good history lesson there Bob, ok how do i determin the size of the decks to convert my harbor tug to lets say 1/35 scale , but still use the hull of the harbor tug?

Building Trades 101: The standard height of ceilings in American homes and offices is 8 feet from the floor. Commericial building usualy have a suspended or drop ceiling installed at 8 feet above the floor, with the actual ceilingbeing 1-4 feet abocve that - depends on vent ducts, electrical conduits, etc.

Model Boat Building 102: Following the above "standards", the distance between decks on ship models should be 8-10 scale feet. This equates to about 3 inches in 1:32 or 1:35 scale.

By changing the scale of the model, you may have to change the height of the bulwarks around the hull. The best way to check is with a figure from that scale or using a scale ruler.

This picture is of my 1:96 scale Icebraking Harbor Tug. The crewman is a HO (1:87 scale) police figure I repainted. It's only a 10% size difference between 1:96 and 1:87 scales - but you can see that the Chief looks to be at least 6'6" tall compared to the railing in front of him. He would look even more out of scale if I had placed him near one of the watertight doors on the main deck.

ok thanks , i think i have it. i did figure about 3 " per deck to make 1/35 scale figures look right.