In 1801 William Symington patented a horizontal steam engine directly linked to a crank, and after he got the support of Lord Dundas he designed a hull around this powerful engine.
The wooden hull was built by Alexander Hart and John Allen, Grangemouth, Stirlingshire, Scotland.
Dimensions 17.1 x 5.5 x 2.4m.
Powered by horizontal steam engine of 10hp. (12hp?)manufactured by Carron Company, the crank driving a large paddle wheel in a central upstand in the hull, aimed at avoiding damage to the canal banks.
She was named CHARLOTTE DUNDAS after one of the daughters of Lord Dundas.
04 January 1803 Symington and Lord Dundas with some relatives and friends on board sailed for the first time on a canal near Glasgow.
Symington was not complete satisfied with the performing of the craft and wanted to make some improvements.
Lord Dundas was so pleased with the performance of the craft he ordered 8 steamboats to be used on the Bridgewater Canal.
28 March a new trial was made, this time she towed two loaded 70 ton barges through the Forth and Clyde Canal to Glasgow a distance of around 18½ miles in 9 hours and 15 minutes, average speed around 2 miles.
But Lord Dundas sudden dead a few days before the second trial, cancelled the order for 8 steamboats, the other canal officials were afraid that the wash of the steamboats would erode the banks of the canal.
The CHARLOTTE DUNDAS was left in a backwater of the canal, and she was broken up in 1861.
Benin 1995 50f sg 1286, scott 749.
Bhutan 1989 2n sg 800, scott 739.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Dundas http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/gaz ... lding.html Ships of the World by Lincoln P. Paine.