Steamboat Amity Attracts Attention on the Bay

Byline: Ambrosia Brody SAN DIEGO — It wasn’t Charles “Chuck” Darragh’s plan to stand out from other boat owners when he set out to build a steamboat. But his unique vessel quickly became a local attraction — and there’s nothing quite like it on San Diego Bay. San Diegans may have caught Darragh cruising around the bay on his steamboat, Amity, as he takes the vessel out on weekly runs. With its black stack and bellowing whistle, the 28-foot steam launch has become a favorite of locals and visitors alike. “I always wanted a steamboat,” said Darragh, 77, who has lived in San Diego for 31 years. “They are interesting, especially if you like to see things go up and down and round and round.” Darragh, who spent much of his childhood sailing on small lakes and sailboats back home in Amity, Pennsylvania, had become fascinated by steamboats throughout the years. He had always planned to someday construct his own vessel when he could spend time working on it. Darragh constructed Amity in 1995, after he retired as a mechanical engineer. The Midwest native worked on the boat in his boat shed for 3.5 years. He purchased the boat’s balsa-cored fiberglass hull from Bud Leutza in...