Tiny Tug concept

Hi all. I drew such a Tiny Tug. 4.0 meters long, 2.3 meters wide. Displacement about 1.2 tons. Hull material - HDPE. For a low power motor. I wonder if such format a boat has any practical use, other than for fun, of course.

 

With a boat as long as 4 meters I'd want to be able to sleep on board. That's the only practical use I can think of.

 

Welcome to the Forum Old Scout.

I am reminded of this very neat little 16' tug yacht from Glen-L boat plans - only 4' longer than your design, but she does have a double bunk as well.
Sweet Sixteen https://www.glen-l.com/Sweet-16/products/763/

 

Thank you BAJANSAILOR.
Yes, she is nice. However, it's worth noting that 4 feet of difference is a huge distance for a boat this small. Just huge!

 

Have you decided on whether this design would be a tiller steer outboard or conventional? A tiller steer might allow for some clever pilothouse designs that I suppose could include a small berth.

 

I think, if necessary, a bunk can be arranged. Even multiple options. One option is inside the pilothouse with special niches at the bottom of the front seats. And if you use a removable tents, then you can even organize several berths.

 

Slowly pulling a small barge or dinghy with sightseers on a slow moving river?

 

Maybe. Although the speed is not so small. I assume that the hull will allow to run at a speed of 10-11 miles per hour powered by a 10 HP engine, despite the fact that the hull is not planing.

 

Not wild about hdpe for a hull material but it's a nice looking little tug. The tiny tug community is surprisingly ambitious, even have a few floating around up here. Cute little things.

 

Old_Scout, a 4 m at the waterline hull will have to start planning at a mere 5.58 mph. As Scotty from Star Trek would have put it, "Yer cannae change the laws o' physics."

 

Andrew Kirk, I'm sure you're right. The stated design speed of 10-11 mph is almost twice higher than the floating mode. However, this hull has its own interesting feature. It will not allow the boat to accelerate more than 10-11 mph (this is bad), but does not require a powerful engine (this is good). Although, perhaps it's just a matter of terminology. I wonder if it is possible to call such moving type - semi-planning mode?

 

I had a tiny tug years ago..it was 16' LOA and had an enclosed pilot house that barely fit two persons, close shoulder to shoulder. Put a 5-cyl Pathfinder diesel (65 hp?) in it and we used it to tow boats around a marina and just for putting around local waters every now and then. Cute little boat. The hull refused to plane...if you tried to go fast, it would just stand right up and the bow and refuse to go faster than about 8-1o mph.

 

another layout in the same hull (4 meters without the rear motor cover). two full-fledged seats in the pilothouse. plus 2 on deck. however, in this form, she no longer looks like a tugboat. I don't even know what it is now...

 

We've got lots of these around here.
SIDEWINDERS - Canadian Maritime Engineering Ltd https://cmelimited.com/marine-projects/sidewinders/

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Might be better to look at
Bo Jest
at Glen L. It has an Outboard
Bo Jest https://www.glen-l.com/18-Bo-Jest-tug-style-cruiser/products/199/

or stitch and glue Tug Along
Tug Along https://www.glen-l.com/16-or-18-Tug-Along-SG-tugboat/products/92/

I cant imagine why anyone would use an inboard engine on such as small craft.