Ships - how do I find out what size they are?

[silly moo]

I have a harbour on my layout and am getting very confused by the sizes of different types of vessels. I have usually bought ships and boats that I thought looked about the right size.

The tug boats are causing some confusion, I have a kit built steam tug that is 22cm long and a modern Tomytec diesel tug that is 11cm long, they look very silly next to each other and I've no idea which one is the right size.

I am also in the dark as to the correct size of small fishing boats. I can find lots of pictures of the various vessels on the 'net but not much about their actual sizes. I'm a long way from the sea so I can't nip out to the nearest harbour with a yardstick!

Any maritime experts out there who could point me in the right direction?

Regards

Veronica.

[fisherman]

start   at  the  bow   and   work   backwards....

oops

sorry...

[Luke Piewalker]

I had a quick poke about, and apparently shrimp trawlers are around 50ft, and I think what would constitute other 'small' trawlers are in the range 60-100ft. Or 20-30m in the metric.

These chaps design tugs, and most of them seem to be 30m

http://www.offshoreshipdesigners.com/harbour-tugs/

[BLOKEY]

Hi if you take a look at model boat mayhem website .There`s all sort of  info
From  different  types of tugs to fishing boats. 

[Lawrence]

Hi V  have a look at this website  http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais//  you can click on any ship on the map, anywhere in the world, and it will give you the details you are after.  I realise it will be a bit hit and miss for you but there is a filter section on the left

[scotsoft]

There is an excellent tutorial here showing you how to make your own saving you many pennies 

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=9299.msg97979#msg97979

cheers John.

[silly moo]

I've found some info here and some very nice models

http://www.langleymodels.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Boats__Ships__quayside_walls_etc_63.html

Thanks to everyone for their help.

[EtchedPixels]

A fair number of those are the Artitec range but rebranded. Curiously the Artitec ones are 1/160 scale so either they've mysteriously grown or the website has just put 1/148 for everything in N.

I have mixed feelings about the Artitec kits. They are very beautifully modelled by the resin used is often very thin and warps too easily as well as needing careful handling inside to keep opaque.

Some day I'll build the train ferry kit I acquired in a box of stuff ! That looks fun as is designed so you can fit real track if you want.

Alan

[Oldman]

What I did when I was looking and was still  working for my old employers, was to look at pictures of current ships etc , look for vessel ID numbers or names.
I then used contacts and access to various official databases to gather all the data
I  needed.
Unfortunately a lot of fishing boats, just have an ID number however if you want to study some official info try this
http://www.marinemanagement.org.uk/fisheries/statistics/vessel.htm

[moogle]

I have a harbour on my layout and am getting very confused by the sizes of different types of vessels. I have usually bought ships and boats that I thought looked about the right size.

The tug boats are causing some confusion, I have a kit built steam tug that is 22cm long and a modern Tomytec diesel tug that is 11cm long, they look very silly next to each other and I've no idea which one is the right size.

I am also in the dark as to the correct size of small fishing boats. I can find lots of pictures of the various vessels on the 'net but not much about their actual sizes. I'm a long way from the sea so I can't nip out to the nearest harbour with a yardstick!

Any maritime experts out there who could point me in the right direction?

Regards

Veronica.

Fishing vessels vary considerably, there's no real size as such.
A vessel that would just go out for the day and return will be a lot smaller than one that goes out for longer.
Crew and hold size will be a deciding factor there too.

As to the tugs, they're both correct.
Tug sizes indicate the power of the tug for the type of jobs it can do. (If that makes sense)
There's loads of useful info on this site: http://www.thamestugs.co.uk/SUN-TUGS-%5B1%5D.php

[moogle]

"Tuggies" forum has a good selection of pictures in its gallery:

http://riverman.gotdns.com/tuggies/thumbnails.php?album=16

I'll put the above and the previous link in the knowledge bank.

[weave]

Hi silly moo and all the other silly people on here,

Am looking for 'fishing' boats now and wondered how you got on.

They'll prob be for tourist excursions rather than 'proper' fishing boats and wondered if anyone has these...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tomytec-Komono-009-010-011-Fishing-Boat-A-B-C-1-150-N-scale-/201077116877

.... and if so, are they any good and more importantly how long are they as the space where they would go is quite small?

Thanks for any help.

Cheers weave

[Agrippa]

These look like Jap boats and not much like UK or Irish boats. Fishing boats are all sizes
also depends on the era you're modelling. Modern trawlers are quite large say 120 ft
while scallop boats for inshore fishing can be about the same size as a pleasure boat.
1930s steam trawlers about 80 - 100 ft. Lobster boats not much larger than a small
day cruiser.

[silly moo]

Langley models have some really nice ships http://www.langley-models.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Boats__Ships__quayside_walls_etc_63.html

I managed to find some plastic fishing boats for a few pounds each at a shop called Nauticalia but that was some time ago and they don't seem to have them any more. So I think the Langley ones will be your best bet.

Model boats of the right size are difficult to find so when I do come across something suitable I tend to grab it.

I have heard that Revell have brought out a modern tug boat in 1:144 scale.

[javlinfaw7]

[smg id=12584 type=preview align=center caption="waverley 2 031 001"]This should give you an idea how small tugs can get ,also attached are some [smg id=12582 type=preview align=center caption="SG100026 001"][smg id=12583 type=preview align=center caption="waverley 2 029 001"] fishing boats