Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping Online

My other small tug pages:

Historical Collections of the Great Lakes Great Lakes Vessels Online Index
International Tug Boat Race
Back to the Zoomatron home page.

These are images borrowed from the web to help me think about details
of real tug boats as I work on the design of my boat. Most of the images are
from the Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping Online site. I kept
the original file names so you can search on the site. BTW- they've got literally
thousands of pictures of Great Lakes freighters and other boats. It's a fascinating site,
but you can't see the images without clicking on each link and hoping for the best.

I'm looking for details like:

Color schemes - hull, trim, pilothouse
Door details - swing vs slide, height above deck, design, materials
Window details - shape, ways they open, trim material, wipers
Deck layout
Scupper size and layout
Bollard design and location
Handrails - location and material
Masts and things mounted on the masts
Fenders
Lights - spotlights, nav lights, towing lights
Hawse pipes and anchors
Accessories - life rings, line storage, stuff mounted on the pilothouse roof

Boat names:

Joe Slifka
Magneto
Bendix

Image 1 - 2005dec.jpg

Image 2 - 2005jan.jpg
Arc at top and bottom of windows looks good, but maybe too much on a pleasure-boat.

Image 3 - 3521029.4Tugs[1].jpg
Nice picture from a different collection.

Image 4 - 39691727.CRW_1157[1].jpg

Image 5 - abrahamwwilliams-u96-jm.jpg

Image 6 - acushnet7-01-01-mn.jpg
A high bow and low deck makes a fun and safe place to ride.

Image 7 - algoraillwash10-09-tz.jpg

Image 8 - Alpena_SJG2_RJ.jpg
Just a pretty picture.

Image 9 - AMBERMAEdock10030306rmn.jpg

Image 10 - amigoiv-ns.jpg
Pilot is to Port. Most others are to Starboard.
Slider for door is horizontal.

Image 11 - arcticblue8-05-01mn-pg.jpg
Dinghy on cabin. Raised hatch on forward cabin.

Image 12 - arkansas-cc01-andyl.jpg

Image 13 - awood2003_0410AB.JPG.jpg
External window with hinge.

Image 14 - birmco10-24-01mn.jpg
It looks like the door is notched to fit over the rail. The opening must be notched also.

Image 15 - bonnyville8-25-01mn-pg.jpg
Big scuppers. Is that a screen door, or a door with black panels?

Image 16 - boomalongns.jpg
I like the axe mounted by the door.
Slider hatch to enter the rear cabin.
Simple side bollards.
This is one of my favorites.

Image 17 - brimco-ns.jpg
Are the rails on the aft cabin handrails, or so you can sit on the top of the cabin?
This has vertical sides like the Godzilla.

Image 18 - buffalo-1997-wesleyr.harkins.jpg

Image 19 - C-Westpete-LR.jpg
Dinghy mount looks like a head-banger. I don't think that's a permanant location for it.

Image 20 - california-al.jpg
I like the storage box with the lines on top, and the anchor against it.
Few of these boats have anchors. Tug boats are expected to go home each night?
It looks like the Port window is dropped to let air in the cabin.

Image 21 - colorado.jpg

Image 22 - cwestpeten-mn.jpg
I like the high rear cabin. You can see a narrow rear window in the pilothouse to look out the back.
Wide steel window shades angled down.
The open door blocks much of the view from the pilothouse!

Image 23 - debbielynn-tp.jpg
Swing-out window.

Image 24 - dec2006-mhsd.jpg

Image 25 - decelles-ns.jpg
Big air scoop with red inside.
Guardrail along cabin.

Image 26 - delaware-10-18-01tz-pg.jpg
Storage box with fiddles. Same design as California #20 above.

Image 27 - dolomite-1992-johnvournakis.jpg
Real baggywrinkle! Such a great name too. Note the lowered windows and a storage box.
The clerestory bump-up on the rear cabin is nice. I wonder if I could get away with that?
It looks like a dinghy on the aft cabin top.

Image 28 - DSC00184.jpg
I wish I could tell what the fenders are made out of.
Storage box. Note the handrails curving up to the roof on either side of the door.

Image 29 - ednag.-1992-johnvournakis.jpg

Image 30 - explorer-ns.jpg
The dinghy fits there, but it doesn't look permanant. Do they use the boom to lift it?

Image 31 - geriann-ns.jpg
Solar panels or skylights on the aft cabin? Is that a water nozzle on the bow?

Image 32 - GillenTugsMKE1-df.jpg
Center tug has outside steering wheel, probably connected directly to the inside one.

Image 33 - grouper-cc01-jladue.jpg

Image 34 - gtugs-duluth7-21-01-rf-pg.jpg

Image 35 - gtugtexas-indiana-gb-sb-pg.jpg

Image 36 - hawk-cm.jpg
Look at how wide the door is. Must be nice when it's open. Window swings up.

