Home made tug boat?

[wetcandle]

I'm up late thinking up stupid ideas again. There's no way I will be able to afford to run my boat much this summer with these absurd gas prices. My boat is a 16' Glastron and there is absolutely no place for a kicker motor or trolling motor.

But I was thinkin', what if I take a 5hp Briggs and stratton engine, build a small wooden hull for it just enough to float it, and run a straight shaft from the motor to the prop. Then I'd install a remote control system like they use in high end miniature boats.

Basically it would be a homemade, 5hp, remote control model boat. Could I use that to tow my 16' deep vee boat at mayby 5-10mph? My own little tug boat. It could tow me up and down the river for a couple hours on just one gallon of gas.

Does anyone think this would work at all? It would take me some time to build but I have a lot of free time right now.

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Home made tug boat?

The responses to this should be fun.

 

[steelespike]

Re: Home made tug boat?

First of all to get 10 mph you'll need at least 10 hp running wot about 1 gallon per hour and your still not likely to see 10 mph more likely 5 or so.You don't say your hp but I checked a couple of 90 hp setups they get as much as 21 mpg at 4 mph 11 at about 6 some less running at1,000 to 1500 rpm.By the way some of these motors approach close to double digits mpg at cruising speed.most about 6mpg.If you optimize your setup you might do as well or better.Hard to believe there is nowhere for a kicker on a bracket
but your still going to be at about a gallon per hour at 5 to 8 mph.

 

[thurps]

Re: Home made tug boat?

Get some sleep.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Home made tug boat?

If you boat on a river, power upstream and float downstream. You instantly save 1/2 on the fuel bill. If you thought about it long enough and hard enough you will find there is plenty of room for a bow mount trolling motor. You can even buy them that mount to AV plate on the outdrive.

 

[QC]

Re: Home made tug boat?

Get some sleep.

LOL

I say let the guy play if he wants, I want to see what happens. Seriously, this could be a lot of fun. I wonder if it's legal? We need one of our Coastie buddies to chime in . . . You should put an extra big ice chest in it too, no, wait, you couldn't reach it

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Home made tug boat?

Hey wet -- day dreaming is half the fun. Get yourself over to the Non Repair Outboard Engine Discussion part of this forum and look for the multi-page post recounting one gent's (maxum247) saga of putting a lawn tractor engine in a small boat. Hours of fun reading there. I'll see if I can find a link.

Here we go... http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=229358

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Home made tug boat?

sounds like a fun idea, but for less money, a bow mount wireless troller would work better.

 

[D445547]

Re: Home made tug boat?

Depending on your states laws you might have to get the thing registered.
Also, being a remote hobbiest myself I can tell you that when the receiver batteries go dead (they power the servos) you will have no control over it anymore and it will be stuck at it's last input i.e. WOT doing a right turn....now what are you going to do??? Sounds ilke more of a hazard to me.

 

[wetcandle]

Re: Home made tug boat?

My boat is a speed boat, with a 150hp ouboard. It get's bad mileage at any speed. The transom angles off on both sides of the outboard, no place for anything else. Bow mount would just look terrible on my boat. The only thing I could do is one of those outboard mounted trolling motors, but they're $500 + a ton of batteries and weight.

But another thought I had would be to use the floating motor to power your own tow tube. It would only weigh less than 50lb total and fit under my bow. I already have a spare 5hp engine and I'm thinking maybe I could use an actual model boat hull if they make one big enough.

I've done the radio control thing before, you can install a simple failsafe so it kills the engine when it loses radio contact.

I would definately have to check the legality...but do you have to register any large size RC boats? I know some guys play with some pretty big ones...

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Home made tug boat?

Sounds like what you really need is to find a good used pontoon boat powered with a small motor. That's going to be a lot easier to handle than towing or lashing something to your current boat and I think you'd be more comfortable.

Either sell the water rocket to finance this or keep it on the trailer except for those occassional times you want to get out and blow the cobwebs out.

 

[lucky7]

Re: Home made tug boat?

an old b and s flat head isnt the most economical way to burn gas. maybe a newer honda 4hp or twin screw trolling motors?

 

[Solittle]

Re: Home made tug boat?

You might beat all the legalities and Coastie surveilance if you add a schnorkel to it. Run with it submerged and they will never see it.

 

[wetcandle]

Re: Home made tug boat?

You might beat all the legalities and Coastie surveilance if you add a schnorkel to it. Run with it submerged and they will never see it.

LOL! That was my first idea, but I think the resistance of the water would eat up most of my HP. Now I'm thinking about making a little floating thing with an engine that I could attach to the back of my boat, and steer with the outboard. That would be legal.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Home made tug boat?

Mount a mast and get some canvass. Much cheaper.

Go to the military surplus store and buy a used parachute.
Clip it to the bow eye.

Sit back and enjoy

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Home made tug boat?

I saw an ad somewhere for a drive system that sits behind the boat like an outboard, but in a box big enough to enclose an automotive type engine. They even made them in diesel types.

Wish I could find the link, but something like that might be possible to build.

Just remember that for efficiency direct drive from a gas or diesel engine is hard to beat. I'd suggest a kicker.

Although I have to admit I've had many of the same dreams you have. Gas is going to be so danged expensive this summer.....

 

[wetcandle]

Re: Home made tug boat?

I'd suggest a kicker.

I really would love to mount a nice 5hp Mercury that matches my 150hp, but there just isn't a place for it. If I buid something with a 5hp engine it will be direct drive, for the best possible efficiency.