Smit Clyde

[alan turner 5Participant @alanturner5]

[alan turner 5Participant @alanturner5]

Hi all,

I used to enjoy model boats about 25 years ago, I had a fair collection and particularly enjoyed tog towing competitions. When I went to make my way in the world I had to let them all go, that is apart from one hull which for some reason survived.

It is a hull for a Smit Clyde tug which a member of the club I was in made a batch of after going to see the real one but I never got around to doing anything with mine.

My intention is to get the running gear sorted by winter then build a plasticard structure over the winter indoors so it's going to be a fairly slow project.

I want to be able to tow with it so my plan is twin screw, 4 or 5 blade brass props, I think I can fit 60mm in, with fixed kort nozzles and rudders for simplicity and reliability. Possibly electric winches for towing (although I'm not sure I'm smart enough to coordinate that anymore) and a bilge pump.

My question is what motors do people recommend for towing? When I used to do it years ago I used either a salvaged car blower motor, a 550 on a belt drive box or a decaperm. Battery wise I will probably go 12v lead acid for weight.

Below is a picture of what I have and a photo off the web of a real one.

Edited By alan turner 5 on 21/04/2020 16:19:28

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

Nice subject Alan

Someone will be along soon with some good technical information but be warned. Lead acid batteries do not find favour here and for good reasons.

Welcome to the forum.

Tim R

[Kev.WParticipant @kev-w]

Hi Alan,

I do a bit of tug towing with my club, I have a 35" 'Dutch' tug with twin 60mm props in fixed korts with twin rudders linked to 1 servo for back-up steering incase one motor should fail.

The power is provided by 2x 12v sla batts. & a pair of 555 motors. She has ample power & using 'Tank' steering, she will spin in her own length

.

Edited By Kip Woods on 21/04/2020 21:56:54

[alan turner 5Participant @alanturner5]

Thanks for the reply. I always used to use the lead acid batteries as it was good weight and I got them free out of alarms but will take advice.

Good to hear the 555 motors work well, did you have to gear them?

I started tug towing with a friends tid tug, using a single screw was certainly fun… they used a model slipway wyeforce which had just been released back then. I copied and got wyeforce with a couple of 550s on belt drive boxes but always had problems with the gearboxes so swapped for decaperms. I then built a wimpy seahorse which was a deep sea tug, I put bow and stern thrusters on it but it's long narrow shape meant it was slow to turn and it had less power which meant it was never as good as the wyeforce.

[Kev.WParticipant @kev-w]

I didn't gear them, they are direct drive to the 60mm 3 bladed props.

[alan turner 5Participant @alanturner5]

Ok thanks I will give that a try!

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