I purchased this tug about 9 years ago at a Rotary fete for $15 AUD not knowing anything about model boats. When I saw it, I though that it looked like a good couple of weekends modelling and something fun to do in the winter. Then when I got it home, I saw that it was a complex build, with 3 blueprints and instructions in German. Hence it has sat on the shelf for 9 years.
However, by now 8 year old son, ever since he could talk, kept asking me when we will build the tug. My initial reply was at Christmas when you are 8. Well guess what. He is 8 and is on his Christmas holidays. Hence building has begun.
I am a complete novice at boat building, While I have some modelling skills (a Hornby/Bachman OO trains et is in the Garage), my woodworking fines scale modelling is undeveloped and my assistant is 8 – keen as mustard but with an attention span typical for his age. Any suggestions and comments are more than welcome. And please, if you seem us doing anything unwise, please point it out (earlier is perhaps best).
When we started building it on the 27th of December, we did not plan to show the build. Hence I have no photos of bravely cutting the hull to fit the parts to hold the rudder. However, there are plenty of photos from others on the web that show this – so no great loss.
We originally started with the hull and rudder and have made what I think is good progress. The only issue that we have had is that when sanding the keel around the foot of the rudder, we cracked the laminated parts holding the rudder. This necessitated some local re-enforcement and re-gluing. Paining the hull grey showed many imperfections in the styrene as well as where the repairs had been done and a lot of filling and sanding has been required. Now that this is complete, the hull has now been painted red.