One of my Old Trafford paddle steamers enhanced by my mate Duncan Laurimer and sailing on the put up pond at Tilford Rural Life Centre yesterday. Good fun was had by all !! The boiler is tablet fired [3 halves ] and is half filled with 65ml of water. Engine is single oscillator with 16:1 spur gearbox. Les Breame

This Aerokits "Sea Commander" was built C.1961 by my father with ED Mk4 diesel engine and his own scratch designed and built radio/receiver ( I have all his design documents). He raced it successfully in the early '60s but hadn't used it in years when I inherited it. Have now replaced the IC motor (mothballed carefully) with MFA Torpedo 500 but it runs a bit slowly ("river cruising" scale speed). Looking to obtain semi-planing but not racing speed.

Video of the first start-up and test of "Sweet Sue" in dry dock. All went well ! Had two sails on water since.I built this vessel from scratch using a pre made clinker fibreglass hull purchased from Mini Steam Australia. The engine is an oscillating twin cylinder and the boiler is a 3" Centre Flue Gas Fired Vertical Boiler from "Miniature Steam". The gas tank is a 1-1/2" vertical refillable GasTank also from Miniature Steam Pty. Australia. The vessel is radio controlled with the skipper appearing to control the rudder. it has a smoke generator and a rc controlled steam whistle.

Perfect conditions to sail "Sweet Sue" at Kowhai Park, Feilding. New Zealand.

Perfect conditions to sail "Sweet Sue" at Kowhai Park, Feilding. New Zealand.

A pleasant day out on the water with my mate Rod and his steam tug Imara and Sweet Sue.

Sweet Sue steam launch has another lovely day sailing at Kowhai Park. Feilding, New Zealand.

HELP !
I still can't seem to work out how to a post a video on the Video site.

Video of Sunday at Barry Boat Club. Camera mounted on my Perkasa

Decided to sail the Solent so took some video to share. Uses 2 Bhuler 12v brushed motors with 4 bladed 45mm PropShop props and 12v 12AHr SLA. Twin Electronize ESCs. Radio is Futaba 6Ex but I will probably change to the Taranis so I can get better control using some bespoke Tx settings to co-ordinate the props and rudder.
Lifeboat crewe had been on a night out so not quite vertical. Aplogies for the shaky video, it's difficult to sail and video at the same time.

Managed to get the crew in! but not happy with the brushless motor would like to put a arrowshark with e/start in.

Looking for a new project i decided to try to make an outboard steam launch. The engine and drive took a while to work out but in the end it all came together well. The boat travels at a nice speed fueled by tablets for lightness as the boiler and engine are quite heavy for the boat size which is about 22"long. There is a brief glimpse of my paddle steamer that i also made. Pictures taken at TILFORD rural life museum Farnham. Next show is Easter Saturday Les Breame

Coal fired Clyde Puffer project. GRP hull with vertical boiler and oscillating engine both of which i made from scratch. Goes very nicely . pictures taken at ilfracombe boating pond. Les Breame