1937 prototype of ville class tug

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by kristjan, Aug 27, 2015.

  1. kristjan
    Joined: Aug 2015
    Posts: 9
    Likes: 2, Points: 1, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Toronto

    kristjan Junior Member

    Hello All,

    Sorry if this is the wrong place for this.
    It is planning from scratch time, almost.
    An empty vessel to turn into a daydream boat if you will.


    I have come into a 1937 steel boat that was used as a side troller in the great lakes for many years as a turtled over fish boat. She ended up as a diving research vessel for the government that was sold as surplus.
    The engine is a GM-453, the hull and engine are in excellent shape, the wiring and plumbing is all brand new.
    The boat is essentially that same as a Canadian VILLE class WW2 tug, in fact it is the prototype vessel by the same designer.
    The name of the boat is Bluefin, was originally known as Annie Mac.
    Maybe someone here has experience with these vessels?

    I plan on converting it for live aboard and great lakes cruising, down the St Lawrence and would even like to try some ocean hops.
    She used to fish almost year round in Superior for herring, so I don't imagine a 777 mile trip to Bermuda from Charleston is out of the question.

    She is empty of interior right now. The boat has always had a reputation for rolling badly. I inspect and find that the two 500 litre fuel tanks are thick steel, made on legs about a foot high above the bilge sole, and inline with the engine. The battery banks are high up, just under the deck again on supports to be well above the bilge sole. So I expect that building wing tanks out of fiberglass and losing the raised steel tanks will reduce rolling.
    Right now they remind me of a log, no matter how heave a log is, the weight is centered and she will roll. If squared she will develop a loll.

    I have plenty of ideas, too many to include in the first post.
    But would really appreciate any input or advice.
    If this was your ideal boat, where would you start to make a simple, rugged, cruiser?
    How would you add a steadying rig/get home sail for major drive train failure? The bigger the better as I would like to do long passages if the boat is capable.

    *Currently the bilges are full of chain, in about week or two I will have to the chance to take out and know how much weight it actually is. Though chain doesn't strike me as the densest medium of steel, so it may not weigh as much as it looks.
    * I plan to convert dry exhaust to North Sea type exhaust during the winter, I will change the house in the future and don't want a chimney coming through the deck. Noise etc...My wife hasn't heard the engine run as it is yet!

    *Water used as ballast is bad because as you use your fresh water you lose your ballast, couldn't I have wing tanks for fresh water, and identical tanks after of them to fill with sea water as fresh water was consumed? Trim change wouldn't be a whole lot.
    *There is no lead or other ballast, the fishing gear must have been it, along with the chain that I was told was always there.
    *bilge keels?
    Forward of the sliding door the deck was raised to the top of the bulwark, and redone properly supported out of steel etc..and that little grey bulwark added. So inside is good space and head room and reserve buoyancy etc...

    [​IMG]
     
  2. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
    Posts: 19,126
    Likes: 498, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 3967
    Location: Eustis, FL

    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Welcome to the forum.

    I'll suspect the rolling is a function of the steep deadrise, from bow to stern, nut fuel tank locations. Loaded up with cod (or whatever), the rolling will slow a bit, bu that hull form hasn't much effective bearing area to prevent rolling. Some things could be done, though short of a big giro, you'll have to live with some rolling.
     
  3. kristjan
    Joined: Aug 2015
    Posts: 9
    Likes: 2, Points: 1, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Toronto

    kristjan Junior Member

    That's certainly part of it. As for effective bearing area, I was reading Kasten's site about bilge keels. His whole site is very educational.

    I have read also parts from treatise on naval architecture and it talks about wooden bilge keels, not large protrusions of steel plate but still longer runners to provide lateral resistance to roll. If the surface area is same, should be similar performance.

    My brain is thinking that the competing buoyancy of the two wood bilge keels will also serve to reduce roll the same as the wight of a bilge keel would. I saw fiberglassed foam bilge keels, about 6x6 and 3/4 vessel length installed in BVI. They did it to improve tracking but must have reduced rolling.
     
  4. Rurudyne
    Joined: Mar 2014
    Posts: 1,170
    Likes: 40, Points: 48, Legacy Rep: 155
    Location: North Texas

    Rurudyne Senior Member

    Some time ago I came across a paper by Zelik and Alexander Segal called Roll Stabilization with Short Wings.

    (Broken link removed, correct link below)
     
  5. rasorinc
    Joined: Nov 2007
    Posts: 1,853
    Likes: 71, Points: 48, Legacy Rep: 896
    Location: OREGON

    rasorinc Senior Member

    On line access forbidden says my computer to your posting.
     
  6. Rurudyne
    Joined: Mar 2014
    Posts: 1,170
    Likes: 40, Points: 48, Legacy Rep: 155
    Location: North Texas

    Rurudyne Senior Member


  7. kristjan
    Joined: Aug 2015
    Posts: 9
    Likes: 2, Points: 1, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Toronto

    kristjan Junior Member

    thanks for the link, i'll study it tomorrow. fwiw, I found a sistership, owner tells many of these boats had beach sand filled into bilges.
     
Loading...
Forum posts represent the experience, opinion, and view of individual users. Boat Design Net does not necessarily endorse nor share the view of each individual post.
When making potentially dangerous or financial decisions, always employ and consult appropriate professionals. Your circumstances or experience may be different.