Don't know if I said thanks for locating the sources of coal for BALTIMORE'S future steamings.

Can you believe it? I wasn't even aware that coal left out for varying periods of time can go stale and lose its potency.

I'm going to stand to learn quite a lot which had become commonplace to those who had made steam power their life's work.

Tug BALITMORE'S engineer, Steve Heaver, has passed out an engine room manual that he had compiled from a group of older works and the stuff I've read there just boggles the mind. There's even an art to throwing the coal into the firebox and it changes with the type of work being anticipated. Talk about a science...

The BALTIMORE goes into the drydock first of next month, after which we will see what the hull condition is.

The image above shows what the tug will look like out of water. We intend to get a power wash and a couple of coats of fresh paint on her bottom. We would appreciate your prayers and hope that's all we'll need from the out-of-water experience.

Once we get the low-down on the repair outlay we'll be able to determine when the boilers are to be re-certified. Our certification is about to lapse this Summer even though we have just completed re-newing the steam and water fittings.

Stay tuned for steamings. In the mean while, thanks for generating interest amongst the re-enactors in your portion of West Viginia.

We can sure use the help of you and your pards this coming October in many ways and volunteering on BALTIMORE'S behalf DOES insure future on-board billets beyond the tug's birthday. We finally get to play with the big toys.

'Tis a pleasure indeed to counted as being amongst your associates Sir,

Walt Mathers