Steamboat Register

Folly

Status: Fettling needed

Owner: Jim Huntley

Website: http://www.youtube.com/steamandthings

Area: UK-South West

Former yacht’s tender, acquired 1992 and converted to steam 1992-3. First steamed June 1993. Later sold to Alan Keef who converted her to condensing. Purchased by the present owner 11/04/26. Believed to be the smallest passenger carrying steam boat in Great Britain.

Williamette

Status: Undergoing renovation

Owner: Frank Kitching

Area: UK-North East

Former Broads launch and work boat,Tug for Wherry Alma and Icebreaker! owned by J.Hobrough, Norwich.(Known by the owners as "The American Boat") Known to have been derelict in 1970, plant fitted by previous owner during 1970’s. Nov. 1982 to Jonathan Wade. Acquired March 2000, being refitted. Dendrochronologist has confirmed the Planking to be Port Orford Cedar, and the Ribs, American White Oak (Not imported to the U.K. until 1899) The Boat came with an extensive photographic history compiled by previous owners. Current Owner circa 2006. frankkitching@btinternet.com

Pickle

Status: Active use

Owner: Jim Huntley

Website: http://www.youtube.com/steamandthings

Area: UK-South West

Built as Lightning, new hull fitted out and plant installed by first owner Brian Smith, first steamed 1985. Acquired 1997 by John MacMillan and used in Scotland. Acquired by Mark Fensome. Purchased by the present owner in a derelict state on 27/10/24. Restoration began 20/03/25 and was re-launched as Pickle on 18/07/25 at the Bristol Harbour Festival.

Bluebell

Status: In Service

Owner: Reinier Brummelkamp

Area: Netherlands

Bluebell Was launched in 2013 and named in 2014 (see Funnel edition Summer 2014). She has been steamed regularly on Windermere until the end of 2022. John, her chief stoker and steamer became seriously ill and died in May 2023 so she remained in barn storage for the 2023 season and was fitted with twin electric pods and relaunched for the 2024 season. Her boiler was steamed and inspected by John Maltby in June 2024 but little use of her was made that season. Bluebell was sold to Reinier Brummelkamp and shipped to the Netherlands in February 2026. Bon Voyage Bluebell.

Shamrock

Status: In Service

Owner: The Shamrock Trust

Website: https://www.shamrocktrust.org.uk/

Area: UK-North

Built by Shepherds of Bowness 1906. Originally fitted with a Sisson Triple. Owned by W. Birtwistle until 1929, C. Ashley 1930-4. Converted to motor 1948, used by Bowness Bay Boating Co. for tripping. Acquired, derelict Nov 1976, restored and new plant fitted by Roger Mallinson 1978-9. Engine built in 2001 by Roger Mallinson. The boiler came from the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway River Irt, and was shortened and converted to side firing. After Shamrock was badly damaged in the floods of 2009, The Shamrock Trust was formed to raise funds for repairs. She was again damaged in the floods of 2015, and repaired under insurance. Shamrock is a member of the National Historic Fleet, certificate no 65. She is formally owned by the Trust, but continues to operate under the management of Roger Mallinson.

Missfire

Status: In Reassembly

Owner: Mark Williams

Area: UK-Cambridgeshire

Built by Borwick Boats of Bowness-on-Windermere in 1955 for the Bowness Bay Marina Boat Hire, as a clinker built wooden hull on frames, it was fitted with an inboard Stuart 2-stroke petrol engine made by Mike Smith of Fleetwood. As "Boat No 5" of their hire fleet, it doubtless served them well as it remained with them until 1996. Purchased in 1996 by a Lake Warden (John Wood, 1936-2014) on Windermere, she was renamed "Swan Song" and used as "Ferry Tender No 1936" by him, with the original engine used until an outboard was fitted (presumably when the original expired), until 2001. Nick Lancaster of Fleetwood then acquired her and embarked on a full refurbishment of the hull, including the addition of striped mahogany topsides, and conversion to steam power by removing the original engine and fitting the current steam boiler and engine. Renamed by Nick as "Missfire", unfortunate health issues intervened and two friends, Roger Squires and Jim Booth, acquired her in 2016 to complete final finishing work. They did so in April 2017, when "Missfire" was tested/approved by C J Davies of the SBA; accompanied by Nick, "Missfire" was successfully returned to water in August 2017 at Lake Coniston. This revealed that some fettling was needed to the drive coupling arrangement, but loss of storage meant that time was against them. Hence, a new custodian was sought and she was acquired by Mark Williams in September 2017, with whom she since resided in Cambridgeshire. Fettling has continued as time has allowed, which has now increased. The engine is refurbished and running sweetly on compressed air and the boiler has just passed its static cold test in March 2026. Reassembly has started and it is hoped that she will be back on water and steaming on the River Great Ouse come summer 2026.

Wāna Iti

Status: Active use

Owner: Les Spriggens

Area: New Zealand

Exact design and build date still under investigation. Initially fitted with single cylinder double acting engine, and a coil boiler fired with a variety of liquid fuels. Purchased as a bare hull in 2014 and fitted out by current owner. Steaming again from September 2025.

