building a 25 ft Tug

Nice looking little tug. My father has one similar that he uses to do shift work at my family's shipyard. His is 25x10 with about a 4' operating draft. Power is a pair of NA cummins 110hp inline 4cyl. If I can figure out how to post pics on here I can get one up of it in action at our last new vessel launching. It was built to move our houseboat but now just helps out at the shipyard.

 

What's the name on that transom?

-Tom

 

THE BEAR

The house used to be elevated for pushing our houseboats but when we sold them the eye level was no longer needed and the house was dropped to the deck. Doing this necessitated the extending of the exhaust to the top of the house. I think it looks a little funny now but it works. This little boat was built in the early 90's.

 

Thanks Bayoudude. Thats nice tug you have there also. I notice it has little shear??.is there a reason for that? also I like the utility idea of the clean deck and no bulwarks. makes it easy to alight to and from the vessel. and good for ropework! I kept the bulwarks on my tug at 8 inches, so you cna just jump on her...
I appeciate the pic very much
thanks

 

You gotta love work boats!

-Tom

 

The boat never sees exposed waters where water on the deck would be an issue. So I am assuming that is why they didn't put any shear.

 

...emmm, it has sheer and camber, maybe not hollow very much, but, hey it works.

 

Why-do you think it would have problems clearing water from the deck if a wave broke on it??? It may not be intended for open sea but not for that reason.....

 

looks like there is enough angle on deck between the bow and stern to clear water- I experimented with a tug design using no shear curvature- just an angled deck- looks prreety cool if you ask me...ill tinker with it some more actually.

-problem with that experiment was that the angle between the bow and stern was too great and i had to lower the bow reducing freeboard f'ward and, making it less seaworthy on entry on a heavy sea. then the issue was the angle along the centerline made it difficult to walk, like walking uphill to the wheelhouse. not as easy as the curved shears.

I noticed the push knees on her too...i thought about adding a pair to mine.

 

Started building yet? I've finished the welding on my hull except for a few small bits. Now I've knocked off for a couple of months to do other stuff. Probably get back to it in August. I've got most of what I need to fit out the interior so I don't expect any dramas there.

PDW

 

PDW sorry its been so long-

I havent started the tug yet--sticking to my small design, though, chined style.
However-since the last time we were on here-I built a 24 ft x 9 ft shanty/trawler style power vessel. an 8 ft x 8 ft cabin and a 6 by 8 ft wheelhouse. the aft accomodations are sunken, and accessed by a companionway.
Im finishing her off now. Its my 6th boat. I wanted to get the vessel ill be pushing with my tug done first. It is built in wood, which if i could redo id do in steel..but steel is so costly and it didnt need to be done in steel like the tug...I know many people on here like wood, and it is inexpensive (for a barge type shanty) but to use two words to sum it up- wood sucks! never a stright peice, if you **** up and cut the peice too short its done, and nothing ever seems to go square on the hull no matter what you do. wood shrinks(so i have found) and contracts and glue shrinks and pulls pieces out of fair..its annoying.
But the boat turned out fine and it sure is a fast build in wood compared to steel-at least for me. I had the hull completed in less than two months working full time. she'll use a 10 hp air cooled diesel or outboard until i get the tug built. likely ill start he tug "Ironwood" in the fall....

I bet your boat is just beautiful. have you got the hardware, sails etc for her yet?..got a name picked out?? If you get a chance feel free to upload some pics...

keep me posted...thx

 

new pics of my build this summer--probably use this as the pushed vessel...
ill never never build in wood again--repeat ad infinitum..never gonna build in wood etc etc...steel is (after much experience with both wood and metal) the ONLY way to go!

 

Hey Tugboat, any new pic's of your shanty boat?

Jack

 

Hey jack- i added windows and dont have pics of it right now--its boarded up for winter--it'll be a spring launch..got a 30 hp diesel for her. a thorneycroft...2.6:1 gear
run a 17 inch prop under her...whats new with you?

 

Still working on my auto project.
Dreaming about the Mal Low Portly and searching for someone with the plans.
They are no longer available from Mal.