Scratch built New York Harbour tug. Wanted something different from the norm. Quite powerful, too much really had to power her on 6v even though she was geared down. Up for sale now on ebay. Dont get the time to sail her much because of work.

Sometime around 1968 I found a small set of drawings, about A4 size, for Sct. Knud in (I think) Ships Monthly. So I enlarged to 1:32 scale and made my model plank-on-frame with GRP overcoat. She is powered by a 6V Pittman motor driving a self-made scale prop and 2:1 gearbox. Steering is effected via chain and quadrant as per prototype! Everything bar the anchor, anchor chains and steering chains is self-made using a variety of materials (brass, plastics, 'Perspex', and copper electro-deposited cowl vents). Recently I fitted her out with LED lights: interior, navigation and working. One might notice that I abhor a working boat looking like "Daddy's yacht" and so I apply custom dings, stains, oil spills, scratches, wear and tear to my tugboats 😀 My Knud runs as well today as she did 45 years ago and in all that time has only needed one repair to her gearbox!

Hi, this is Hercules 51" L 14" Beam was scratched built
12 years ago . it's powered by 2 robbie 1000 off a 12v
battery with a vantec ESC . it has a working fire monitor
2 sound systems with 2 -4" Kort Nozzels .
It is all planked by Cherry veneer deck and superstructure
It olso has working lights for the night runs.
I run this tug evry weekend for the past 10 years and it
still looks new . I live in Whitestone NEW York and I
belong to the Empire State Model Mariners Club .
Check us out at Empire State Model Mariners RC Groups
I am Band1.

I have found that a parallel ribbon cable from an old desktop computer (80 way type) are ideal for mast lights or working Radar etc. and can be glued down neatly.

The end connectors are easily removed without damaging the cable. it is possible to separate two or three insulated wires or however many wires or pairs you need to run to different areas of the hull or the superstructure.

For mast lights or radar etc, I found that wires in pairs are the best way to feed multiple pairs of wires up a mast tube etc. (It helps to feed wires through tubes with a dab of talcum powder to ease the wires through). I was able to run 4 pairs of these fine cables up a 3mm mast tube.

The wires are single strand insulated and easy to solder onto led's or bulbs with very fine heatshrink tubing to insulate. Because these wires are very fine the lights or radar supply should be fused at a low amperage rate. 250mA in my Tug.

Katrina and tow on the lake at Bluewater. Tug on the flattop barge belongs to another Chantry MBC member.

A couple more pics of her.taken at one of our tug days at Bluewater

this is the Maggie B she is a modified Sothampton R T R tug. there is a video of her in the video section. the main casing was taken off and the lower three quarters of it was cut off, so that it reduced the overall height., she is fitted with two M tronic speed controllers and a new larger5,000millI amp battery which is fitted across the hull behind the motors and in front of the steering servo, she still has the original props but they are now turnig outwards to go ahead. she is now a very handy and stable boat.

This Model of the J. R. More tug which was one of the very last large Steam Tugs built on the Clyde in 1961.

Scratchbuilt from the 1:48 scale plans of a sistership the F.C. Sturrock with various modifications for J. R. More. Powered by twin 12v geared motors.

The J. R. More Tug is a large tug and still exists as a Museum exhibit at the Durban Maritime Museum and well worth a visit in South Africa.

My thanks to Keith Marks who was a Master of J. R. More and the F. C. Sturrock among others for his photographs, help and interest during the construction of this model and is now a good friend.

This video was taken at the Sumner Ponds which is used on alternate Thursday by the Southwater Dabblers MBC.

Video is not very good quality but will remake with a better video.

The fitted motors expired so had to open her up and have now fitted some more standard motors 400's I think but they work and run time is reasonable. The motors are coupled through 3:1 gearboxes and positioned more to the front so as to allow for a larger battery.

Hello from Australia Thought it was time I made a an effort. Three of my models shown here at last years local model show in Port Macquarie. L to R they are Cervia,now 20 years old,Wyola, an Australian built tug.Twin motors and Kort nozzles.and Old Trafford, MSC paddle tuc in 1/35 scale. All are totally scratch built. The only things bought were materials,paint and glue, Except the stantions for Old Trafford. Currenly finishing a Maycraft Mercury(started in 1962 in England) and a Vosper fireboat.Hope this may be of interest

This is a aero -naut toben tug it is kit built it has a aero-naut 6v geared motor it runs on a 6v 4amph sealed battery has a old type speed controller sliding arm type the battery last in excess of two hours its great with korts nossole steering the hull and cabin are abs and the most water proof boat I have ever sailed on Southport model boat club one of the fleet have changed the set up have a old mfa electro thottle esc in instead now yet to try the new setup

this is a slightly modified RTR tug Southampton the main casing has been lowered and a bigger battery fitted, but she still has the original motors and props, she is seen her towing a large barge a flat top pontoon ,a small tug and a Graupner German patrol boat, with a model slipways Envoy doing its best to overturn the lot.