Tug conversion

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Along the lines of what Jim stayed earlier, I almost purchased a 105ft tug years ago. As I recall the engine room was 25-30 ft long to house the Fairbanks Morse, and the stateroom area was only 15-20ft. Up in the deckhouse the exhaust stack fiddly and ER access ladder took up most of that area. The galley/dinette was maybe 10-15ft long.

If you got your hands on a commercial tug for free then you’d bring it to a yard in India or Sri Lanka and rip out everything including bulkheads in order to convert to a recreational usage. Re-powering would be a must. Fuel tank areas converted into staterooms.

Why go through all this???

Don’t forget, a 50ft tug will have a displacement of about 100 tons. A fishing trawler would be half that. And a Taiwan trawler a quarter that.

But they are nostalgic and just plain bitchin’
 
Circumnavigator said:
Tugs of all sizes make poor conversion candidates. Fundamentally this is because their engines are much larger than would be normal on a yacht of the same displacement.


This, in turn, means that much of the interior volume is taken up with engine. You can't simply remove the engine, because its considerable weight is needed for stability. IF you remove it and replace the weight differential with extra ballast, you will have to be very careful locating the ballast -- if you put it all down low, the easiest place to put it, then the boat will be far too stiff and will have a very sharp snap roll. Anyone who has been in a sailboat without her mast will know what I mean
Jim
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Thanks, but those concerns were already, and successfully addressed. Tug conversions have already been done.
 
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Alaskaflyer said:
I love the look of tugs and think that living and boating on one would be great fun until reality sits in. Different needs than the OP, but to add to Jim’s list above, there’s the large amount of otherwise-unused open deck space, low or no real bulwarks which typically have no safety railing either. Which makes sense for a working tug but not so much for a recreational boat esp with kids and pets on board.

Since I enjoy the eye candy appeal of liveaboard tugs I take a closer look at all I find on the internet. I’m struck by the number of larger ones sporting only one real stateroom, or maybe two for the reasons Jim mentioned. I’ve only seen one (leaving aside the million dollar ones floating around Europe) that I’d consider and that one has the original Washington Iron Works engine which basically requires dedicated engineering attendance while underway. Not exactly great for a cruising family and the insurance must be eye watering.

Yes I know this is all beyond what the OP asked about ;)
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"No real bulwarks"? You can see the railing arpund the deck in the pic. But sure, if one has friggin dogs , etc. then you would set up a fence. Open space was addresed above by....enclosing most of it. There are plenty of 40' boats with space for 2 or 4 people.
 
john-o said:
This probably a bad comparison, but, when I was a kid my folks and I visited my grandfather who lived in Hoboken, N.J.
He had a very good friend who owned a commercial tug that serviced both sides of the Hudson. We visited his friend and he was gracious enough to take us out for a "push". What I found was, in the steer house, the engine noise was not a pleasant experience. The power necessary to push that monster through the waters and against some currents, was massive. All through the trip, it was a constant.... "WHAT..... i CAN'T HEAR YOU..... WHAT!"
Possibly on a smaller vessal it might not be as bad. But still. the power plant to slug it out against waves and currents, gotta give some to get some. :huh:
Click to expand...

Yes, Im sure a new tug like this one will be quieter. And re the Hudson? Im pretty sure I saw small boats navigate it. Ive even heard that in former times, ones with no motors at all did.
 
Mako said:
Along the lines of what Jim stayed earlier, I almost purchased a 105ft tug years ago. As I recall the engine room was 25-30 ft long to house the Fairbanks Morse, and the stateroom area was only 15-20ft. Up in the deckhouse the exhaust stack fiddly and ER access ladder took up most of that area. The galley/dinette was maybe 10-15ft long.

If you got your hands on a commercial tug for free then you’d bring it to a yard in India or Sri Lanka and rip out everything including bulkheads in order to convert to a recreational usage. Re-powering would be a must. Fuel tank areas converted into staterooms.

Why go through all this???

Don’t forget, a 50ft tug will have a displacement of about 100 tons. A fishing trawler would be half that. And a Taiwan trawler a quarter that.

But they are nostalgic and just plain bitchin’
Click to expand...

Mako, faor enough for the boat you describe, like that 105footer. This brand new, hdpe one is a very different beast. The ad didnt say what its displ is. but its only 40' long. They said that motor from 100 - 350hp available. I wonder what it weighs and if it could make it up the Hudson river.
This is a thought exercise, and doesnt mean Ill buy it. Im more like to buy that electric catamatan we saw in on of these threads lately. Most people didnt like that one either.
 
