Full steam ahead: Living examples of steam heritage preservation in action
John Pratt / Supplied
John Pratt (pictured) will be bringing 15 steam engines to the Auckland Wooden Boat Festival - but they are all in one boat, the William C Daldy.
“Steam engines hiss and carry on. There is a heat, perceived violence. It’s visceral.”
“Steam enthusiasts are lifelong enthusiasts of steam,” says John. “While most modern technology is obscure by design, steam is the opposite. You can see how everything works. People love it.”
He says that stepping down into the engines of the William C Daldy is a world apart from any other steam experience.
“We often have guests on the base plate in between two engines blazing away. They come away with a powerful impression - they are mesmerised.”
He hopes that some of those people will decide to get involved with steam engines for the long term.
Currently boats like the Daldy are cared for by a ‘volunteer army’ but he can see a day when it will be professionalised, as has happened with the T S Earnslaw in Queenstown.
The youngest volunteer working on the Daldy is 14 - but most are much older. John, who has written an owner’s manual for the Daldy, is also working to get a qualification recognised that will support professional development.
Climb onboard the William C Daldy
Without this remarkable boat the Auckland Harbour Bridge may have been swept away in a storm.
Photo / Auckland Anniversary Regatta
Now the nearly 90 year old steam tug, on display at the Auckland Wooden Boat Festival, is one of the most notable examples of the challenges that custodians of vintage boats face in keeping them afloat.
A twin screw, coal-fired steam tug, the William C Daldy was built in Scotland in 1935 for the Auckland Harbour Board, becoming even more famous when for 36 hours the Daldy held the huge main span of the Auckland Harbour Bridge in place when a storm passed through during a dicey phase of its construction.
And even today the Daldy - which has a bollard pull of 17 tonnes and which was recently converted from coal to a cleaner wood-based fuel - is one of the strongest ocean going steam tugs floating.
The restoration of the Toroa
A remarkable amount of work has been done to restore the Toroa - photo / TOROA Preservation Society
While the William C Daldy will be back at the Auckland Wooden Boat Festival in all her glory, one of the on-shore exhibits at the Auckland Wooden Boat Festival is the wheelhouse from the former Auckland steam ferry, the Toroa.
Peter McCurdy, part of the Toroa Restoration Society which is leading the boat’s restoration, says that 95% of the ship’s steel skeleton has now been replaced with 40 tonnes of new steel, a kilometre of new ribs, and 10,000 rivets. Work has also started to replank the hull - which will transform the boat’s appearance.
“It’s not so obvious when you drive past the boat on the motorway, but suddenly the progress will be visible,” he says. The Toroa’s keel has also been replaced.