The SmallTug Design Series

SMALLTUG Owner's Page

Forum News:

For the benefit of all SmallTug owners and other interested parties, we have a new Forum for the exchange of ideas, questions, tips, tricks, and any other tug pertinent information. Photos can be posted within messages to clarify the message or provide a graphic answer to another owner's question. Click below for access to the Forum. A password will be required to enable new message posting in order to limit spamming and off-topic messages. Messages are "Read-only" without the password. All owners of SmallTug plans that have received them after 1 Oct. 2005 will have a password included in their plans packet.

Previous owners will be notified of their password; if you don't have it as of 1 Oct. 2005 please email me and I will send it to you.

To request a password, send email to: tugs(at)smalltugs.com.

Click here to enter the Forum:

 

New FAQ
to answer design and construction questions as well as more about the FREE plans program.
Click here.

Wallpaper for your computer screen: Mal Low design 625T Persevere available, click here.


Some Progress Photos:

Rolling over a hull with bilge keels. Here 4 chain falls were used with a double beam gantry. Bottom has been completely finished and painted with a hard type bottom paint.



Framing up the pilothouse, same method can be used for all construction materials. Engine already installed. Ports are framed for bolt-in aluminum ports, flush deck hatches are installed, one aluminum diesel tank is seen on deck before installation in engineroom, bulwarks have been capped with pipe.



Comments:

Unsolicited comments from current Pelikan owner, Thomas Smith of Friendship, Maine:

"…We brought the tug up on its own bottom towing a 25’ sailboat and a small deck barge (loaded with several steel fixtures) to Friendship in the Fall of 1997. (Yes, it was more than 100 air miles and it was a "tandem tow".)

…I have a lot of experience with the boat in all sorts of sea and weather conditions from hot, calm summer days to snow squalls in late Fall. The tug and I have faced green water over the pilot house and not been able to see the horizon from the trough between two waves. In fact, I have never felt unsafe in the tug and have never had any water enter or flood the pilot house or engine room. In short, the tug can take much more sea than any human aboard! In calm weather it is a fantastic platform from which to watch birds or enjoy a quiet cove. I have also towed boats off the sandbar at the Annisquam River, moved small barges and floats, towed strings of club racing sailboats and moved power yachts with disabled engines. The tug may be small, but it has power and stability!"

Mr. Smith has a Volvo 105 Hp diesel in the tug (named F. Hopkinson Smith), which is of fiberglass construction, and is currently working on a cruising barge to use with the tug (more about the barge in future additions to this web site). He has offered to answer tug questions from prospective Pelikan owners (within reason, please be mindful he has other tasks). If you would like to communicate with him send an email to us and we will give you his email and postal address for your direct communication with him. We do not post that address information here so as to reduce his exposure to "junk mail" listing by web crawlers.

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