Tugboat Serenity (AKA) Jersey City

Started by figtree7nts

29 updates 17 likes 75 comments

Tugboat Serenity

About the Keel, I used some Bondo to seal it. here you can see how it looks ruff. I decided to leave it ruffed up because on real Tugboats after (X) amount of years on the water they have a lot of wear and tear to the Keel!
I did run into a problem after the model was finished the Bondo became weak at the Bow, so I had to use some Zap-A-Gap to fix it, good as new. 👍

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Tugboat Serenity

Her original plans have her Mast going through the deck in the main cabin, I decided to put her mast aft of the main cabin as I thought this would make for a stronger hold and change her design. You can clearly see the Bondo I used to seal the cabin aft, this is where her original vents where later replaced by mushroom vents I made.

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Tugboat Serenity

Her mast is suppose to be 12" (305mm) but I made it 10" (205mm) to conserve mast height. I figured that when I make her transport box the extra 2" (51mm) is more wood I need. and who would really notice except another Jersey City model builder 😯 .

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Tugboat Serenity

Her original design called for no coaming around the main cabin, The coaming is the top edge that runs around the main cabin! But I decided to put coaming all around the main cabin.
kind of like the old time harbor tugs of the East Coast (NYC). Tugboat Serenity is in the middle!
2 comments
  1. figtree7nts
    Admiral
    Thank you, I found the Picture as I was building her!
    I was almost finished with building her, it purely coincidence that she looks like the meitowax

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Tugboat Serenity

Topside features include a hand made working radar and spot light which were an after thought! I would have liked to make the water canon work but, I ran out of room in the engine room, where would I have put the pump!
Oh, in the third picture you can see the wire I used for the radar. I used the same wire to drill straight through the super structure, in one straight shot talk about being lucky!
Notice the yellow LED on top of the Pilot House, it's synchronized to the main horn 👍
4 comments
  1. figtree7nts
    Admiral
    Thank you, my friend I'm very proud of her, the last time I built a model it was another tugboat about 30 yrs ago I named her ROBERT C. ANDERSON after my ENGINEER she was 22" (560mm) and weighed in at 6.5lbs.
  2. saintsalvio
    Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class
    I like so much the operating radar, the handrail, the mushroom vents: all very well done

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Tugboat Serenity

If you look at her Smoke Stack you'll see her logo is too high up the stack, I wasn't sure if I was going to use the logo that came with the Kit!
About her Dingy, it comes as two pieces of molded abs. which I then cut out and tied criss X cross!
Oh, I forgot to mention I made her Dingy stand out of one continuous piece of plastic!
Also the dinghy really floats.

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Tugboat Serenity

Her main deck is two pieces, so you can see the green tape I used to hold the main deck together!
for gluing this is accomplished by running a bead of thick CA on the under part of the deck,
the deck must be upside down on your work bench for this procedure!
Also there is deck supports that run from port to starboard (left to Right) on the under part of the deck!
Note: I used some all purpose caulk to seal the main deck, Right were the bulwark meets the main deck 👍

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Tugboat Serenity

If look just below the rub rail aft of the rudder post. you'll see I put rudder stops, Rudder stops where used on the old Tugboat because their steering mechanism was mechanical in nature! unlike todays modern tugboats that use hydraulics for their steering!
By the way my Rudder stops work for real 👍
2 comments

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Tugboat Serenity

oh, though this is her starboard side. I just wanted to point out the lines I drew, to be used for her rub rails.

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Tugboat Serenity

She has a steam smoke stack but I have a diesel sound generator in her I thought why not have her modern sounding!
if you look forward of the smoke stack you can see a small area. where I'm going to put some port holes looking through into the Engine room.

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