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Tug Along 16' build

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J

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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
for those who don't know, i am building the Tug Along 16

Build in STITCH & GLUE PLYWOOD

Characteristics 16' Version
Length overall 15'10"
Beam 7'9"
Hull depth midships 41"
Hull weight (approx. lbs.) 450
Overall height 7'7"
Cabin headroom 6'6"
Water capacity 6 gals.
Holding tank (gray water) 6 gals.
Fuel capacity 11 gals.

* Hull type: Flat bottom, developed for sheet plywood with rounded stern. For standard sized plywood assembled by the Stitch and Glue construction method.
* Power: Outboard motors to 15 hp.
* Trailer: Designed for use with Glen-L Series 1200/1800 boat trailer plans.

TUG ALONG is small, not quite 16' or 18', but with it's 7' 9" beam, it seems much larger. The main cabin has 6' 6" headroom and with all the windows seems huge. There is room on one side for a small galley with stove and sink while the starboard side has space for a portable head, storage, and a nice helm station.

The rounded stern is distinctive and the outboard motor (if short shaft) is concealed under the decks and runs in a partial tunnel. Yet the rounded stern is not difficult to build with the furnished patterns.

Sleeping accommodations are spacious for such a diminutive craft. The vee-berth is lengthened by filler cushions that store under the side decks when not in use. When converted, the berth provides a maximum width of 5' 6" and a length of about 6' 3". When not expanded for use, there is space for a roomy helm station and passenger area.

The simple flat bottom hull provides excellent stability, but combined with the high windowed cabin is not intended for open sea use. This is a boat to enjoy in quiet water bays, lakes or rivers. You are floating on the water supported by a large (comparatively) flat surface that won't rock from side to side when someone moves. A boat for the practical economy-minded sailor and one that the entire family will enjoy.

so yesterday i spent the afternoon drawing up lines for the bottom. Today, i decided to cut out the bottom aft portion of the boat. i tacked two pieces of the 5/8" ply together and i cut them out with the jig saw.


after that, i sanded the edges so they where nice and smooth with the belt sander


then i pulled the nails out and this is what i got:
 
D

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#2 ·
If you look at the specs, the one beauty of stich and glue is the weight.

16' long almost 8' wide and a hull weight of 450# NICE!!

Keep us posted.

Chris
 
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J

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#3 · (Edited)
J

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#7 ·
Nine - The transom is 3/4" but everything else is 3/8" and 1/4." You are right though, they always fib a little and estimate the weight without fiberglass, epoxy and paint. They state that the hull (not with the pilot house, engine, battery, etc) is 450 but he'll be better off with more weight down low anyway. Gotta admire the young man for taking on something that few 35 year olds would tackle. Jim
 
N

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#9 ·
JimRockfish said:
Nine - The transom is 3/4" but everything else is 3/8" and 1/4." You are right though, they always fib a little and estimate the weight without fiberglass, epoxy and paint. They state that the hull (not with the pilot house, engine, battery, etc) is 450 but he'll be better off with more weight down low anyway. Gotta admire the young man for taking on something that few 35 year olds would tackle. Jim
Click to expand...
well it looked like it was a compleat stich and clue with the 3/4 then you may not need to fiberglass I looked at the print then the plywood in the pick. never the less it is a great project for any one at any age I hope he keeps posting picks I got a great taste for these pojects with our deadrise and will be following with admiration.

9ball
 
D

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One thing you also have to remember when calculating the weight. Even though they do very good jobs of nesting the pattersn for the pieces, there is some waste that must be deducted from the sheet weight for each piece.

Just switching types of plywood could drastically effect the weight as well.

Blake

Just remember to make all of the adjustments in dimension if you change any plywood thicknesses.