Image 37 - Hodgeville-wating-below-loc.jpg
Horizontal bars across scuppers lets them be big, but keeps stuff from washing out.

Image 38 - HOEYWILLIAMb02102506mn.jpg
A lot of the working tugs have many vertical handrails/grabrails.
The square side window with the slanted door top looks bad. Remodel?

Image 39 - houtkapper_dc06[1].jpg

Image 40 - hullett-huron.jpg
Just the coolest industrial photo ever! See the operator inside the scoop beam?

Image 41 - Huron-Belle.jpg
Pilot boats have the rails inboard so you can walk outside them to jump off the boat, but still have something to hold onto.

Image 42 - Illinois10-28-06.jpg

Image 43 - isabelle-ns.jpg
Aft cabin is too high to see out the rear.

Image 44 - joanv-ns.jpg
People really love to sit in front of the pilothouse when under way.

Image 45 - Joyce-B-Gardiner-LR.jpg

Image 46 - judy6-30-01-mn.jpg
Bright door interior.
Would a double-stepped house like this work?

Image 47 - judy6-30-01-ns.jpg

Image 48 - julieanne-ns.jpg

Image 49 - julieanne-tp.jpg
Window shade goes all around the cabin, not just the front windows.
This pilothouse is very tall compared to the beam, but still looks OK. Why?

Image 50 - jwwestcottII6-23-01mn.jpg

Image 51 - kentucky-reserve-df.jpg

Image 52 - M.R.Kane-10.7.2006-ah-b.jpg
Dual searchlights. Brass bell.
Anchor in bow pipe.

Image 53 - mackinawcity6-30-01-mn.jpg

Image 54 - MAGNETICb0406-03-05mn.jpg
I like the red door insides.
Same boat below.

Image 55 - MagneticPortBow(10-29-04)mjk.jpg
Watertight doors with dogs.
The windows have vertical mullions, and slide down.

Image 56 - Mailboat-alongside.jpg

Image 57 - MAINEb1005-26-05mn.jpg

Image 58 - martinejohnson-mn.jpg
Wheel to Stardoard side lets the helmsman socialize and steer. More bow-sitters.

Image 59 - MaxThom10-04-01gw-pg.jpg
Interesting detailing - different-sized portholes, curve between houses, handrail runs along cabin sheer.
I think I would have made the aft cabin handrail a smooth curve instead of the jog.
Open door will obscure some of the helm view because the window is smaller.

Image 60 - mb.jpg

Image 61 - mightyjake8-11-01mn-pg.jpg
A lot of the older-looking boats have the front of the cabun raked back.
Note rear door.

Image 62 - mightyjimjohnIII123101-mn-pg.jpg

Image 63 - nancylee-gl.jpg

Image 64 - normabc.jpg
Same as boat below, or sisterships? Also third down (#66).
One of the few with sliding door.

Image 65 - NormaBDetroitRiver(10-12-03)wps.jpg

Image 66 - NormaBOldRouge(10-12-03)wps.jpg
It's interesting that the flat cabin top looks fine. That allows the windows to be in a straight line across also.

Image 67 - nsri_sanlam_rescuer_01_dk[1].jpg

Image 68 - nsri_sanlam_rescuer_02_dk[1].jpg

Image 69 - osprey6-30-01-ns.jpg
Handrails mounted on top of the cabins. No scuppers?

Image 70 - pankhurstm-ns.jpg
Tiny porthole in bow cabin. Interesting little guardrail on sides.
Dinghy on davit! This is the only permanantly-mounted dinghy on this page.
Note pilot hanging out Starboard door, holding the vertical grabrail.
Are the 2 masts for looks, or do they do something? Looks like an old-style Marconi antenna.
I like the smaller cleats forward on either side. They look the right size for this boat.
The guardrails along the cabin sides look like they would add to safety without making it too hard to get out of the boat.
Skinny scuppers hidden in the sheer line.

Image 71 - Patricia-Wellington-inLock.jpg

Image 72 - pilotboatph-10-00-dc.jpg

Image 73 - portofindiana-th.jpg
Mast is stayed to cabins.

Image 74 - portofindianab-th.jpg

Image 75 - randr-6-23-01.jpg
Some unfortunate details:
Handrails run right across portholes.
Very small hawsepipe in bow with permanant line.
Tiny scuppers.
Windows are almost lined up evenly.
For all that, the boat still looks pretty good!

Image 76 - redrockatnip1990-hh.jpg

Image 77 - rocket-ns.jpg
Everyone wants to hang out on the bow. Facing aft is OK.

Image 78 - seahorse-6-24-01-mn-pg.jpg

Image 79 - shelap6-30-01-ns.jpg

Image 80 - sinbad.jpg

Image 81 - sinbadb.jpg

Image 82 - slomoe-2001gerry0.jpg
Forward box is integrated into the pilothouse. Flat top for seat.
With self-bailing decks, is there any reason not to have the decks this close to the waterline?