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This wonderful video was taken by Earl Gass of Imlay Michigan for his local Power Squadron. Wayne Conklin is the builder being interviewed and you’ll be inspired by his beautiful build. Earl hopes that seeing the stunning boat that Wayne built will encourage his fellow Squadron members to build their own. Let’s hope so!

Wayne built our Tug-along 18 which is an outboard Cabin Cruiser with a classic tugboat style. This boat is available in 16  or 18 foot and is designed for Stitch & Glue construction. Stitch & Glue is quicker and simpler than conventional plywood over frame construction which makes this is an excellent first time project.

Enjoy the video…

Wayne also provided more details by email on his Tug-Along 18′. He states that it handles well, appears to be well balanced both forward and aft, and port to starboard. She draws 3-4 inches of water sitting at the dock. The complete boat with approximately  6 gallons of fuel, 2-3 gallons of water in the tank, a small a/c-d/c fridge, 15 hp Suzuki 4 stroke motor, weighs in at 2580 lbs.

“I’m very happy with these numbers since I probably did a lot of overkill while building it. Where can you find an 18 ft. boat like this with an enclosed cabin, onboard water and fuel, hot/cold water, shore power with a main and 4 circuits, and a large vee berth?” says Wayne after several trips around Florida in his new boat.

As for the performance, Wayne states that “based on the formula to determine hull speed, it appears that this vessel should run at approximately 6.5 mph. Using my handheld GPS with various conditions from smooth to quite choppy, we got as much as 7.0 mph @4400 rpm. The most comfortable speed seems to be at  6 mph @ 3400 rpm .”

We think you did a wonderful job, Wayne and are very proud and impressed with your fine workmanship. And, thank you to Earl for a very nicely done interview.

Wayne documented building his boat every step of the way on the Glen-L Boatbuilder Forum. You can see his log here. You can also see his Gallery on our site. And, to build your own Tug-Along 16′ or 18′, get plans, patterns and kit in our online store.