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Message |
    
Andrew Menkart
Moderator
Username: andrew
Post Number: 671
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 08:40 pm: | 
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The following has come in by email from Richard Bartrop.
quote:Andrew
Picked up your email address looking at your lovely Truscott on the Old Marine engine web site
I have just obtained an 1903/4?? 18 foot Truscott launch which has been dry stored in a barn for over 20 years and is in a remarkably good condition. The launch was imported to Britain from America by the Burnham–on-Crouch Motor Company and is believed to be called “Cheripika” or “Z” – final research required!
She took part in the annual races and is reported in “The Motor Boat” magazines of the period.
I am now looking for a 4HP single to get it powered. I would also be interested in the images of the Upton engines and any copies of relevant pages of your catalogues if that is possible.
If you put the name Cheripika into Google, it comes up with the 1908 Burnham Races report – transcribed from “the Times” of the period.
Any suggestions??
Look forward to hearing from you
Regards
Richard Bartrop.
My home email address for communications (no big attachments please!) is: [email protected]
Regards
Richard Bartrop
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J.B. Castagnos
Senior Member
Username: jb_castagnos
Post Number: 140
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 08:57 pm: |
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Beautiful boat, wish it was in my yard. |
Michael Richard Bartrop
New member
Username: bartropr
Post Number: 1
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 03:48 am: |
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I have been looking through a British publication called "The Motor Boat". This was a weekly magazine which started in 1903 and may be still running today, but incorporated in with another magazine. I bought my set as originally bound into 6 monthly lots. Unfortunately, most of the adverts were not included, but there are illustrations of small Truscott launches, taking part in regattas and also reported in the text. The Burnham Regattas are reported in the September issues of 1904,5,6,7&8, with illustrations of 'Cheripika' (2) and 'Z'(1). All the pictures have two people on board, with one at the stern looking after the engine and the other in the bow, steering.
I have cleaned the hull out and haven't found any markings from the builder. Did Truscott identify the hulls in any way, or in a specific place? |
Tom Stranko
Senior Member
Username: thomas
Post Number: 225
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 08:20 pm: |
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Hello, I'm searching my Truscott literature for 18' hulls: the 1906-7 cat. has 2 18 fotters; both listed as 4' 10" beam amidships. One is called Compromise and the other is Standard.
In the 1906-7 cat. the launches all seem to have a lot more combing(sp?)above the opening than yours shows. The design of the hulls I see almost always were with an eliptical opening in the deck. Not much in right angles. It appears that the "fan-tail" (that's what I think it's called) design was evolving into a straight, less streamlined shape from 1900 to 1906. I could never see anyplace where thay stated that a hull serial number or such was marked anyplace in the boat.It could be a very early hull- before 1904; maybe even late 1800's.
Tom |
Bruce Hall
Senior Member
Username: bruce
Post Number: 115
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 10:54 pm: |
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Appears to me based on Truscott info I've collected to be around the 1900 period or a bit prior.The squared aft cockpit suggests a "lazy-back seat" fairly common to Truscott construction. The bow fitting although faint in the photo resembles the Truscott combination chock and bow flag socket-it would have a deck hole encompassed in the fitting for stowing the tow/anchor line.I agree that a coaming would have been installed around the inside of the cockpit but they are an item easily prone to damage and could have been removed through the years?? |
RichardDurgee
Senior Member
Username: richarddurgee
Post Number: 1166
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006 - 01:46 pm: |
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Truscott Launches 1898
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Richard Bartrop
New member
Username: bartropr
Post Number: 2
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 27, 2006 - 09:45 am: |
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The bow fitting is the Truscott combination chock and bow flag socket-it, and has a deck hole encompassed in the fitting.(This is how my boatyard friend identified her as a Truscott) Would this also stow a Truscott design anchor? I agree that the coaming installed around cockpit will have been damaged and will have been removed through the years. It is great to think she is late 1800's. The picture with a boat with a funnel/stack-is this a naptha engine? The hull is 5 foot wide - a Standard hull? Anyone know of a number two engine (3HP?) to get her running? |
Denny Anspach
New member
Username: docdenny34
Post Number: 1
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 04, 2007 - 09:59 pm: |
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I have recently been referred to these very interesting Truscott posts. I have a fully intact and unaltered 16' Truscott fan tail launch c. 1896-1906 with a c. 1918 Kermath single. It is unclear whether or not the original engine was steam, naptha, or gasoline. It was rescued from a chicken coop in Wilton NH about 1980, and reportedly had not been in the water since the twenties.It has all hardware, as well as Truscott's patented awning assembly. I have steam bent all new ribs, and replaced the keel. I am contemplating a non-destructive installation of an electric drive. but first I have to figure out the fundamental problem of finishing and caulking this carvel planked hull in a way that it can be day sailed without going to the bottom each launch.
