tug towing

[Eddy Matthews]

I was just sitting here wondering if there was any paddlewheel tug that would be suitable to use in tug towing competitions?

I can't imagine anything that would be really suitable, but wondered if anyone had tried it or given it some serious thought? It would certainly be an unusual sight if there was something suitable (at least in the UK), so has anyone got any ideas/suggestions?

[steamboatmodel]

Hi Eddy,
Many years ago John B. and I entered a regatta that had tug towing, we both had two models with us John had MAX (a Alligator warping tug) and Chipmunk (a little Linberg tug), I had a motofloat (a six inch square box with a karts nozzle on the bottom, it was nick named the floating outhouse, and was notorious for lack of directional control) I also had one of the linberg tug. We decided that the linberg tugs were two small ( we have since learned different), so we entered the Motofloat and Max.
We fixed the motofloat at the Stern of the tow and Max at the Bow, and away we went. The Motofloat now had Six Feet of tow infront of it, and turned itself into a 6' 6" ship which would run straight as an arrow, with John's Max helping with the tight docking and turning we came in second place. Were not the Director class tugs sidewheelers used for moving aircraft carriers? they should be good for towing.
Regards,
Gerald

[derekwarner_decoy]

Eddy – back in the old YAHOO days, Toe Boat Joe posted a few messages re the limits or whatever viz a comparison of paddle wheel input HP to propeller input HP & the results etc – from memory low paddle power took a clean sweep, but only to a cut off point where propeller power was ++++++………..reportedly superior  
   
But thinking about reality, who would want to sit “below the sea” [apart from Richard Beatle Starkey] & watch propellers go round & round? -  when we can watch the PS Waverley’s wheels [splash splash] through the mist [as she goes around the bend] whilst having a cup of tea & Vegemite sandwich with the ACS staff at 9.45 AM most mornings!! – Derek  
“”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””  
         
 
From: Eddy Matthews [mailto:chat@paddleducks.co.uk]
 Sent: Saturday, 17 December 2005 10:41 AM
 To: chat@paddleducks.co.uk
 Subject: tug towing  
 
   
I was just sitting here wondering if there was any paddlewheel tug that would be suitable to use in tug towing competitions?
 
 I can't imagine anything that would be really suitable, but wondered if anyone had tried it or given it some serious thought? It would certainly be an unusual sight if there was something suitable (at least in the UK), so has anyone got any ideas/suggestions? <![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]> <![endif]>      
 

 Regards
 Eddy
 
 
 -------------------- m2f --------------------
 
 Exported by Paddleducks Mail System.
 
 http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6177#6177
 
 -------------------- m2f --------------------

[Red_Hamish]

Hello all, Kingston Mouldings list a "Director Class" Paddletug of which I believe  seven were built. These as correctly identified by Gerald, did not have any modern winches, instead relying on a fixed bollard tow. The link to Kingston Mouldings is http://www.kingstonmouldings.com/products.html#
You never know this might actually catch on with those who are looking for really powerful and manoueverable tugs for our style of competitions.

cheers

Jim

[Eddy Matthews]

Thanks guys,

The things that I wondered about are - will a paddlewheel driven model have enough thrust to successfully maneouvre a heavy tow? And secondly, stability - Most good screw driven tugs used for towing are around 40" length with a beam of 11-13", I don't know of any paddletug hull with a beam anywhere near that wide, so lateral stability could be a major problem.

The Director class tug would be about the right size length wise at 1:48 scale, but the hull is fairly narrow. We also have the problem of the paddlewheels and sponsons etc hanging outboard of the hull increasing the stability problems further.

Comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated....

[towboatjoe]

Sounds like a job for a good stern wheeler to me

[Khephre]

Picking up on Joe's comment Eddie, what about the Jean? You have the plans already and she was designed and built for towing.

Tony

[Eddy Matthews]

Joe & Tony,

I had thought about a sternwheeler, but was concerned about two things - First a sidewheeler would have better maneouverability, and second the height of the towing point on a sternwheeler may be a problem for stability?

[Red_Hamish]

Hello all, Eddy, try and think a bit laterally. With a sternwheeler all you do is lash the bow of the tug to the tow and push! Makes it all too simple I know but still very enjoyable.

cheers

Jim

[steamboatmodel]

Hi Eddy,
If I rememmber correct Tug Towing was done by a team of Two ro more boats, so hock a powerfull sternwheeler to the stern of the tow pore the coals on, and run one or two sidewheelers on the bow for the fine control.
Regards,
Gerald

[Eddy Matthews]

The problem with lashing a powerful sternwheeler to the tow is the UK tug towing rules - It allows for two or three tugs to maneouvre a tow. With two tugs one is attached by a towline to the front and one to the rear, neither of the tugs are allowed to physically make contact with the vessel being towed.

With three tugs, again two are attached via towlines to the bow and the stern of the vessel being towed, and the third tug runs free - it IS allowed to touch the tow to help push it where needed.

So, because of those rules, lashing a paddler to the stern of the tow would be illegal for competition....

[AlistairD]

I think that the UK definition of the term "towing"  means, pulling the tow behind the tug, whereas the US definition means pushing  the tow. This is known in the test of the world as using a pusher  tug
 Â 
 Alistair
 

 

 
Hello all, Eddy, try and think a bit laterally. With a    sternwheeler all you do is lash the bow of the tug to the tow and push! Makes    it all too simple I know but still very    enjoyable.

cheers

Jim


     
enjoy the world of Radio Control Model Boating at www.paddleducks.co.uk    and www.edinburghmodelboatclub.org.uk


-------------------- m2f    --------------------

Exported by Paddleducks Mail System.

http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6220#6220

--------------------    m2f --------------------

[towboatjoe]

That's true when you're talking about inland tugs. There are some coastal type tugs around the lower Mississippi River that have added push knees. On the upper Mississippi River sometimes a big towboat will push one barge on the head to break ice and pull other barges behind like a regular tug. You'll notice photos of some towboats designed for this use for they have small push knees on the stern. We call them "tow knees".

The legal name is push boat, but river people have always called them towboats because since the early times of log rafts they've been called tows (I guess because a lot of times they were towed by horse and mule teams along the bank) so a powered vessel used to move a tow is a tow boat.

[Red_Hamish]

Hello all, I believe that for the 2006 competition season there will be a class of tug-towing where a single pusher tug willl be allowed to navigate the standard course used and be scored accordingly. Mobile Marine Models have for this purpose included within their hull range a versatile Euro tug which can be utilised as a conventional tug or a pusher tug. This will surely muddy the waters  :lol:

cheers

Jim

[Eddy Matthews]

Hello all, I believe that for the 2006 competition season there will be a class of tug-towing where a single pusher tug willl be allowed to navigate the standard course used and be scored accordingly.
Jim

Really? Are there any written rules available for this Jim? It certainly sounds interesting and would (at first glance) allow for the use of a sternwheel pusher tug/towboat.