I have always liked tugs and yet, for some reason, I had never got round to building one. For most of the years I have been modelling, Graupner had been producing the attractive tug 'Bugsier 3' and I have always admired it- but I convinced myself I 'didn't build kits'. As the years have gone on, and life seems definitely more finite, I have relaxed my rules and have bought boats on Ebay and I have two RTR boats.
I saw this example on Ebay and it was fairly local to me, a short drive up the motorway, so I agreed a price and brought her home. She had been used well and was a little tired looking. I decided to 'anglicise' the boat naming her 'Seahorse'. I made shorter masts, scraped and repainted the decks and bulwarks and added some details including a nice dinghy from Quaycraft, some knitted fenders, again from Ebay and a crew of whitemetal figures from Deans Marine. The real giveaway is the red and black 'Sun Tugs' style funnel and the yellow trim line round the hull
She has a geared 500 size motor of unknown provenance- it was what was in there and works- and I have used a Graupner V15 esc and 6 volt SLA. She can trundle round the lake for hours or practically plane at full speed. The picture at the head of the page is about half speed, just right. She brings an inordinate amount of pleasure to me and the only drawback is the somewhat noisy gearbox. I think she looks very attractive with the sun glinting on her topsides as she plies the lake at Canonteign in Devon.
June 2020
Replaced...
original geared motor with low drain 500 and direct drive
steering servo with new one as original was definitely on the blink.
original prop with new brass 45mm three blade propellor
6V SLA with 12volt NIMH pack
Tidied up interior chopping out old epoxy, repainting and providing removable tray for esc and rx
August 2020
Shot a video of Seahorse at Cheddar Steam Club sailing with new gear - see the videos page.
I saw this example on Ebay and it was fairly local to me, a short drive up the motorway, so I agreed a price and brought her home. She had been used well and was a little tired looking. I decided to 'anglicise' the boat naming her 'Seahorse'. I made shorter masts, scraped and repainted the decks and bulwarks and added some details including a nice dinghy from Quaycraft, some knitted fenders, again from Ebay and a crew of whitemetal figures from Deans Marine. The real giveaway is the red and black 'Sun Tugs' style funnel and the yellow trim line round the hull
She has a geared 500 size motor of unknown provenance- it was what was in there and works- and I have used a Graupner V15 esc and 6 volt SLA. She can trundle round the lake for hours or practically plane at full speed. The picture at the head of the page is about half speed, just right. She brings an inordinate amount of pleasure to me and the only drawback is the somewhat noisy gearbox. I think she looks very attractive with the sun glinting on her topsides as she plies the lake at Canonteign in Devon.
June 2020
Replaced...
original geared motor with low drain 500 and direct drive
steering servo with new one as original was definitely on the blink.
original prop with new brass 45mm three blade propellor
6V SLA with 12volt NIMH pack
Tidied up interior chopping out old epoxy, repainting and providing removable tray for esc and rx
August 2020
Shot a video of Seahorse at Cheddar Steam Club sailing with new gear - see the videos page.