How's my Butt?

[Lewisboats]

http://angelfire.com/ego/lewisboatworks/Stuff/Tugger2.JPGWell,


Now that I have your attention http://boatdesign.net/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif ...I am looking for opinions on the aft end of this little tug I am honing my Freeship skills on. This is only 16.5 ft LOA with a 7.25 beam to give you perspective on size. Are there any Tug afficiados out there who would care to comment on the after end treatment or the whole thing? Anyone got any good pictures of Tugs or preferably MiniTugs they would like to share?

Steve

[Todd Bradshaw]

My initial reaction would be ditch the transom and it's rake and go ahead and round-out the stern. Then again, those rounded sterns have always been my favorite part of tugs and without one it just seems like something is missing. Your mileage may vary.

[Hwyl]

I agree with Todd (rhetorical statement, with the exception of halyard tension, I always agree with him). I think there's a practical purpose for the rounded, tumblehome stern. Tow rope clearance and all that.

[rbgarr]

A round stern would look better to me, too, but why do you call it a tugboat?

[Lewisboats]

A round stern would look better to me, too, but why do you call it a tugboat?

Mainly because I developed it from an earlier iteration that I called Tugger...why?? Is there something else you see in this hull??

Steve

[Lewisboats]

I agree with Todd (rhetorical statement, with the exception of halyard tension, I always agree with him). I think there's a practical purpose for the rounded, tumblehome stern. Tow rope clearance and all that.

Is there so much difference from the raked flatter transom to the rounded stern with tumblehome? And why do you always agree with him (no offense intended...just curious)?

Steve

[rbgarr]

I thought tugs were deep draft boats that swung a big slow-turning propellor down low for towing, pushing and pulling purposes. Also very big rudders.

I've seen shallow draft pushboats delivering/maneuvering barges on the Intracoastal Waterway but don't think of them as tugs. More like huge self propelled outboard motors.

[Lewisboats]

I thought tugs were deep draft boats that swung a big slow-turning propellor down low for towing, pushing and pulling purposes. Also very big rudders.

I've seen shallow draft pushboats delivering/maneuvering barges on the Intracoastal Waterway but don't think of them as tugs. More like huge self propelled outboard motors.

Yeah...but this is only 16.5 ft long, 7.25 ft wide...how deep a draft can I get it? It is currently somewhere in the neighbourhood of 2600 lbs displacement at the shown waterline. This is a small replica for someone who loves the shape of Tugs but wants something realistic to build. This is NOT a working towboat nor is it intended to be. {Caviat} It would look great towing a smaller houseboat barge.

Steve

[Andrew]

Another vote for the rounded stern. Just a matter of taste.

I've just download FreeShip. Have you any recommendations for a tuturial?

[Tom Robb]

The rounded stern makes it easier for the tug to pull away from a ship on her hip, doesn't it? It may not apply in your case, but then neither does all that tumblehome.

[Lewisboats]

The rounded stern makes it easier for the tug to pull away from a ship on her hip, doesn't it? It may not apply in your case, but then neither does all that tumblehome.

Now that makes sense... doesn't it? Or is it just traditional?

[rbgarr]

Steve- I see now. If it's intended to be an imitation tug above the waterline I understand what you're trying to do.

A boatyard owner near me (when I was growing up) had several tugboats. Two were the real thing an he built a twenty foot tug with a huge engine and prop that drew about five feet. It could really work and a pile of kids would ride along when he'd tow sailboats to other harbors for races. It could pull a sting of ten or twelve boats into a breeze and chop and not even break a sweat, although those of us aboard and not in the pilot house got soaked.

[bainbridgeisland]

Tugboats generally have far more power than they need when not pushing or pulling. Thus, the stern needs to be very powerful as long as its shape doesn't adversely affect towing duty. I think your stern needs to be more powerful. The full bow combined with the relatively weak stern is likely to squat a lot when pushed very hard.

David Mancebo

[Spokaloo]

+1 rounded transom. Just love that curve!

On another note Steve, why make the bilge curve carry into the bulwarks? That break where the working deck would normally be really sells the shape of a traditional tug. Just an opinion man, very interesting lines!

E

[boylesboats]

Round that transom a bit... Then I'll tell how your butt....

[jzeigler]

Just a thought I dont' think has been touched upon except for Bainbridgeisland in a way. That's a lot of rocker for a short waterline. Does a top speed of less than 5knots look appealing? Or will you overpower her thinking you can overcome the physics of "slow".

[Jess P]

I like it. :)

[boylesboats]

It okay, I'll pass.... My wife's butt is more interesting right now....

[Tom Hunter]

I vote rounded too, because tugboats don't have square sterns.

Based on my complete lack of technical knowledge I suspect she will sqat as well. Underwater she does not look like a tug, or even like a displacement or semi-displacement lobster boat. You might think about that a bit, or maybe just comment on it here.

One of the things I like about the forum is looking at and discussing ideas like this, thanks for posting.

[Ron Carter]

Had a friend years ago that was going to build a tug that size and a 30' houseboat barge. Intention was to live on the water. Ohio, Mississippi, Kentucky Lakes, Tombigbee, ICW etc. His research showed that the tug/barge combination had to be capable of 9mph statute. This was based on spring, but not flood, conditions below some of the TVA dams. Barge was permanent quarters and the tug would serve as a grocery getter and overnite tripper.

Lost track of him but the plan was darn well thought out. I'm going to toss my vote to the round stern too. Just seems more traditional.

[Lewisboats]

Well, seeing as most of you folks prefer a fuller, rounder figure I started feeding her candy and this is what I came up with. Pardon the slight imperfections like points that shouldn't be there...the program shows every twitch of the mouse.

Steve

http://angelfire.com/ego/lewisboatworks/Stuff/Tugger2Round.JPG

[boylesboats]

Getting there... looking sexy

[Spokaloo]

I like the direction its going. Nothing really makes a true tug shape pop like hefty working bulwarks, that no-nonsense stern thats out of the way, and a few well placed openings for rope and scuppers.

Keep it up, I have been looking at your other stuff for a year now (was going to build your tug but decided to go smaller first, 9' to be exact).

E

[Lewisboats]

I was noticing while perusing the other thread with all the tugs on it that over 90% of the tugs do not have tumblehome on the transom and many have not tumblehome at all. However, over 90% of them have the rounded stern...but a couple do actually have transoms (and I'm not talking about the pilot boats either). I wonder where the automatic mental picture of round transoms and tumblehome come from??? Maybe the little cartoon tugs? :D I saw lots of straight stems in there but my mental picture has the stem like mine is drawn...with a huge stack behind the pilothouse.

Steve

[Lewisboats]

Just a thought I dont' think has been touched upon except for Bainbridgeisland in a way. That's a lot of rocker for a short waterline. Does a top speed of less than 5knots look appealing? Or will you overpower her thinking you can overcome the physics of "slow".

I never expected it to go fast...I haven't seen a tug that really could...have you? They are pure displacement hulls with all the attending limitations and benefits.

Steve

[Lewisboats]

Another vote for the rounded stern. Just a matter of taste.

I've just download FreeShip. Have you any recommendations for a tuturial?

You should check out this group, there is information and it is a good place to ask questions:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Freeship_HTandT_Group


Steve