Chris
 
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J

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#12 · (Edited)
Blake - Consider using Meranti 1088 plywood for main hull. It's not that much more cost and we Boat Building Forum members can provide you with some sources if interested. Meranti and Okoume come in metric sizes, so 18mm -- 3/4" 12mm - 1/2" -- 9mm -- 3/8" and 6mm for 1/4". I used 9mm and 18mm Okoume 1088 (expensive) for my skiff but I've been involved in builds with other materials. A lot of professional boat builders use Meranti. You can read the difference between the two types of Meranti: Hydrotech and Aquatech below. I would use Hydrotech - 1088 for the hull and Aquatech for the pilot house but that part is not critical. You will learn that in boat-building, paying a little more for materials is a good investment. Jim

Boat Builder Central - Plywood

click on the drop down menu under "thickness" in the link below for prices... close to what you will pay per sheet

Boat Builder Central - products

Another thing that is VERY important is the fasteners. You should use silicon bronze screws and ring nails for all fastenings below the water line. You can also use them above the water line and stainless steel can be substituted ABOVE the waterline. Do not use galvanized (for home and deck construction) except wwith pressure treated wood - not great for boat constuction. With stitch and glue, this is not as much of an issue but you should be familiar with the topic.

Here's some info from the Jamestown Distributors Website ...

Use Stainless Steel screws cautiously below the waterline. Stainless Steel Screws cannot be in an anaerobic environment. If the screw is immersed in what is called still water, with no oxygen the corrosion-resistant film, chromium oxide, will not be allowed to form. Without the chromium oxide film the screw will suffer from galvanic corrosion and eventual failure.

Galling-- When using stainless steel nuts and bolts especially when they are larger in size always remember to lubricate with an antiseize compound (Teff Gel). This will prevent the nut from binding on the thread (known as galling or cold-welding).

Silicon Bronze is the ideal metal in the marine industry and for personal boat building projects. It has moderate strength, which makes it a much better choice than brass, which is extremely soft. It's corrosion resistance makes it a much better choice than stainless steel and hot dipped galvanized parts. Furthermore, with the high number of bronze based hardware replacements on traditional boats, silicon bronze should be your number one choice for marine fasteners (screws, nuts, washers, bolts, etc.) and hardware (hinges, hatch lifts, rudder hardware, etc.)

Silicon bronze fasteners are primarily used for marine boatbuilding, although many people appreciate the look they can provide with Western Red Cedar or Redwood because the screws will eventually blend into the color of the wood. Silicon bronze screws provide excellent corrosion resistance but are soft and require a carefully sized pilot hole to avoid breakage. (Pre-threading the hole with a steel screw will certainly help as will drilling twice once for the root diameter and once for the shank. Using a Step drill is another alternative. In all cases you should lubricate the screw with Ackempucky (sku# AKEM3) and be conscious of the torque you are exerting.)

Our silicon bronze fasteners come in a variety of combinations of alloys, but most commonly a compound of copper, tin and silicon. When replacing copper hardware on boats, traditionalists turn to silicon bronze more than 90% of the time. Again, it is stronger than brass, so when rebuilding a cat boat, the students and experts at the Newport International Yacht Restoration School choose silicon bronze fasteners and hardware on a daily basis.

When working with pressure treated wood, it is important to remember that pressure treated wood now contains six times the level of copper as it did before 2004, making it much more corrosive to common steel. Fasteners used with pressure-treated lumber should always be double hot dip galvanized steel, Stainless steel, silicon bronze, or copper. Brass or aluminum fasteners should not be used with waterborne preservatives. In structural applications where a long service life is required, stainless steel, silicon bronze, or copper fasteners are recommended. n long term corrosion testing conducted by the Forest Service division of USDA on fasteners used in CCA treated wood, only stainless steel nails and screws exhibited virtually no visual signs of corrosion and negligible weight loss over a fourteen year period.
 
J

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Discussion Starter · #13 ·
thanks guys for all the help and comments. jim, i already have already purchased the plywood and will be finished cutting the plywood out tomorrow, i have everything except some temporary frames and the stern arc. here are a couple of pics:
bow:


bottom layed out:

Blake
 
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