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Posted

The Ella McKenzie is a real thing of beauty. My semi-retirement desires call for finding a classic old wooden boat about this size - a 42' - 45' schooner style troller would be nice, and jogging up and down the coast until I can't anymore. Then I'll get a little dinghy.

A government without public oversight is like a nuclear plant without lead shielding.

Posted

The swim grid hanging from the stern of the Ella McKenzie reminds me of a beaver's tail. I think it would have to go. I'd probably put a nice stout steel pipe railing, painted black, around the gunwales - that incorporated a ladder at the stern that reached the water. I'd hang the bumpers from the railing instead of around and over the top of the wooden cap of the gunwale which will eventually chafe the lines and gouge the cap. I can see why the owner went with black rubber tires though. A bunch of bright red pumpkins would spoil the effect.

I'm betting the gunwale around the back half of the boat has been raised since it was restored from being a working tug and if it was me I think I'd have also installed a few more and bigger scuppers. I've seen a few big greenies washing across a few decks over the years and I'm a lot happier when they're gone in a hurry.

A government without public oversight is like a nuclear plant without lead shielding.

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

The swim grid hanging from the stern of the Ella McKenzie reminds me of a beaver's tail. I think it would have to go. I'd probably put a nice stout steel pipe railing, painted black, around the gunwales - that incorporated a ladder at the stern that reached the water. I'd hang the bumpers from the railing instead of around and over the top of the wooden cap of the gunwale which will eventually chafe the lines and gouge the cap. I can see why the owner went with black rubber tires though. A bunch of bright red pumpkins would spoil the effect.

I'm betting the gunwale around the back half of the boat has been raised since it was restored from being a working tug and if it was me I think I'd have also installed a few more and bigger scuppers. I've seen a few big greenies washing across a few decks over the years and I'm a lot happier when they're gone in a hurry.

Swim grid is probably for hanging a tender off the back...? or just making it easier to get on and off the boat... It doesn't do much for the looks, you're right about that!

Ella probably doesn't see much green-water any more... but you never know... some yachties are more adventurous than others... maybe she still makes trips out on the west coast or up north... there are a lot of yachts that just stick between Victoria and Port Hardy on the inside...

Posted (edited)

Nice looking Tugs. Too bad they are restricted to moving in water only.

Down our way, once a year I can hear the "Tooting salute" as our Alligator Tug does its annual trip up our Lynn River in Simcoe Ontario (North shore of Lake Erie). While ours may not look as pretty as yours, ours can "self portage" across land from lake to lake:

http://www.downtownsimcoe.com/mods/photogallery/photos/1390934394.jpg

Edited by Big Guy

Note - For those expecting a response from Big Guy: I generally do not read or respond to posts longer then 300 words nor to parsed comments.

Posted

Swim grid is probably for hanging a tender off the back...? or just making it easier to get on and off the boat... It doesn't do much for the looks, you're right about that!

Ella probably doesn't see much green-water any more... but you never know... some yachties are more adventurous than others... maybe she still makes trips out on the west coast or up north... there are a lot of yachts that just stick between Victoria and Port Hardy on the inside...

Lots of green ones inside too. Ever been through Haro Straight against a southeasterly on a flood tide? I suspect it's just as crappy when going the other way against a northwesterly on the ebb.

A government without public oversight is like a nuclear plant without lead shielding.

Posted

It looks like a converted prune barge or something.

What does "self portage" actually mean?

These boats were so named because of their ability to travel between lakes by pulling themselves with a winch across land. Alligators served as "warping tug". They towed log booms across lakes and then portaged themselves using a winch to the next body of water. The rugged, steam-powered tugs were one of the pioneers in the mechanization of the forest industry in North America.

http://www.norfolkcounty.ca/living/heritage-culture/alligator-tug/

Perhaps if/when one of your "pretty" tugs gets hung up we can send the alligator over to pull you back to safe waters. ;)

Note - For those expecting a response from Big Guy: I generally do not read or respond to posts longer then 300 words nor to parsed comments.

Posted

Looks like it would do the job alright. I've logged and salvaged lots of logs off beaches and I can certainly see how this gator would have come into it's own. I don't imagine ice slowed it down but would spring thaw bog them down, so to speak?

A government without public oversight is like a nuclear plant without lead shielding.

Posted

Not really. They operated like trucks do with a winch system. Run a wire around some tree ion the forefront and then turn the winch and pull the tug forward. It is surprising what distances between lakes these alligators could crawl.

For those interested:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator_boat

Note - For those expecting a response from Big Guy: I generally do not read or respond to posts longer then 300 words nor to parsed comments.

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