1959-1976 -- Seventeen Years on Skaneateles Lake

Phoebe underway on Skaneateles Lake in the mid sixties. That's Steve Wikstrom "up for air" in the engine room. From the collection of Stephen & Ellen Wikstrom.

Arve Wikstrom, who owned a successful heavy construction company, bought Phoebe for $1,750., moved it to Skaneateles Lake, and in the early '60s, restored it to sound original condition. Because he was a purist, he repeatedly rejected suggestions to modify the boat in ways that would make its operation easier, like converting to an oil-fired boiler or wiring the boat for electricity.

Mr. Wikstrom lived about 2 ½ miles down the west side of Skaneateles Lake where he kept Phoebe in a boathouse during the summer months. (The boat's stack and mast were hinged and folded down to clear the boathouse overhead.) Each fall, it was removed from the lake with a construction crane and placed on a specially constructed steel cradle for winter.

His youngest son, Steven (who with his wife, Ellen, have been FLC members since 1985), had an interest in things nautical, and soon took over Phoebe. Steve's interest was in operating the steam engine and related equipment, leaving the helm and other boat handling details to his high school friends.

For them, Phoebe served as a floating clubhouse and according to Steve, "A floating 'babe mobile'! Girls loved to go out on the boat, which gave us additional motivation to fire up the boiler and take a cruise." Steve has a wonderful audio tape of sounds recorded onboard the launch during one such cruise, and along with many engine room sounds and a wonderful report from the steam whistle, the background noise includes the voices of guys and girls having a great time.

Occasionally, the boys would sleep overnight on the boat with light provided by gimbaled kerosene lanterns in the wheelhouse and after cabin. Because glass chimneys on those lanterns were frequent victims of accidents, replacements were purchased a dozen at a time. The boys loved Phoebe and didn't mind polishing brass fittings and bright-work while "hanging out" through halcyon days of summer.

Gary Kappesser was one of Steve's boyhood friends who wrote later about the power-plant's performance during Phoebe's years on Skaneateles Lake:

"If steam pressure was much below 175-180 psi, or if water level in the boiler was too high, the engine would "knock" as vapor condensed in the low pressure cylinder. If this happened, the engine would have to be stopped and the cylinder drained using valves put there for that purpose.

"Phoebe also had a forced draft system that blew exhaust steam from the boiler up the stack, increasing the flow of air into the firebox and creating a hotter fire. Sometimes it also had the effect of causing wet soot to rain down on passengers seated in the wicker chairs on the stern deck.

"Engine and shaft grease caps were filled before each cruise and were religiously tightened down at regular intervals to provide lubrication to the main bearings. A gravity drip-oiler provided 30-weight oil to secondary bearings and other moving parts.

"While under way, bells were used to communicate between the helm and the engineer. Although a shout would have worked as well, the jingle of bells provided a nautical correctness. The steam whistle was used to answer the frequent requests of passing boats although it was very easy to lose steam pressure that way.

"Fuel came in the form of slabs of hardwood (usually maple or white oak) from a local water-powered sawmill. It was transported from a pile on shore to the boat in a "Georgia buggy" -- an industrial-grade version of a wheel barrow. Onboard, wood was stacked in a bunker on the port side next to the boiler, but for longer trips, it was also stacked in the aft cabin. Wood was always the factor that limited the length of each cruise.

"At the beginning of one trip during the weekend of July 4, 1963, the wood was damp and would not ignite. One of the boys carefully poured some gasoline over the wood in the firebox and struck a match. The result was a near disaster; gasoline vapors ignited and burned his arms and face.

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