News

Keeping your Feet Dry

There are still a few places left on the SBA training day at Fell Foot on Windermere on the 12th of September.

If interested the details and booking form are on the Events page of the SBA Website.

All are welcome. No prior experience needed. Ideal for those of you new to steamboating and those who are just interested in seeing what it is like. 

Membership of the SBA is not essential so if you know non-member who you think might be interested do mention it to them.

Malcolm/Roger/Dot

The Henley River & Rowing Museum opened in 1998 has announced that it will be closing its doors to the public for the last time on Sunday 21st September 2025. The sad closure of this large Thames museum is due to significant increases of annual operational costs with loses averaging 1m£ a year. Note the museum are offering free entry during the closing weekend, as part of the Heritage Open Days Festival.

The museum collections include the 1874 Thornycroft steam launch EVA, an early umpire launch used at Henley Regatta rowing races. EVA is 45ft LOA which was restored and steamed at many SBA steamboat Rallies during the 1980’s including a visit to the SBA Windermere rally of 1989.

Congratulations to all the volunteers who have contributed to the SS Sir Walter Scott being made National Historic Trust's Flagship of the Year.

Brian Boucher (SBA Midlands Area Rep) kindly organised a Zoom call for members to discuss the SBAS Library offerings (with John Maltby and Malcolm Duckett) - looking at boilers, hulls, castings, engines and drawings. Here is a link to a zoom call, https://youtu.be/OhU7FH0DFTI

...and pictures of a Klinger-type sight-glass made from SBAS castings showing fittment to an SBAS water-tube boiler as discussed on the call.

Just a reminder that the SBA exists on two social media platforms (FaceBook and WhatsApp). There are links to these on the SBA Website home pages. 

• An SBA Facebook home page  here: https://www.facebook.com/steamboatassociation/ 
• An SBA Discussion Group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSteamboatAssociation/  This is a group page so you have to request to join, which you can do from Facebook. (Mike Cole manages our Facebook activity)

WhatsApp is a private & secure group exclusivly for SBA Members. You have to be added to this group to participage. The ONLY way to do this is to follow the insturctions on the WhatsApp page under the Member's menu on the SBA website (and you need to be logged on to do this) - this link goes to the right place . It's quite an active group with just under 60 members today.

There are also some other WhatsApp groups relating to specific regions (like the Windermere steaming group) - these are administered by local members.

At the request of the SBA Committee, SBA Services Limited (The SBAS) have instigated a new service to allow Overseas Visitors to SBA Events to obtain temporary Boiler Test Certificates from the SBAS.

These will be known as "TISRs" (Temporary Inspection Scheme Reports) and are provided under the normal Boiler Inspection Scheme. They can be valid for up to 60 days, need to be applied for typically 60 days before they are needed.

Such test can be requested via the Scheme Administrator, and you can see the updated booklet (Version 7.08, dated 29th May 2024), which describes the process and charges) on the SBAS pages of the site or download it from here

Malcolm Duckett, Company Secretary SBA Services Limited

Waverley, the World’s last seagoing paddle steamer, has been awarded the prestigious status of National Flagship of the Year by National Historic Ships UK. The award recognises the breadth and geographic coverage of Waverley’s sailings in addition to the extended sailing programme planned for 2024 with a record beating seventy ports and piers included within this year’s cruising itinerary.

There are some slightly adjusted draft accounts now on the website on the Events page/2024 AGM

See all the latest news by going to their website or using the url link below:

https://waterways.org.uk/civicrm?civiwp=CiviCRM&q=civicrm%2Fmailing%2Fview&reset=1&id=1176

Go to the IWA website (www.waterways.org.uk) using the link below to learn about progress with the IWA's campaign to ensure funding for Britain's waterways.

https://waterways.org.uk/fund-britains-waterways