Right… That’s it. I’ve had enough of Shell!
by steamtug on Apr.21, 2014, under Steamships
Did I tell you I left Shell? They refused to give me my holidays, so I took the rash step of threatening my manager that I would leave. He happily accepted it! So 2 weeks into my 1 month notice, I was offered a job with Origin Energy and accepted it to work in their Brisbane central control centre. Then I brough the steamboat I have been searching many years for, and got roped into helping a mate with the world’s most beautiful ship, the Steam Yacht Ena! read on….
I am now working in the Brisbane central control room for Origin Energy. Here we control the gas wells in the Surat Basin where holes are drilled down a kilometre or so into the coal seam. Then we pump the water up and separate off the gas. We currently are running around 300 wells used for domestic gas supply in Queensland, but are in a $24 billion upgrade, taking it up to 8000 wells with 15 compressor stations which will deliver gas to Gladstone to be liquified and sent off in ships. This work is a little different for me because it’s what we call “Upstream”. I usually deal with the otherside of the fence after it arrives somewhere like a refinery, or LNG plant. With this expansion project, Origin has grown, and continues to grow faster than our systems have been able to keep up. So we have some challenges ahead!
Steam Launch Edelweiss
In 1907, Adolph Heinrich ordered a 30′ timber launch from Hayes boat builders in Careening cove (now Milson’s point) right next to where they would build North pylon of the Sydney Harbour bridge. Named “Edelweiss” in memory of Adloph’s beloved Germany, she was fitted with a “Frisco” gas engine and when delivered to his home in the George’s river off Botany Bay, south of Sydney attracted a lot of attention. She is famous for being the first boat on the George’s river to be fitted with the new fancy “electric light”.
In 1970 a group of drunken steam engineers brought a little compound steam engine which had been built by the world famous marine steam engine builders, Plenty & sons and eyed off the rundown Edelweiss as a suitable boat to re-fit and make a steam launch. She was renamed SL Ryton, which is Greek for an ancient drinking vessel, and was often seen steaming around Sydney Harbour in the days before boat licenses, marine police and breatherlisers. She was used in making the Australian mini series “7 little Australians” and was once late for the start of filming at the next location. When they arrived, they made the excuse they had to stop off to collect more supplies. (Can you guess what they had run out of?)
Since every steamship I have been connected with failed to continue operation, I decided I wanted my own steamship and searched many, many years to find exactly what I was looking for. A boat big enough to sleep in which could be put on a trailer and was engineered with correct marine practise. Well Edelweiss almost meets these criteria. She is not on a trailer, and her carvel hull needs to be kept in the sea to prevent the timbers drying out and cracking open.
She underwent a major refit in 2010, where all the boat’s ribs were pulled out and replaced with new steam bent ribs. All planks were inspected and despite being more than 100 years old, the New Zealand kauri pine was as good as the day they were cut. Only 4 planks had to be replaced and Tasmanian celery top pine was sourced for the new planks on the water line. The shipwright told me that most boats of this era have had new sister ribs fitted next to the rotten originals, and all planks normally have 4 holes at each end instead of 2. This was never done with Edelweiss! So the old planks went back on and refastened with all new copped fastenings. Her hull now is as good as new! And her beautiful compound enigne built in 1895 sets off the boats interior nicely. I need to now build a trailer, sheath the hull in polyester, and find a shed where I can leave her.
Steam Yacht Ena
I have known steam yacht Ena for many years, but never been close enough to get on board. She was always covered over in Berry’s bay Sydney and none of my contacts could find info about her. So imagine my surprise when an old engineer friend told me she was sold and going to Melbourne to live! I asked him if I turned up with my kit bag and dungarees and stood on the quayside, would they let me stowaway for the trip? What do you mean stowaway? You have been nominated as her engineer!! So I grabbed Tommy by the scruff of the neck, and dragged him up to Sydney last weekend. We flashed up the boiler and excitedly started up her auxiliary engines, then rolled over her main engine. The captain Jonathan, her new owner saw his beautiful ship tugging at her mooring lines and could not resist taking her for a stompround Sydney harbour.
So away we went, down under the big bridge and around to show off that Victorians had stolen the most beautiful ship in Sydney. The next day we had things running better, so we steamed all the way to Manly the poked our nose out the heads into the open sea to see what it felt like. Ooh, she rocks around a bit, I hope we can put up with that for a whole weeks for the voyage to Melbourne in June. 
I can see that bridge out the engineroom companionway
Here is what the Australian National Maritime Museum had to say…