BTW, the launch depicted in the top photo in this thread identified as "18'" has to be the 16 footer. Many of these boats were purchased for public use at the St.Louis Fair, and a superb example is prominently exhibited as we speak in the center main marine hall of the Deutches (sp?) Museum in Munich (St. Joe to the German lakes via Englands Lake District. |
Lew Dobbins
Member
Username: ldobbins
Post Number: 14
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Friday, September 07, 2007 - 11:39 am: |
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Greetings Denny,
Long time no talk (MOW & ACBS)!
In your keel replacement, if you noticed any pipe holes going through the keel or the hull next to the keel, this would be an indication of a naptha plant. The high pressure naptha vapor was run through cooling coils (actually a couple of back and forth runs of copper) on the hull to condense the naptha vapor back to liquid. Some of the launches on Tahoe that were originally Naptha still have remnants of this. A beautiful example is in the museum at Mystic.
Cheers,
Lew
The West Coast Sterling Guy |
Denny Anspach
New member
Username: docdenny34
Post Number: 2
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Friday, September 07, 2007 - 12:22 pm: |
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Lew Dobbins writes-
In your keel replacement, if you noticed any pipe holes going through
the keel or the hull next to the keel, this would be an indication of
a naptha plant. The high pressure naptha vapor was run through cooling
coils (actually a couple of back and forth runs of copper) on the hull
to condense the naptha vapor back to liquid. Some of the launches on
Tahoe that were originally Naptha still have remnants of this. A
beautiful example is in the museum at Mystic.
Hello, Lew! No. there were no holes through the keel, and as a matter of fact, there no holes in the bottom -period- except for an exotic U-shaped cast iron underwater exhaust exiting through the hull aft.
Now, completely overlooked in my post (and in my age-related memory decline- it has been 23 years since I stripped the boat), I neglected to recall that there is a carefully fitted galvanized fuel tank under the bow, its shape conforming to the bow shape in all three planes. The fuel line is made of lead tubing, and the feed gravity. Now, was this original, or was it a later addition?
The interior condition of the bilges (black, greasy) could otherwise reflect any type of original power.
I have just completed another long-standing old boat restoration, so I will be ramping up to tackle this lovely Truscott launch this fall and winter.
Denny
--
Denny S. Anspach, MD
Okoboji, Iowa |
RichardDurgee
Senior Member
Username: richarddurgee
Post Number: 1523
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Friday, September 07, 2007 - 03:49 pm: |
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Truscott 1898
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Richard Bartrop
Member
Username: bartropr
Post Number: 17
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Friday, September 07, 2007 - 06:04 pm: |
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Denny,
I believe the boat in Munich is the one listed in the UK Steam Boat Association Index in the late 1960's, early 70's and had a steam plant installed. She was 16'long by 5' beam, and was from the Henley on Thames area. She was called 'Natalie'and was in lovely condition then, although I always thought that the steam plant never looked right in her. I remember the last owner (Mr.Nick Knight) sold her to Germany, but I never knew who to.
Will you be able to post some photo's of the interior of your boat and the brass fittings? |
Denny Anspach
New member
Username: docdenny34
Post Number: 3
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Friday, September 07, 2007 - 07:44 pm: |
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The hulls of the 16' Truscott launches depicted in the 1898 catalog posted by Richard Durgee would appear to be the same as mine, and the one in Münich. I do note that the coamings might seem to to differ, however.
As to Richard Bartrop's request for photos, I am afraid that I cannot do so currently. All photos of my own boat, as well as the one in Münich are on slides, which I cannot access until my return to California this fall- and then they have to be scanned!
