The Steam Tug Part 4

Measurements and Trials The next major step in the building process on the tug is to get the deck in place. But this means deciding the size of the superstructure. I want the whole superstructure to lift off so that there’s a large hatch opening up underneath, through which I can get at the working … Read more

The Steam Tug Part 2.

How Fast to Turn a Propeller. I have a model tug hull with a 60 mm propeller. The question is, how fast should it turn? The starting points for the answer are the propeller pitch, that’s the distance through the water that the propeller would move in 1 turn, all other things being perfect, and … Read more

The Steam Tug, Part 1

I bought this fibreglass hull at a club meeting a couple of years ago. So with at least 2 months of apartment confinement facing me, (Corona virus), I dragged it out of the storage cubicle to take a look. It’s 37 inches long, the space for the prop is very large for the hull shape, … Read more

Getting into Writing on the VMSS Website

Access to the Site. To get started as a writer of content on the Club website, what you will first need is a username and password from me to enter on the webpage log in site, which is “https://vmss.ca/wp-login.php”. I will send these to any member who wants access as an author. When you get … Read more

Before the Vikings

The Sutton Hoo Ship. History, Egyptian Nile barges, Greek triremes, Roman Galleys, Viking longships. That’s the sequence, right? 8th June 793, Scandinavian pirates sacked the monastery of St. Cuthbert on the island of Lindisfarne. Alcuin, a Northumbrian scholar monk, wrote about it “Never before has such terror been seen in Britain as we have suffered … Read more

The Thames Barge

The Thames Barge, or Spritsail Barge, was an iconic sight on the river Thames and its estuary for well over a hundred years. It is true to say that, before the coming of the railways and the motor vehicle, the Thames Barge was the truck that built London. It had its origins in the fact … Read more

The Plank on Bulkhead Hull.

This is a description and pictures from my build of a model Thames Sailing Barge, also known as a Spritsail Barge. It will concentrate only on the building of the hull, but here, just to show what the finished model looks like. This particular adventure started with a plan from the British “Model Boats” plans … Read more