At full power, DOCKHOUSE QUEEN scoots along at 7 knots. The curved stern was difficult to construct but has the right look for a tug.
Terry Everman
Genie Cary
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Having grown up in New York, I have always been a fan of tugboats—they are the workhorses of the harbors. It was a treat to read about the DOCKHOUSE QUEEN and even more fun to look at the photos. Terry did an excellent job in caricaturing the unique features inherent in classic tugboats and it certainly has a cartoonish quality that is just simply appealing. It made me smile. Thank you!
Fantastic build. This was the first story I read in this issue. I am interested in electric-powered boats of any kind. I keep reading Electric Propulsion for Boats by Charles Mathys for information and inspiration but your one photo of the power plant is very much appreciated and helpful. Enjoy your tug!
Beautiful job, Terry. Love the stern—Popeye would be proud.
I’m getting ready for my own in-garage build and have shifted my focus to the rolling platform. I’ll likely build two so I can roll it onto another one and slide it back in without having to reposition it on the platform construction started on. I’m still thinking it through. Any lessons learned with your rolling platform?
Terry provided some additional information on the platform along with some more photos. That’s now added to the article above.
Christopher Cunningham, Editor, Small Boats Monthly
Great build Terry! I too am interested in the electric propulsion. More details would be appreciated. I am on a shallow lake and would like to build a launch with electric propulsion and a Seabright type hull.
Pat, the selection of electric propulsion was fun and exciting but several considerations should be addressed. I used a kit from electricmotorsport.com and was very satisfied with their service and the motor kit, the electric equivalent 31 HP motor yet weighing just 28 lbs— quite impressive. The six deep-cell 12-volt batteries, however, were economical but weighed nearly 400 lbs. A 48-volt system could weigh around 260 lbs. More sophisticated batteries—AGM or lithium-ion—would reduce the weight significantly, but the cost, in my case, was prohibitive. The added weight of the lead-acid batteries I use might be a deal breaker on a narrower boat.
The electric propulsion system was simpler to install than an internal combustion workhorse—there were no fuel tanks, oil, cooling, or exhaust systems to consider—but you are always aware of the remaining charge in the battery bank and how far you can travel away from the recharging umbilical cord.
In my case, the construction decisions were for my interests and an opportunity to scratch the various itches spinning in my head. Building a boat can satisfy that itch, possibly unique to the individual, and keep the adrenalin pumping. Good luck on your Seabright, I also am a fan of that type of small boat.