Building an Aligator

[JPigg55]

We're going to have it trucked on a low boy for launch. We'd winch it the traditional way but haven't found a suitable winch yet.

If you ever decide to add a winch or two, might try looking in old automotive scrap yards.
Not sure what it's like in your area, but within 50 miles of me are 4 or 5. I know from looking some have old wreckers, tow trucks, etc that have the old PTO drive winches on them.
Would probably take a bit of work to remove and rebuild them, but may be an option.
Just a thought.

 

[Rustrp]

We're going to have it trucked on a low boy for launch. We'd winch it the traditional way but haven't found a suitable winch yet.

Okay, so you guys are not going logging.

 

[f350ca]

Finished up the paddle wheels and installed them a week or so ago. This week we fired the boiler and spun up the paddles.

Greg

 

[JimDawson]

AWSOME !

 

[brino]

This week we fired the boiler and spun up the paddles.

Ho....ly..............crap!

WOW!

That looks like a furnace on a deathtrap on a boat.
Something that could pull you in and spit you out.
I FREAK'IN LOVE IT!

My hat is off to you and to anyone that built one so many years ago when it was even much harder to do.

Amazing,
Thanks for posting!

When is the launch? I'd like to be there.

-brino

 

[f350ca]

Occupational Health and Safety and steam power can't be used in the same sentence Brino. lol
Morris and I were using the bandsaw to cut the curved segments for the paddle covers and commented how long it must have taken to build these with hand tools.
We're getting close to a launch, need to make the covers for the paddle wheels and steering linkage. The rudders are almost complete.

Greg

 

[easttex]

I took a two hour cruise out of New Orleans on the steam-powered paddle wheeler Natchez on Monday. As I was standing in the engine room watching the big steam cylinders work, I actually thought of your alligator and wondered how it was coming along.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[rwm]

Truly exciting! Can't wait ...
Robert

 

[f350ca]

Can't believe 4 months have passed by. Im afraid to say some of the crew are getting a bit older so progress has slowed.
However. Yesterday with a HUDE SIGH OF RELIEF she made her made voyage.
We enlisted a 50 ton crane to load and unload her. I estimated her weight at 8000 pounds and planed on her drawing 12 inches of water. The crane operator said he had 16,000 pounds hanging. HUM

Miraculously when she hit the water it drew 12 inches. HUM claims the block cable and spreaders were probably 3000 pounds, wonder where the other 5000 went.

I was running chase/rescue boat. The guys said they had 35 psi steam on and she ran about 2-3 mph. No idea why they wouldn't get the fire roaring for speed trails.

She has a slight list to the left, the bull gear is on that side but didn't think it would do that much. Some ballast will correct the problem.

We had to run 6 or 8 miles across the river to her new moorage and daylight was dwindling so we gave her a little tug.

All in all a great day, was glad to see a few smiles on the faces of the crew, myself included.

Greg

(hope these photo's come through, Im NOT using tapatalk)

 

[Eddyde]

Congratulations, what an amazing project!