Mess Deck: General Section > Tugs and Towing
Scale Matters
warspite:
Although I don't have a "working" tug, I do have a small plastic formed hull for a tug with the prop and rudder fitted (but its fallen behind some boxes in the loft and I can't be a@@ed retrieving it), I fitted the deck and built a superstructure based on 1/72 - all because every model I have built that has gone on the water is 1/72 (not strictly true as I just remembered royal sovereign whose is at 1:180), so that they can be crewed and all match in scale, that and they are plastic fantastics (airfix etc).
I would assume the scales selected are based on what 'equipment' is available to create detail for those who are not as proficient as some of those more gifted than us meer mortals. %) %)
Tug Chief:
Hi Klunk; Very valid point. I thing that 40 is big enough for any model, bigger than that it just gets into backache territory! I like tugs about 28-32
.in my view that is tug size!
Hi Tug Fanatic; (1) Of course scale matters, as mentioned with the Canadian tugs, you can have a tug of 24 and 10 beam with twin 100mm nozzles pulling 20lb
..Using a scale and not a size (LOA) limits this and also does not lake the lake look like there is a pedalo towing a supertanker around the lake! (2) Always a bone of contention, I would always enter a boat in each size category at Southend which (off the top of my head was <28, 28-40, >40). Absolute piece of "xxxxx", if I can get a 42 model round the course then I could do it with a 13 logging tug, backwards, sideways or upside-down! Again you cant keep all the people happy all of the time! (c) The scaling would close all the issues with the boy racers. At a scale of 1:50 the biggest nozzle you are going to see on a tug +/-70mm, you can go two ways, have it geared and have a tug that pulls well and is super controllable, or you can go direct and have a tug that will not tow well statically
..this would be one of the beauties where motor and prop actually matter! (ci) you can go on and on wit this and subdivide into bollard pull classes but what I am suggesting with the 1:50 scale negates all that and if you can get 100lb pull out of a 1:50 scale tug and you feel you need it then great, on you go!
Irons01: Size is always a factor, my wife is forever telling me that!
Brian60; Points noted and absolutely agreed with. For bigger ships and AHTSs I agree that 1:72 is a great scale, but I have sausage fingers so 1:48-50 is about as fine as I want to go!
Warspite; My conversation is not going >1:50, but it is the Tug fraternity that seem to want to go the other way and build beautify boats that look great on the lake but cannot be in a towage situation with anything in scale as it looks similar to a speedboat towing a banana on a beach in Benidorm at 1:32 or less. What i am saying is to open this area of interest to the masses it should be limited to 1:50 scale boats or tugs of 1000mm or less. (Maybe exceptions if the scale fits such as the Aziz, Happy Hunter, Envoy etc).
RAAArtyGunner:
Scale doesn't matter.
What is relevant and already agreed/mentioned, is the size of the boat due to transporting or other limitations. Whether it be a tug or an other model.
To say the "tug" is too big for towing competitions, misses the point.
There are "specific" clubs for that sort of thing which lay down guidelines etc.
One example being "Task Force 72", they build all their boats (warships) to 1/72 scale only.
At the end of the day, scale is irrelevant and does not matter, enjoying the hobby is the name of the game.
Brian60:
Another point to consider when/if a specific scale is decreed is the limitation it introduces. Think along the lines of how many shapes/types/specific (real)ships would fit to that scale. Once you lay down a rule like this, then you end up with a lake full of springers, or tids or aziz. No variation at all in the models on the lake.
People would fixate on the best hull shape to fit and win that class and then build and fill the lake with them. Another way to attack this perveived problem would be a lot easier to implement.....
The towed ship is built to 1/35, you specify that no towing ship can be greater than 1/50, so 1/50, 1/60, 1/72 etc could be used. Towed ship is built to 1/50, specify no towing ship can be greater than 1/72 - you get the idea. That may even promote half a dozen small tugs fussing about the towed ship just like real life rather than just one or two models almost the same size as the towed craft.
I could go on and say limit motor/pulling power as this is what is also needed, but there is no easy way to actually police this at the pond side so is not really viable.
Shipmate60:
Tug towing as round a course would be carried out by small powerful harbor tugs.
If these were built at 1/50 scale or above they would be small to tiny.
Ocean Going/Salvage tugs are by design large sea going vessels but when getting near harbor they hand over to harbor tugs.
My pet hate in tug towing is the massively overpowered tugs which can spin the tow 360 degrees in a few seconds.
The excess power for me takes away any scale reality.
Bob
(Tug engineer for a few years)
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