Woodbine

Status: Steaming

Owner: Joël Druel

Area: France

Built and fitted out by first owner Geoff Thurston as WOODBINE for use on the River Lee. Design based on Weston Farmer’s "Feeble" published in ‘The Rudder’ Dec 1943 in the USA. Originally fitted with Stuart Turner 5A engine. First steamed 1990. About 17 hulls were taken from the mould before it was decommissioned. Featured in Classic Boat magazine, August 1991, pp55-57. 1993 sold to Thomas Fraser, Leicester, renamed CEFLEX. Later owned by Frank Dell, Barnet and name reverted to original. Oct 1997 to Bob Shearer. Nov 2000 to Mike Tester. 2005 to TJ.Cornelius. Feb 2008 to Joël Druel, France. Since 2008, Woodbine has totaled 1024h and traveled 3650km

Nemo

Status: sunken, 300m deep in lac Léman (Lake of Geneva)

Owner: William Marcet, at the time (1875)

Website: http://www.sub-rec.ch/ENvap.html#P-nemo

Area: Switzerland

Alpine Journal vol XX February 1900 "In Memoriam" (Alfred Wills). . . . . . Dr William Marcet (1828-1900). . . "...Both at Yvoire and at Malagny he made great use of his steam launches, of which he had several in succession. One of them very nearly brought him to a tragical end. The writer of this notice paid a visit to Yvoire in September 1874. Dr. Marcet had gone in his steam launch to Lausanne to attend a medical congress, but was expected back that night. About 8 o'clock a violent thunder storm broke out, accompanied by a perfect hurricane of wind. The hours went on, but Dr. Marcet did not arrive, and it was concluded that he had not left Lausanne or had returned to it. He had left Lausanne, however, but the lunch never returned. The short waves of the lake, too short for the launch to rise to them, had lapped over the side into an open well forward of the engine bulkhead. Dr. Marcet noticed that his bow light got nearer and nearer to the water. Realising the situation he pulled the dinghy up, got his two men into her, jumped in himself, and had just time to cut the painter and fall a few feet astern when the launcb plunged bows foremost into 600 ft of water. They were some six miles out and had a hard struggle to get safety back to Lausanne. He returned by the first steamer the next morning. His father was staying at Yvoire, and his remark on hearing the story was characteristic of the tranquil philosophy of the speaker. 'Get another, William,' he said, 'get another. You may depend upon it the same accident will not happen to the same man twice.' William did get another, but it was some time before his nerve was quite as steady as before the accident." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CAN YOU HELP improve the knowledge of the naval inheritance in finding : . . . . . . .- a sistership? - details of the building of that Nemo ? . . . . . . . . Mail to : mail@swiss-sub-reg.ch

Melita

Status: Undergoing restoration - Sold to proud new owner

Owner: Calder William Percival

Area: UK-North West

Hull purchased at Blyth Northumberland. Timber keel, Kelsons drafts and rubbing strakes renewed and steam plant fitted by owner, Ian Whatley. The boat having changed hands had the steam plant removed and laid as hull only. It was sold in November 2025 where she was re-located to Carlisle in the North West. The present owner Calder W Percival is making a new Taylor single engine on a three bearing bed plate and other modifications to be made as well. it is intended to fit the boat as a "Puffer" for the full steam experience!

Senta

Status: In Service

Owner: Roger Calvert

Website: https://www.rogercalvert.me.uk

Area: UK-North

Flying Dutchman shell, never fitted out, acquired by Geoff Calvert in 1970 approximately and fitted out with skeg and propeller for student experiments. Steam plant fitted in 1976 - Stuart Turner 5A engine built by himself from castings and a Merryweather A boiler, ex-Liverpool University. First steamed at the SBA Thames cruise, Radcot, August 1976. Steamed each year (except 1987) since. Multitudinous modifications by the owner over the years, most of which turned out to be improvements. Still the original engine, somewhat modified, but the 4th boiler. Initially based on the Wirral, then for 30+ years in Southampton, now in the South Lakes.

Picnic

Status: Active use - refurbished engine awaiting installation

Owner: John A. Frampton

Website: http://Johnaframpton53@gmail.com

Area: UK-South West

Steam plant removed from Bucephalus Steam Bicycle, it was originally designed to power a Steam Canoe. Mounted on a lift-in bearer, and fitted with a new gas firing system. New piping was made up to suit boat installation, and improvements to fittings were made. Construction was started in April 2020, flotation testing, July 2020, and construction completed in April 2021. Currently frequently in use with outboard motor as boiler is not yet certified, although it is steamable.

Anachronism

Status: Steaming

Owner: Dr John Knapton

Area: UK-North East

Anachronism was built over many years by former owner John Marrison of Benfleet -on-sea, Essex. Sadly he passed away before fully completing the project though he did manage to launch her under steam before he became ill. I purchased the boat to fulfil a long term dream to own a steam launch having being interested in boats since my school days. On purchasing the boat I had the opportunity to install a replica of a Belliss High Speed Steam Launch Engine which Mr J Maltby happened to have in his workshop. This replaced a home built Leak Compound. The original boiler had had little use and thankfully passed hydraulic and ultrasonic inspection. There was no steering gear so I subsequently installed a binnacle to accommodate Vetus hydraulic steering gear. Along the way we required various items to be cast or fabricated including a new wet ashpan, cast iron firebars, steering wheel and cover, brass oiler and Steam condenser. We utilised the CAD 3D design skills of my son to produce various patterns and DXF files and have learned new skills along the way. First launch on Windermere was successful with several 'sea trials' completed. There is still work to do!

Folly

Williamette

Pickle

Bluebell

Shamrock

Missfire

Wāna Iti

Woodbine

Smut

Nemo

Belle Marie

Melita

Senta

Picnic

Annabelle

Mrs. Appletree

Aurelia

Anachronism

Michelle

Poseidon