Tugboat Plans

[boatbum]

Got one word for ya, STEEL!! doesn't warp or rot, will oxidize if left untouched for a LONG time, but really the forever material.

My boats 80 years young and still in good condition (yes, she's steel hulled).

[stevey_frac]

Lol.

I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I don't have the skill set or equipment to weld a steel hull. Plus, isn't modern marine plywood not too bad?

-Steve

[DetroiTug]

Steve,

Nothing wrong with plywood. If it is good quality and properly cared for, it will give good service. My 1964 Chriscraft Cavalier is made of plywood and it still has the original bottom. and sides. There have been a few repairs made over the years. The main thing about a wood boat is let it breathe. Don't close off any areas to air.

-Ron

[stevey_frac]

I was planning on encasing the whole thing in fiberglass... Are you saying that it would rot in that case??

[Edward]

Dear Steve ,

Nothing the matter with encasing it in fibre glass and resin , in fact it's a good thing to do . BUT.. There is a danger : if the sheath of fibre glass and resin is punctured , and it need only be a small hole , water can penetrate and rot can start and spread invisibly .
Of course this isn't unique to wood encased in fibre glass , rust can spread in exactly the same way under the paint on a steel boat although more slowly .

This won't happen if you're careful , inspect the hull regularly and carefully ,repairing any and all small scratches and dings as soon as they happen. You must also be quite certain that you wet the ply wood thoroughly with resin before applying the fibre glass so you don't get any small voids between the fibre glass and the wood . It's also probably better to use epoxy resins as they are more waterproof , they are also more expensive .


Regards Edward .

[DetroiTug]

Steve,

Agreeing with Edward, it's ok to sheath in fiberglass, as long as the wood was dry to begin with and it is not allowed to get wet under the fiberglass. My Chris craft has a fiberglass over plywood bottom. It's almost 50 years old.

I was talking more along the lines of areas that get wet like the bilge etc. If the wood can get wet anywhere make sure there is air that can circulate and dry it out. That's when the rotting starts. Like shrink wrapping a wood boat tightly for the winter is a no-no.

-Ron

[stevey_frac]

Ahh..

I see what you are getting at Ron. Thanks, And keep the suggestions coming. I've never actually owned a boat before, just played around a bit with my fathers when i was smaller. So I don't doubt there will be a learning curve.

-Steve

[PeteThePen1]

Hi folks

Can I chip in on the topic of plywood? I have just bought some more as I am running out.

First time around I bought all my building timber from Robbins, the specialist boat building timber merchant in Bristol as the more local timber specialist appeared to have gone bust. Robbins Elite Marine Ply (BS1088) 6mm worked out at about 100GBP per sheet. It is a nice salmon pink colour, there are lots of inner plies and the surface finish is really smooth. It also cuts very cleanly.

Last week, having run out I dithered over ordering another sheet and paying the shipping costs from Bristol (100+ miles) or going to collect it. I did a ring around the local builders merchants and one that had supplied me with some nice mahogany (substitute) said they had BS 1088 marine ply in stock. So, I went and got a sheet, and had some surprises.

Surprise 1 was that the 6mm sheet cost 20GBP, while shock 2 only emerged later when I got down close and personal with a fret saw. There are fewer plies, the outer faces are much rougher and it cuts with much more splintering. It is not nice to plane either.

So the moral of the story is that there is some excellent stuff and some duff stuff to be had out there. How well the two will last remains to be seen. There is a similar sort of story in Devlin's Boatbuilding. I had not believed him when I read it, but I am now a convert!

Regards

Pete

[stevey_frac]

By all means Pete, chip in all you want! Any relevant advice / stories / misc will help me on this little journey.

For the wood, I will likely order through my father, who works in a proper wood working shop. They regularly order wood by the tractor trailer load, so to throw a skid of marine ply on it is no big deal. They get heavy discounts for it as well.

My Father also recently purchased a brand new Chevy Pickup with an 8' box and is eager to put it to use, so I have no doubts he'll deliver it to my house.

I'm very shortly going to start pricing out building the basic hull. I think if the hull is built, the cabin can wait, and it lets me get started. I'd imagine building it all is going to take a lot of time, on the order of years.