Steamboat Register

Delman

Owner: P. & D. Malpas

Area: Australia

Hull

Launch. Construction: Mahogany clinker. Timbers imprenated with epoxy. D.
Built c194
LOA: 17' 0", LWL: 6' 6",
Formerly Port Adelaide fishing boat. Fitted with Kitchen rudder which gives forward & reverse.

Boiler

VFT Built by Strath Steam
fwh, Kcond. Ball valve maintains hotwell level from reserve tank. Wkettle. 16" barrel. 120 x ¾" copper tubes. No forced draft.

Engine

Single. 2 3/4" X 3 1/8"
Built 1992 by David Malpas
Designed by: David Malpas
sv valve. None valve gear.
Double acting. Cylinder sleeved from 3.3/8" bore.

Propeller

14" X 26"
Shaft: 1" Stainless Steel

History

It has been a constant test-bed of experimentation and improvement interspersed with many tours and events with great friends and like minded people. We started ambitiously with the engine governed to a 3 bladed variable pitched prop. (with no reversing gear on the engine) with the hope of achieving automatic control, but this proved elusive. At this time we were using a 1.6:1 chain drive to the original (1" ss) propshaft as the original I.C. engine ran a small dia. prop. Next we progressed through slip eccentric then to bevel-gearbox to achieve fwd. neutral and rev. allowing the engine and feed pump to tick over whilst moored. To get rid of heavy gearbox messy and noisy chains and tensioners and bring the prop out to the end of the transom, a new stern tube was bored to allow direct drive off the crankshaft through a CV joint. This allowed a large 14" x 26" propeller accessible for weed clearing and to use a Kichen rudder system which still gives us fwd. neutral and reverse with masterful maneuverability. I recently built a "Wells Balanced" compound engine 4" + 2" x 3" [with LP (2 piston rods) above the HP cylinder (single rod in the middle) with cranks at 180 deg . all internal forces opposed and balanced minimizing bearing loads] This was interchangeable with David’s single while I overhauled it and trailed the "Well’s", which worked great. David’s is now reinstalled.