Tubby Tug by Bill Hodgdon, Strafford, New Hampshire

The cabin framing had to be relocated somewhat to allow the posts to angle down, and tapered shims were added for proper alignment of the posts to the roof support. The cabin top is unchanged.

This picture nicely shows the transom progress, as I flip it over to glass the bottom. With this arrangement, I can flip the hull with no help. The pulleys are 1500# pulleys with a ratio of 7:1. The grey pipe along the inside of the stbd side is a wireway channel for lights, bilge pump wiring, and power to the motor. It is epoxied to the hull, then covered in glass cloth and epoxy. There is one on the port side, also.

Well, it's winter now and I'm limited to a cramped work area. Here the cabin has had it's pivots and posts added and we're adding the forward stiffener to the top.

Finally spring arrives. The cabin has been completed and we are at the moment of no return....epoxying the cabin to the hull. Note the rope railings...actually pre-formed wooden rope sections, sandwiching the bulwark. The flat top bulwark was then grooved to match the moulding, making it appear as a rope rail. The rail was steam bent around the fantail.

Now we have the cabin all installed for the first time. Ready for a folding test.

There it is folded down. We needed to clear a 42" high opening. The top folds down to 36". No problem!

Here's another view. In practice, the top can be easily raised and lowered while sitting in the seat, and it leaves the cabin area clear in the vertical direction, making loading and removing the batteries much easier (you can stand straight up). Two pins in the rear cabin support pivots lock the top when it is up.

The trolling motor is a fly by wire unit, with 65 pounds of thrust. This much thrust is not normally needed, but when it gets windy, it sure is nice to have. No steering wheel is needed, as steering is done by radio. You can steer from anywhere in the boat with a small control similar to a remote door car lock device. It did require shortening the shaft length, and reversing the training motor leads for a transom mounted application.

I did get some adult supervision during construction. Here's me and my 88 year old dad. I think he's blowing the air whistle mounted by the cabin center post. It's operated by a bellows.

And Ma gives her approval, too!

I added fenders, pudding and whiskers.

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