I do find that I have a single photo of the Truscott hull (as is currently) on this computer, and if I can figure out how to upload it, I will do so. For the curious, it is depicted riding piggyback on the hull of our family Chris Craft, also undergoing restoration at the time.
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Richard Bartrop
Member
Username: bartropr
Post Number: 21
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, October 14, 2007 - 05:17 pm: |
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Progress on my 18'launch - cleaned out all the old ribs and timbers - the oak has rotted but the cyprus of the hull is still in amazingly good condition! Reribbed and fastened and steaming of stern timbers and other structural timbers which are under the decks is now virtually complete
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Richard Bartrop
Member
Username: bartropr
Post Number: 22
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, October 21, 2007 - 04:46 pm: |
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A rather poor photo and details of "Natalie" from the 1972 edition of the UK Steam Boat Index. I think the steam plant was installed in the 1960's/70's. She was sold by Nick Knight, the last owner in the UK to Germany.The boat is now in a museum in the city of Munich in Germany.
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Richard Bartrop
Member
Username: bartropr
Post Number: 27
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 01, 2008 - 12:40 pm: |
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Further restoration and cleaning has shown the number stamped on the bow timber which when I saw it picked out in the sunlight quite amazed me. Has anyone seen a number on their or any other Truscott in a similar position? There are also traces of another number to the left of the 57 where there is a screw hole, which could be a 6?
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Richard Bartrop
Senior Member
Username: bartropr
Post Number: 84
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, March 16, 2017 - 04:46 pm: |
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Still working away on the Truscott, with today seeing the last of the deck planks fixed in place. This was done following the plumbing in of the engine -exhaust, water pipes etc. Have now done most of the hull and panelling etc., but still plenty to do! |
Richard Bartrop
Senior Member
Username: bartropr
Post Number: 92
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, January 03, 2019 - 05:59 am: |
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Winter and Christmas have slowed progress, but all about finished, except for the big varnishing job!
Have had lots of bits nickel plated as per original, but some engine bits have caused a few problems, so I am just in the refitting of the ignition trip mechanism |
Richard Bartrop
Senior Member
Username: bartropr
Post Number: 93
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, January 03, 2019 - 06:01 am: |
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system not responded to upload attachments. Will try later |
Richard Bartrop
Senior Member
Username: bartropr
Post Number: 94
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, January 05, 2019 - 10:39 am: |
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Richard Bartrop
Senior Member
Username: bartropr
Post Number: 95
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, January 05, 2019 - 10:52 am: |
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Since these were taken, I have completed the floors, including ones in the lockers etc, and wired up the low tension ignition system. I have rigged up a small feed tank to the carburettor for testing. I tried a Lukenheimer mixer valve on the engine but found that for some reason it kept spitting back in an unpredictable way, with and without an additional check valve so changed it to the Schebler carb. It now runs very evenly and controllably, which I ned for the canals and rivers here. |
miro forest
Senior Member
Username: miro
Post Number: 1020
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, January 10, 2019 - 07:38 am: |
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Richard - I know the feeling - progress seems glacial at times, but getting obsessed with the project doesn't hurt from time to time.
Gosh, your hull looks very similar to mine especially at the stern - the upper ad lower trim rails and the location of the rudder post.
http://www.oldmarineengine.com/discus/messages/4/278710.html
I found I had to used about 250 lbs of ballast mostly up front to get the boat stable and trim.
Miro |
Richard Bartrop
Senior Member
Username: bartropr
Post Number: 97
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Monday, August 03, 2020 - 07:50 am: |
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I have been busy getting the 1902 Lozier engine which I rebuilt to run smoothly, after I had to take it out of the Truscott, as the chain driven water pump just kept throwing the chain off. I seem to have managed to get it aligned, and all now works well.
https://youtu.be/BmjiSXAI0S4 |
Richard Bartrop
Senior Member
Username: bartropr
Post Number: 101
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, August 08, 2020 - 10:28 am: |
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Some photos of the finished hull last year, before I had fixed on all the nickel plated fittings. The side seats will have button cushions as per the original specification
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Ernie
Senior Member
Username: ernie
Post Number: 2607
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, August 08, 2020 - 11:24 am: |
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Really pretty boat |
