DetroiTug's Tug is going together

[DetroiTug]

Hi Ron,

The only logical way I can see to do it is: Mount the first roof brace flash to the back wall and cut a filler for where the tongue and groove plank is. Then caulk it with Life Caulk at assembly. Then put a line of screws from inside the pilot house in to the first brace, pulling all the planks up tight. It needs support anyway. The backwall of the pilot house will be the front wall of the aft cabin.

I'm thinking the roof line for the aft cabin will not be at a right angle (90) to the back of the pilot house. It looks like it will be at around 3-4 degrees up toward the stern. It will probably look good like that? Some tugs have a swayback look. I have no design or plans for the cabin, I'm just designing as I go with a rough idea.

-Ron

[gondolier88]

Hi Ron,

A suggestion re. the first brace- I would strongly advise you do NOT make a filer peice for the grooves in the vertical panelling; instead using the first brace as a template, draw a line all the way around it. Using a router, machine the inside of the outline left to a depth of about 1/8" deeper than the 'V' grooves- probably around a depth of 1/4" or so. Making the first brace a 1/4" deeper; epoxy the brace into the milled out rebate pulling it in using screws from the wheelhouse side as you proposed.

When you come to make the cabin tops you can use the same method if you have a long enough router bit, using the first brace as a jig; mill a rebate above the brace using that is the thickness of the roofing material. This makes a lovely watertight and very strong joint that has no room for trapped air/moisture or room for capiliary action along the plank joints- something that would be very hard using filler pieces.

Of course a router can be substituted by a nice sharp chisel.

Greg

[DetroiTug]

Hi Greg,

That's a good idea, unfortunately there is not enough material there to remove. The tongue and groove planking is only .4"~ thick.

Ron, Thanks for bringing this up. After thinking about it my idea was not good. Instead I will Install another board horizontally at the aft cabin roof line to receive the first roof support. I'll use the same radii as the roof brace, stub the tongue and groove above and below in dados. Make a new companionway header that integrates with this new feature. It will look much better and be even stronger. From the pilot house side, it will look better than a big row of screws in an arc.

-Ron

[artemis]

Hi Greg,

That's a good idea, unfortunately there is not enough material there to remove. The tongue and groove planking is only .4"~ thick.

Ron, Thanks for bringing this up. After thinking about it my idea was not good. Instead I will Install another board horizontally at the aft cabin roof line to receive the first roof support. I'll use the same radii as the roof brace, stub the tongue and groove above and below in dados. Make a new companionway header that integrates with this new feature. It will look much better and be even stronger. From the pilot house side, it will look better than a big row of screws in an arc.

-Ron

Glad to get you thinking! I figured you would probably try the first idea - and it absolutely won't work as noted by gondolier.

If by a horizontal piece you're thinking of a structural piece that extends from corner upright to corner upright, incorporates the upper piece of the engine room door jamb, and is dadoed to receive the ends of the (to be) two piece (upper and lower) aft wheelhouse siding, then I think you're on the right track. Making it a part of the wheelhouse framing will give a secure structural piece to attach the "aft" cabin roof to and extending it about one inch + (aesthetics only) above the final roof line will allow for a good, watertight seal between the roofing material and after part of the wheelhouse.

For all of you planning to build your own boat, or make modifications to an existing boat, the most valuable book I've used in over 40 years is: Boat Building, Howard Chappelle, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 1941. It's available online cheap and describes all the ways to create that "stuff" that you can't quite figure out how to construct. Worth it in time and materials (MONEY) saved.

[DetroiTug]

Ron,

Yes, that is exactly what I will do with it. Add horizontal framing to the backwall of the wheelhouse.

Here is some more TnG installed. I got lucky it was all full boards that went in, didn't have to rip any at the ends. Need to install a moulding between deck and the wheelhouse and aft cabin.



-Ron

[DetroiTug]

About a days work. This will be better.



Now back to the wheelhouse roof.

-Ron

[DetroiTug]

Some pics with the wheelhouse roof on, and trying on the bow fender.







-Ron

[froya66]

Hi Ron

Amazing work all together!

About the fender - could you provide a link on how to make it, is it taken from an old seaman’s hand book, or are you just born to know how

I have for a while been looking for a description - without succes.

Best regards
Jørgen

[fredrosse]

Nice fender. How much does something like that cost?

[DetroiTug]

Hi Jorgen,

There is a lady on the east cost of the US here, that makes those. She also sells an instructional book, but I'm not sure if it covers bow fenders.

http://www.marlinspikeartist.com/products.html

Thanks for the compliment on Iron Chief. I have started the aft cabin, hopefully it goes faster than the wheelhouse.

Fred, I'm not certain, but I think around 200. It was 160, then I had her add the internal chain, turks head in the center and some whiskers. I think she did an awesome job on it. They take about a month to get.

-Ron