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richarddurgee
Senior Member
Username: richarddurgee
Post Number: 1956
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 08:58 pm: | 
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"The African Queen" if you saw the first run of this great old movie then you go back aways to(1951).
Starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn with dirctor John Huston.
I first saw The Old steam boat that was the main setting of the movie under a roof in front of the Holiday Inn on Key Largo, Florida about 35 yrs ago and it was a beatiful sight to see. This past week I looked for and found the boat relegated to the side of the same Inn on a covered boat hoist in the marina. WoW what a sight it has really deteriorated from the constant salty sea air and the moisture laden marina. Not the best photos, I took these about midnight and enhanced them on photo program on computer.
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bruce
Senior Member
Username: bruce
Post Number: 187
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 09:51 pm: |
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That's just criminal!! |
rustaholic
New member
Username: rustaholic
Post Number: 3
Registered: 08-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 03:29 pm: |
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That is just criminal. I'd kick my wife's car outta the garage just to store the boat! Has anyone tried to see if the hotel is willing to sell it off before it's too far gone?
That's just a really sad ending to a famous piece of memorabilia!
Craig M
Northridge, Ca |
kerrigan
Member
Username: kerrigan
Post Number: 8
Registered: 06-2008
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 04:15 pm: |
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Dick Day's friend who restored the Merlin Pearl may be a likely candidate for funding a restoration of the African Queen. Someone should send her the recent photos for inspiration.
Spence |
Brandon P
Visitor
| | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 01:49 pm: |
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I am not sure this is the African Queen from the film. There are several of these up and down the east coast. One is in Wickford, RI, and it is reportedly the one from the film as well. There are some things on the boiler (petcocks etc.) that make me think it is from a later time period than the one in the film, or perhaps the boat has been refitted at some point. Does anyone know if there was more than one made for the filming? It is an awful shame however to let any steamboat go the road that this one has. |
ernie
Senior Member
Username: ernie
Post Number: 920
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 02:10 pm: |
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The boat in the movie had a single cylinder engine. Enyone got any ideas???\
Maybe something as simple as an engine change
Thoughts??? |
adriaticsun
Member
Username: adriaticsun
Post Number: 18
Registered: 03-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 02:45 pm: |
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Hi there fellow motormen and the best of the season to you all...............
This is not the boat of the movie, there are many dif................check out yhe movie
i |
richarddurgee
Senior Member
Username: richarddurgee
Post Number: 1957
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 03:34 pm: |
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I have found the present owner of the boat he inherited it some time ago-- I have his phone number and talked to his secretary he will be back in town next week, I'll see What he has to say ??
Boat is listed under Monroe County Florida National Historic Places in 1992, Structure 91001771 .
The vessel is documented and I looked into that info but nothing to substantiate its heritage only that it does have a steel hull ?
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ernie
Senior Member
Username: ernie
Post Number: 921
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 03:52 pm: |
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Here is a link to the movie trailer on You Tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXM5q9S8idg
There is a pic here showing a single cylinder engine
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043265/
Here is another clip from You Tube. About half way through are a couple of quick glimpses of the engine and it doesn't look like the one that is in the boat in Florida
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS1_dsibuIA |
ernie
Senior Member
Username: ernie
Post Number: 922
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 03:59 pm: |
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Here is the boat rumored to be in RI. It was for a short period of time. However it appears to be the one that Richard photographed in FL
http://www.steamboating.net/page31.html |
bruce
Senior Member
Username: bruce
Post Number: 188
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 09:16 pm: |
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African Queen pedigree or not-it is still criminal to neglect it like that... |
scott_n
Senior Member
Username: scott_n
Post Number: 69
Registered: 02-2008
| | Posted on Friday, December 19, 2008 - 03:01 pm: |
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The engine was changed after the movie so the boat could be usd to carry paying passengers so they could take a ride. The owner who's name I can't remember had to get permission from congress to operate a foreign built vessel in US waters. The hull was built in the UK as a railroad launch. for the ones who know George King. He worked on this engine in Frankland CT. in 1990 for the ownners father. then when he past away his son put the boat in front of his hotel. |
the_sound
New member
Username: the_sound
Post Number: 2
Registered: 03-2008
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 24, 2008 - 01:10 pm: |
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Thanks for the compliment Kerrigan. (Dick Day's friend who restored the Merlin Pearl) I would be happy to restore the African Queen.... as long as someone else provides the funding! I'm all out of money (from the Merlin Pearl) but not out of ideas! She could be great! |
