to see a few of these boats now wrecked or with very little left.

Meanwhile do we have any news on Adventurous or the Cameron?

Sean

Sean

[Excelsior]

Congratulations on the purchase Michael!  Have you got any plans for her yet?  She's built from aluminium, right?  How will she be, sitting in the water near steel hulled boats?

Nice picture of the Bullfrog...  She's definately stuffed.  I wonder what wood was used for the planking.  Doesn't look like redgum.

[Roderick Smith]

I have driven past PV 'Cameron of Lochiel' a few times in the last month.
It is in an engineering yard to the east of the Kyabram - Echuca road, between the airport and the railway crossing.
It looks much the same as it did on my inspection (only a year ago?).
At that stage the hull and superstructure seemed to be complete; the owner was working on the fitout.
This is very ornate, almost bordello style, with carved panels and mouldings, and a pressed-metal ceiling.
He had started with the bar, to sustain the workers while doing the rest.
He was designing the main saloon (lower deck) to be convertible to a home cinema during evenings.
I didn't visit the bedrooms (upper deck).
The upper-deck cabins are demountable, and this will be necessary for the transport from the construction site to the launching site (probably Echuca East ramp).

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[michael]

Bullfrog was built of jarah? so her timber is as thick as weatherboards..... not very thick. SHe was originally a milk ferry at Murray Bridge being built 1910, then went to Mildura, was converted to a paddler by Norm Collins went to Barmah and sank in the 1993 floods. She is buggered the wheels would be re-usable but i don't think the owner is would be willing to let them go, doesn't hurt to ask.
Sundowner is 5mm alumninum, had timber framing but that has all rotted and has been removed. No plans yet, I'm not sure whether to go to the original design, ideas are always appreciated.

[Roderick Smith]

The milkboats weren't paddlers, but have a fanatical following.  There were not many.  AFAIK all have survived with private owners.  One of the paddleboat books does cover them (they are honorary paddleboats).  Hence, even if Bullfrog looks hopeless, someone will have the passion and the money to revive it, current owner willing.  From what I could see in a documentary cd, it is no worse than Hebe was, and may not even be much worse than Roy.  Duck Flats teaches a technique for stitching together ply-plank hulls: that should work with jarrah planks too.

I'll chat with Michael offlist (or in the fullsize forum) about design ideas for Sundowner.  I looked at the photo in Plowman: rather overbodied for the hull, but there isn't much choice with a short hull.  There are several four-berth boats in the 13 m class; this is only 10.5 m (cf Jessie II 9 m).  Many of the ideas which we discussed for Gemma or Eclipse would work.  Perhaps Michael could assemble his hulls in a stack like the Russian dolls: small inside large inside larger...?  Or use the current two as outrigger canoes for stability of the main hull?

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Stempost]

Don't know if this has been mentioned here, but three oz paddlewheelers from the APAM list and that all have some history attached to them are for sale currently. PB Paddlecat (?$60,000); PV Mayflower (P.O.A.); and PV Akuna Amphibious (offers @ + 1 MIL) are listed on various websites.   

[paddlesteamerman1]

Also, just adding to the post above me.. PV Florence Annie is for sale currently for about $60,000 IIRC on that. 

[Roderick Smith]

I have found the website advertising PV 'Mayflower':
www.murrayriver.com.au/trader/private/mayflower/default.htm
When I saw it in 2007, it was at Wellington marina (SA).

The same site is still advertising PV 'Black Shag'
www.murrayriver.com.au/trader/private/blackshag/default.htm
That one has been sold; as at Dec.07 it was at Euston Weir waiting for sufficient water to continue to its new owners, in SA.

I cannot find the url for the Paddlecat sale, and I haven't tried for the Akuna Amphibious one.
'Stempost', could you please post these urls?

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[ljhall]

More Great Pics Michael !

I don't know which boat is the most nackered - the 'Bull Frog' or the 'Edwards' !
I remember last year when I asked about the PV Sundowner and you had found out that there was nothing much left - and then a few months later her hull turns up ! - I could have sworn that her hull was made from ferro concrete.
I remember speaking to one of the owners back in Dec. 87, when she was moored amongst the private house boats along 'Rotton Row' and level with the Echuca City Caravan Park, she was For Sale at the time and they wanted $ 50,000 for her.

Roderick - I'm going to have to update a few things, my new email address is:  leithhall@yahoo.com.au
and Iv'e been based in up in Brisbane since last April, - I live on Southside and Mac (Excelsior) lives in Fortitude Valley - small world eh !

Thanks for your feedback, however I now have a new problem, the photo of the 'Bull Frog' C. 1980 that was sent to me in a private message is no longer attached to that message, I can't find it anywhere !
I had other photos in my private message section and I can't locate them either - any suggestions ?
I don't suppose that it has anything to do with new format of this website, because I could access them before it was modified.

By the way, here are some interesting sites to have a look at:

http://maritime.heritage.nsw.gov.au/public/documents/DarlingRiverSurvey.pdf

(or alternatively, go to Google and type in 'Darling River Wrecks' and click on the 2nd Site down the page.

another good one is;

http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/archaeology/department/publications/PDF%20Theses/Amanda%20Hale%202006.pdf

(N.B. whats looks like a '96' in the URL above is actually the percentage symbol)

both of these are big files and take a while to view, the latter is about the 'PS Melbourne'.

[thewharfonline]

Florence Annie is made with a Ferro Concrete hull I believe, and is for sale for about $60,000 at Deep Creek Marina- just in case we're mixing a few boats up (not saying you are though).

Lately from the news I've been hearing with boats selling here there and everywhere we may end up with a rotten row again (here's hoping not)

The images that most stand out to me are some on the 'Riverboats Remembered' video- where they pass a rotten row containing Gem and a number of others, and I mean a lot of others, and these are big named hard working boats of the era, and just to see them all sitting there, lifeless, crowded, is so sad. And then many of them just sank....

That's why now it's so good to see Hero up and Running. That's been a project that has been going for a lot of my visits to Echuca over the years, and I wondered if I would ever see her complete, and though I am yet to see her running personally, it is very exciting to see Hero back on the water.

Sean

[ljhall]

Yeah I know what you mean Sean !
In fact it's 10 years to the month since the 'Hero' was salvaged from Boundary Bend, I just can't remember the date though.

Secondly, I'd also hate to see the Newbies form a new 'Rotton Row',- they sure are changing hands quite regularly which may not be a good thing.

[thewharfonline]

And with inflation and prices going up here there and everywhere, who's going to be able to afford a steamer these days- I am worried. I know we've casually looked at a few that are for sale, but simply don't have the money.

Still wouldn't mind owning one....

Sean

[paddlesteamerman1]

yes, i know what you mean. we have been looking at a few paddlers (not steam, mum n dad are not real keen on that idea just yet) and they are much to expensive. We have also been looking at berths for them in south aus and they are much to expensive as well. It is a little worrying too..