I’ve had this hull for a few years & am now getting to building a model of Harken Towing’s tug HARKEN No 1. As per my usual it will not be an exact replica of the real boat. Sometimes a scale model has to accommodate needs not found in the 1:1.
So, here we go. This class of tug boat was the workhorse of the log boom (essentially a floating group of numerous logs) towing industry in the Pacific north west. Towing these log arrays on the PNW rivers, notably the Fraser, was the most economical method of getting timber from the forests to the sawmills. I don’t know if the log towing industry still exists as a going business, but I have doubts since many of the log tugs have been repurposed. Anyone herein who has historical knowledge of the industry &/or its current status please share any information.

I’ve been working on the hull recently. Finalized the location of the motor & gear reducer & installed the mounting foundations. For me this is always a milestone event allowing hull work to move ahead.

One of my favorite parts of a build,; the structural system to support the deck. As usual, I have no plans for construction. Size of components & location derived from proportional measurements from photos. I was generously provided with house & trunk cabin measurements taken from the real tug by another builder. There is also a lot of TLAR that enters the equation. (And plain guesswork).
The first real challenge has been the stepped foredeck. Many logging industry tugs, particularly those involved with towing log booms, have VERY little freeboard since the deckhand has to leap back & forth between the tug & the towed log boom. So creating a low freeboard stepped deck has me thinking.