The Steamtug Blog

We used to travel to Murwillumbah, Northern NSW for our Christmas holidays when I was in those impressionable teenage years, to stay at my Uncle’s caravan park. My cousin Steve had his car license and used to take me to the drag races at Surfer’s Paradise International Raceway and got me hooked on fast cars and booze. My dream was a Chevy Corvette and a bottle of Southern Comfort, and all these years later I can tick it off my bucket list! (continue reading…)

On the weekend, I got out and toured around the local area and bayous. No I know what John Foggerty was singing about all those years ago…  I drove down to the coast and saw the oil rigs dotted along the skyline in the Gulf of Mexico, had lunch with Forrest Gumps brother, visited the oldest wooden bridge in Louisiana, saw Loggerhead turtles in the swamp and ran away from an alligator! (continue reading…)

What did you do for the 4th of July celebrations? We had the Friday the 3rd off which is the way they usually take public holidays off, then Saturday my new friends Will and Sarah took me out on their boat, cruising all the way up the Calcasieu river, tying up at the river side boozer at Logger head! (continue reading…)

I always wanted to say that… and this past week, I had to visit Houston for meetings regarding the design of the new plant we are building here. I have never been so early into a project, and its a bit of a luxury for  me to be part of the design phase. They say everything is bigger in Texas, so how do you like my new ute? (just kidding….) (continue reading…)

So that’s just what I did! I picked up everything and moved to Louisiana USA! Bold move, some say… But not long after arriving I started a new job to design, commission and start up a brand new LNG (liquified farts) plant in Lake Charles Louisiana. (continue reading…)

Edelweiss has finally had her new rear windows fitted. She never had these, and looked un-finished for the past 106 years until an old mate and shipwright Theo milled up the blackwood frames finally put it all together. So now that she is back at home, I decided she needed to taste some salty water! (continue reading…)

It’s a very sad day for me… My last day working for Origin Energy as a Capability Delivery specialist. I started with them, February last year as the control room operations specialist, but due to a mistake in my contract, they moved me after 1 year to a field position. This meant too much waiting around in airports and I decided I didn’t need this job all that much. So I am leaving, my last day today. (continue reading…)

1 week after the auction, steam yacht Ena has not sold after failing to reach her reserve price. Her owner now tells me he might have to re-think the plan and have another try at making a go of it on the Melbourne market. I was disappointed we didn’t take her to tassie for the wooden boat festival and was thinking she won’t be around much longer for us to enjoy. But now that might not be the case. (continue reading…)

The latest news with the majestic Steam Yacht Ena is that circumstances have changed for the owner over in Melbourne and she is up for auction on the 19th May next month. It will be a very sad day, but I am extremely grateful and feel lucky to have been her chief engineer while she was based over this end of the country. I was also fortunate to have been part of her delivery voyage from Sydney to Melbourne in May last year. See the post “Sail of the century” if you have not seen it. (continue reading…)

Coming back out here to the land of the Maranoa drover, things are looking different. 2 weeks ago it was still green from the summer rains (wet season), but now all looks dry and is desperate for rain! But don’t bother looking on google maps where I have gone, it’s so far up a black fellas bum, they don’t even have the tracks drawn in for the city folk living in the modern world! (continue reading…)