DetroiTug's Tug is going together

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DetroiTug
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Re: DetroiTug's Tug is going together

Post by DetroiTug » Thu Oct 10, 2019 4:01 pm

Wes,

Over in the Paducah, Kentucky area. I used to live down here years ago, so it's nothing new for me. Yes, all the years I lived in Michigan, the winters were starting to get to me. Winter here is only a few months long. Of course, the summers are hot, but I'll take that over the snow and otherwise not so great weather of the north.

I went to the post office here the other day, there was one person manning it and he was asleep lol. Once awake he was polite and helpful. What a difference, around Detroit, the post office has a line out to the front door and the people working there have all the glee and enthusiasm of an executioner.. Quite a difference.

This area is where the Mississippi and Ohio rivers converge, so it should be fun steaming here. Lot's of back roads to drive the Locomobile too.

-Ron
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Re: DetroiTug's Tug is going together

Post by kno3 » Sat Oct 12, 2019 10:13 am

Your tug is really beautiful. I enjoyed watching the videos you posted. And I wouldn't mind watching some more :D

Do you have a cabin in it for sleeping or is it just a day cruiser?
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TahoeSteam
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Re: DetroiTug's Tug is going together

Post by TahoeSteam » Sat Oct 12, 2019 1:25 pm

Hi Ron,

That sounds like a wonderful place to set your anchor. I recently moved to Sacramento from Lake Tahoe for work and it sounds like Sacramento is very Detroit-esq in some ways. I will definitely be moving back after this work assignment is done.

I bought my truck down in Radcliff Kentucky. Flew out to Cincinnati and stayed with a friend for a couple weeks to find one, then once I did I drove it back West. The people out in those parts were a breath of fresh air. I was nice to have strangers just strike up a conversation with you without an ulterior motive. They are just genuinely nice folks. Amazing.

Is air conditioning on the boat your next improvement?
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DetroiTug
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Re: DetroiTug's Tug is going together

Post by DetroiTug » Sun Oct 13, 2019 10:49 pm

Yes, the people are very friendly here and the area is beautiful and clean. I'm done with the big cities of the north. Harsh messy long winters, a changing demographic and not for the better. Michigan has the worst roads in the country, their excuse is because of the winters, but northern Ohio has bad winters too - driving down I-75 out of Michigan it's chuckholes and uneven pavement, cross the Ohio line and it smooths right out. I lived in Wayne County, which has the highest auto insurance rates in the country, I bought insurance here from the same company and it was about 1/4th the cost. $1100/6 months there, $311/6 months here. Same vehicle, same driving record, just different area. Housing costs are about half here as well.

I'm still trying to figure out what to do with my snowblower :), sure don't need it here.

Steam driven refrigeration compressor? haha The thought has crossed my mind. It's really not bad in the engine room if heading in to the wind, down wind is another story.

-Ron
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DetroiTug
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Re: DetroiTug's Tug is going together

Post by DetroiTug » Tue Oct 15, 2019 2:31 pm

Kno,

Quote: "Do you have a cabin in it for sleeping or is it just a day cruiser?"

I've overnighted on it for as long as five days. There is room on each side of the cabin for a fold out cot, it's cramped but it works. Then there is hot and cold running water at the sink. There is a portable electric heater for cold nights. It works fine, but not for too long.

-Ron
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Re: DetroiTug's Tug is going together

Post by TriangleTom » Tue Oct 15, 2019 3:00 pm

DetroiTug wrote:
Sun Oct 13, 2019 10:49 pm
Steam driven refrigeration compressor? haha The thought has crossed my mind. It's really not bad in the engine room if heading in to the wind, down wind is another story.

-Ron
If the river water is cool enough, you could probably get away with just running a small single-pipe fancoil off of an inverter, and circulating the cooling water through a heat exchanger in the keel.
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DetroiTug
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Re: DetroiTug's Tug is going together

Post by DetroiTug » Tue Oct 15, 2019 4:22 pm

TriangleTom wrote:
Tue Oct 15, 2019 3:00 pm
DetroiTug wrote:
Sun Oct 13, 2019 10:49 pm
Steam driven refrigeration compressor? haha The thought has crossed my mind. It's really not bad in the engine room if heading in to the wind, down wind is another story.

-Ron
If the river water is cool enough, you could probably get away with just running a small single-pipe fancoil off of an inverter, and circulating the cooling water through a heat exchanger in the keel.
That is a good idea!

Thanks, Ron
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Re: DetroiTug's Tug is going together

Post by TriangleTom » Tue Oct 22, 2019 1:20 am

What with the weather we have in Oklahoma, it's one of the one things I've definitely decided I'm putting in to the boat when it gets built.

Working for a fan coil manufacturer probably helps :D
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fredrosse
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Re: DetroiTug's Tug is going together

Post by fredrosse » Wed Oct 21, 2020 9:53 am

Margaret S has a very good refrigeration system, although it requires the steam plant to be in operation for functioning. The sidewheeler is Propane fired, with burners supplied from standard 20 pound barbecue cylinders. Placing the 20 pound Propane cylinder in an insulated cooler case, the Propane tank gets very cold while underway, however only enough refrigeration to keep a case of canned liquids, plus various other foods for a day well refrigerated. After about 1 hour of full steaming power, I need to switch Propane tanks, as the used one has boiled down to a low pressure (and very low temperature), and cannot continue to provide full boiler burner pressure.

Switching to a spare propane cylinder takes only a few minutes, and we are underway again. The cold cylinder can be left in the cooler case for a few hours, regaining temperature/pressure while continuing to keep the cooler case at the desired low temperature. Each 20 pound Propane cylinder can provide nearly 4 hours of fuel for steaming.
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Re: DetroiTug's Tug is going together

Post by barts » Wed Oct 21, 2020 4:22 pm

A propane fridge uses heat (from either propane or electricity) via an absorption cycle to keep food cold. They're pretty standard in travel trailers. A small steam feed equiv. to 20k btu/day will easily run one; coolng the heat rejection coils with cold water rather than air will improve that number. Modern sailing (power limited) yachts use 12V high efficiency Danforth compressors, well insulated fridges (sometimes w/ vacuum panels) and solar panels to keep food cool.


- Bart
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Bart Smaalders http://smaalders.net/barts Lopez Island, WA
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