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J- this has been an excellent thought exercise. Never hurts to get pros and cons of an idea before making too much effort.

One other thought, any commercial tug that you/someone may wish to convert will likely be 40-60 years old and will definitely be steel. I would never (again) buy a steel project boat - nothing but trouble and a money pit.

I don't know much about HDPE boats beyond little skiffs, but it is worth investigating further.
 
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Mako said:
Along the lines of what Jim stayed earlier, I almost purchased a 105ft tug years ago. As I recall the engine room was 25-30 ft long to house the Fairbanks Morse, and the stateroom area was only 15-20ft. Up in the deckhouse the exhaust stack fiddly and ER access ladder took up most of that area. The galley/dinette was maybe 10-15ft long.

If you got your hands on a commercial tug for free then you’d bring it to a yard in India or Sri Lanka and rip out everything including bulkheads in order to convert to a recreational usage. Re-powering would be a must. Fuel tank areas converted into staterooms.

Why go through all this???

Don’t forget, a 50ft tug will have a displacement of about 100 tons. A fishing trawler would be half that. And a Taiwan trawler a quarter that.

But they are nostalgic and just plain bitchin’
Click to expand...


I worked for a wealthy man a few years ago, I had several years of driving tugs, including a few Smit tugs which are well built. He wanted an adventure vessel, something we could take anywhere, so I looked at converting a tug something along the lines of Itasca (pictured below). I had been aboard her a few times and she was a beautiful ship, I knew here Captain and he had taken her through the NW passage. Bear in mind large tugs have a number of holds for salvage gear etc, they have a low GM which makes them very stable and pretty comfortable in a seaway.

We finally decided it would be better to build something new and ended up building 151ft Turmoil, also pictured below, one photo in Cuba and the other up in the ice near Baffin Island.

I was pretty happy with the build as I did a lot of the design work, engines were aft instead of being midships like most tugs. Accommodations were very well done with lots of room and lots of stowage for long ocean passages. I took her around the world, and I truly enjoyed her. She was and is a beautiful and capable vessel.

Back to the subject though, I believe a good offshore salvage tug would make a good conversion. Bear in mind you have pipes, plumbing, and electrical cables running through passageways ect, so the commercial look would still be there. But you would have a sturdy ship at a much lower investment. (I do not think I would be converting fuel tanks to cabins though...)

M
 

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JWellington said:
Yes, just two days ago.....and we got all the eay up to 3.8knots. Unstabilised? You must have heard that thete are al sorts of effective stabilizer systems out there. Some powered like Seakeeper,..others passive.
Click to expand...

Nice lil boat - just extend the cabin back and you'll have plenty of room for the wife and the kids. Otherwise I wouldn't modify it in any way.
https://izmirshipyard.com/boat-91-IZ_1205_HDPE_T.aspx

Our's was built by Sanmar
 
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I got a takeaway from this conversation

Tugs are Tugs.
 
Nomad Willy said:
I got a takeaway from this conversation

Tugs are Tugs.
Click to expand...

That means you must not have read the positive messages, like the very last one. The real takeaway is that tugs, like almost any other commercial boats, can, and have been made into good livaboard boats. Seaworthy and comfortable.
 
JWellington said:
That means you must not have read the positive messages, like the very last one. The real takeaway is that tugs, like almost any other commercial boats, can, and have been made into good livaboard boats. Seaworthy and comfortable.
Click to expand...

JW, I read all the posts and hope your creation meets your expectations.
Willy said what I think as well, it it a tug and will always be a tug. With so many and varied styles of pleasure craft available if converting a tug not initially intended for pleasure use suits your fancy, we applaud your efforts.
It will still be a tug and that is OK for you and many others.
 
JWellington said:
That means you must not have read the positive messages, like the very last one. The real takeaway is that tugs, like almost any other commercial boats, can, and have been made into good livaboard boats. Seaworthy and comfortable.
Click to expand...

No that means I read the negative posts .. haha but your comment about live-aboards is spot on unless it’s wood. A tug probably wouldn’t have been for sale unless it was getting ready to sink.
Then (probably fairly soon) it will need to be hauled and repaired. Huge pieces of wood w complex shapes fastened w monel screws and bolts that I wouldn’t even wann’a buy one of (if I could find) would make the haulout look cheap. Ya gotta keep your liveaboard afloat.

BUT I gotta admit tugs make better liveaboards than trawlers.
 
