⚓ SAN JULIAN ⚓
river tugboat
Scale & Manufacturer:
Scratchbuilt - steam engine
Ship Model Lenght:
106 cm
Ship Model Width:
21 cm
Ship Model Craftsman:
Viniczai Ferenc
The tugboat ...
A tug (tugboat) is a boat or ship that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move by themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal, or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, log rafts, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for their size and strongly built, and some are ocean-going. Some tugboats serve as icebreakers or salvage boats. Early tugboats had steam engines.River tugs are also referred to as towboats or pushboats. Their hull designs would make open ocean operation dangerous. River tugs usually do not have any significant hawser or winch. Their hulls feature a flat front or bow to line up with the rectangular stern of the barge, often with large pushing knees.
The earliest tugs were fitted with paddle wheels, but these were soon replaced by propeller-driven tugs. As using steam became more reliable, steam power became applied to larger, ocean-going vessels.
Here are some nice samples of "still alive" steam tugboats ...
Woltman tugboat
Frederic Mistral tugboat
Bjorn tugboat
