Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Full Scale Ships => Topic started by: mrsgoggins on April 01, 2008, 03:56:00 pm
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Purely by accident my wife and I spent one night recently in the Holiday Inn in Key Largo which owns, they claim, the boat actually used in the film. I have no idea how much of it is original but most of it, including the steam plant, looks pretty aged. My wife however said she did not remember it being fitted with an outboard when she saw the film!
In the hotel foyer was a wood burning boiler with a plaque indicating that it was one of several that had been fitted to The African Queen.
I trust that the photo's attached will be of interest to someone.
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See also here: http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=6842.0
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It's really interesting to see the old lady in her natural surroundings. I too was surprised to see that the paint job was so poor for such an iconic vessel. I believe that there were three boats made for the film and this is the only one to survive. I also am pretty sure that she has had several different engines during her working life.
This is quite probably the same boat which was brought to this country for Earls Court and then shown at Shipley Park in Derbyshire in the spring of 1990. She was at the American Adventure Park over the Easter weekend, being sponsored by the 'Daily Express' newspaper on a world tour and giving free trips round the lake. After visiting Derbyshire she went to Dover for the 'Small Ships' run to France but was unable to leave the harbour due to strong winds and choppy seas. Please see my posting, as linked by Colin, on this thread. She went off to Australia during that year and I still have in my possesssion a picture card sent by Jim Hendricks, owner of the African Queen, with the Sydney Opera House in the background.
By the way, Mrgoggins, I hope you had a good time in Florida. I've seen the sunset many times from the sea down there while travelling between the Windies and the States on Tankers but never managed to visit that part of America.............. O0 O0
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Thankyou Kiteman we did indeed have a good time.
Regards,
Keith