Soo-Valley said:
JW, I read all the posts and hope your creation meets your expectations.
Willy said what I think as well, it it a tug and will always be a tug. With so many and varied styles of pleasure craft available if converting a tug not initially intended for pleasure use suits your fancy, we applaud your efforts.
It will still be a tug and that is OK for you and many others.
Click to expand...

Glad you admit others might have differents tastes than you.
 
Nomad Willy said:
No that means I read the negative posts .. haha but your comment about live-aboards is spot on unless it’s wood. A tug probably wouldn’t have been for sale unless it was getting ready to sink.
Then (probably fairly soon) it will need to be hauled and repaired. Huge pieces of wood w complex shapes fastened w monel screws and bolts that I wouldn’t even wann’a buy one of (if I could find) would make the haulout look cheap. Ya gotta keep your liveaboard afloat.

BUT I gotta admit tugs make better liveaboards than trawlers.
Click to expand...

The boat in question isnt wood, but HDPE. But there have been wooden tug boats too, and there are many fine wooden boats out there. In fact they still make them!!!!!!
 
Working tugs and trawlers are 'purpose built boat.' They may not be 'strong' on crew comfort.
If you have enough money and yard time, you could modify a 'purpose built boat' so it would be a decent live aboard.
But why not start with a boat closer to your desires, aka closer to the light at the end of the tunnel?
 
OldDan1943 said:
Working tugs and trawlers are 'purpose built boat.' They may not be 'strong' on crew comfort.
If you have enough money and yard time, you could modify a 'purpose built boat' so it would be a decent live aboard.
But why not start with a boat closer to your desires, aka closer to the light at the end of the tunnel?
Click to expand...

People do conversions for various reasons. Its the same with boats as with cars, vans, motorcycles and yes, houses too.
 
When I was contemplating a good loop boat , my 90/90 did not make the cut, a 33ft boat with a 50 ft mast on deck would be hell in locking.

The lowest cost practical conversion seemed to be a 50 ft US Navy launch with a change in the helm location with a 40 ft Airsteream trailer placed on..

The trailers are shorter than advertised, as they count the tow pieces .

These are fully contained and would require almost no modification as living quarters.

The air draft could be held to under 10 ft , perfect for inland waters, seldom would require a bridge opening. Pilot house fwd or aft as desired.

The launch is 50 long and 15 beam, so nice wide side decks and a grand cockpit could easily be set up.

Found a lobster supply boat conversion , so never followed thru with the concept.
 
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CharlieO. said:
Blank canvas, up for bid I believe. Repower as you see fit. You may be able to put in enough closet spaces for your wife.
Click to expand...

Wife? What wife?
I have a beautiful, sweet, gentle Vietnamese 'house mouse'.
Trust me, never enough hanging closet for her. LOL
 
ofer said:
do you keep her in the closet?
Click to expand...

Her sister makes clothes and due to the pandemic, her customer base, in Vietnam, has gone to hell.
There for a while, Yen got a package of clothes every week. I finally told her, enough is enough, no more room, at all. Yea right, that almost worked. LOL
Now it is 'one on, one off'. That too almost works better.
 
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OldDan1943 said:
Her sister makes clothes and due to the pandemic, her customer base, in Vietnam, has gone to hell.
There for a while, Yen got a package of clothes every week. I finally told her, enough is enough, no more room, at all. Yea right, that almost worked. LOL
Now it is 'one on, one off'. That too almost work better.
Click to expand...

my ex wife filled the closet and then stuffed cloths in the battery boxes. that got very expensive for me due to obvious reasons. I now have a wonderful girl friend.
 
FF said:
When I was contemplating a good loop boat , my 90/90 did not make the cut, a 33ft boat with a 50 ft mast on deck would be hell in locking.

The lowest cost practical conversion seemed to be a 50 ft US Navy launch with a change in the helm location with a 40 ft Airsteream trailer placed on..

The trailers are shorter than advertised, as they count the tow pieces .

These are fully contained and would require almost no modification as living quarters.

The air draft could be held to under 10 ft , perfect for inland waters, seldom would require a bridge opening. Pilot house fwd or aft as desired.

The launch is 50 long and 15 beam, so nice wide side decks and a grand cockpit could easily be set up.

Found a lobster supply boat conversion , so never followed thru with the concept.
Click to expand...


Sounded like a good idea!
 
"Sounded like a good idea!"

One attraction is the boat living portion is complete ,100% functional , as one works on the deck build.
 
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