Hi fellow Pd's
Odd question coming
Just won bidding on a very nice steamtug (40 inch length)(dutch site marktplaats)
BUT!! since i'm so attached to paddlers ... you here me coming ?
I wanna make a paddletug of it ,weird? i don't think so .
Has any of you guy's ever tried something like this before ?
Or has anyone idea's about it?
Any comment or suggestion is (as always ) very welcome.
The name of the tug is Achilles( the first one early 1900's, there was also a second one build in 1958)
It's a dutch vessel , a sea tug .
Hope to hear from you guy's
gr from The Bombus

Hi Bombus,
Can you post a pic?
I know i have supplied wheels to guys building from propeller driven tug hulls before so your question isn't unusual.
Speak soon,
Kim

i cant see too many problems , as long as the hull isnt long and skinny , a paddler needs a certain amount of beam too carry the weight of the wheels , hanging out-side of the hull.
for this reason , i would use the HIPS au paddle wheel kits , from barry .
i have a hull , that has being succsesfully converted to screw driven often , that is a paddle tug design , approx. 40+10 inch
you will also need 300/350 rpm at the paddle wheels , other wise it will be hopeless in the wind
i hope i havent add ed to you design worries regards and good luck bill s

hi there,
the size of the tug is approx 40X11 inch
sorry but since it's expected around half June(the guy brings it over for me)(free of charge )
it did a quick cut and paste to show you guys what i have in mind
the weird round one i found yesterday (no rights one this one  )enjoy it
thnx for the respons so far
does any of you know the price for those hips paddles ? (plus shipment(i live in Antwerp, Belgium) )
thnx and gr from The Bombus

...well.... looking at that 4th picture I'd say the funnel needs to be further forward or back, not between the paddles as there probably wouldn't be room for both boiler and engines all in the same place? just a thought...

Just a cockeyed thought - is there any reason for the paddles to be midships?
If they were further aft, there should be less drag as the part of the hull in high-speed water would be less.

Geoff

hi fellow paddlers ,
First things first , i just made that cut and paste picture to show the idea
there's nothing absolute about it at all.
iI count on you guys for the do's and do'nt's
if the wheels should go a little backwarts , so be it
I gathered a lot of pictures from tugs and am trying to find a acceptable way in the middle of them all.
My sternwheeler is being build in just the same way .
creathing a unique model this way is (for me ) the way to go
No less respect to all those modellers who build 100% replicas of an existing ship of course
So , the more feedback i get the happier
And hey is solving all those problems an trying to figger it all out not the most fun of it all ?
gr from The Bombus

Quote from: geoff_p on May 25, 2012, 12:36:39 AM....is there any reason for the paddles to be midships?
If they were further aft,....

Looking at some of the models in the science museum it seems it was not unusual for the paddles to be forward of the centre (especially noticeable on the small model bottom right of the picture) though I don't know why, maybe so the boiler (and funnel) could be behind the bridge giving a better view ahead for the helmsman...
...looking at relevant pictures, Director class tugs seem to have the paddles aft of centre, perhaps that was found to be more effective...