Trad, Semi-Trad or Cruiser

[Ange]

We've come to a bit of a stalemate in our boat hunt - Dave favours trads or semi-trads whereas I would prefer a cruiser stern.

 

I wondered if we could have some opinions from boaters so we can build a list of pros & cons before I get my own way

 

Thanks

Ange

[alan_fincher]

This debate is almost as fiercely fought as the pumpout versus porta-pottie one.

 

If you use the search facility, I'm sure there have already been very many (extremely) long threads on it.

 

The answer is "Trad" by the way, whatever you think!

[bjornunda]

Trads usually have more room inside (depending on length of boat )

I have a trad boat and it's OK for two on the stern but not comfortable for more.

 

(Edited to remove unnecessary quote)

Edited July 20, 2008 by bjornunda

[tillergirl]

I know what you mean - we've been there too. Cruiser Sterns are great socialising areas which is a plus if thats what you want to do. Great for fastening a pram hood too for winter. We started off favouring the Cruiser stern but now we favour the semi trad - especially if there happens to be a nice little stove at the stern which will keep legs nice and warm on colder days with the back doors closed around your legs. Trads theres not much space for 2 people.

 

What about the other end of the boat - what sort of bow do you favour?

 

If you are anything like us you will change your mind loads of times before you actually find the boat that suits you. We are still looking for our dream boat and we know that it'll probably be nothing like we think we want.

 

Have a great time looking - we are

[sueb]

It is much easier getting in and out of a cruiser stern. You have to be a contortionist to access a trad stern and I always hit my head. This needn't be a problem if you are young and fit but I don't bend like I used to.

Sue

[Ally]

We've come to a bit of a stalemate in our boat hunt - Dave favours trads or semi-trads whereas I would prefer a cruiser stern.

 

I wondered if we could have some opinions from boaters so we can build a list of pros & cons before I get my own way

 

Thanks

Ange

 

Depends how you will be using it.

If living aboard, trad I think (and preferably all ports, but then I'm biaised) as it gives you the most room, and a good engine room is a godsend for all kinds of things!!

Extended cruising, trad or semi........at least the semi still looks like a trad from outside, (and you can still get away with ports looking right!)

Summer (?) leisure cruising......cruiser is probably most sociable, (but ports just don't work for me on cruisers) Or semi is still sociable, and gives a bit more protection from the elements.........as if you need that with british boating!!?????

[Ange]

Hi Tillergirl

 

We quite like tug style bows - they can give you that bit of extra space under and on top. These only seem to come with trad sterns which is tipping the balance Dave's way .

 

You're right - it's good fun searching, though a bit expensive in diesel and time as we live in Kent. We spent the entire day today driving all the way round the M25 to see four boats, one private and the other three at marinas.

 

Good luck in your search - maybe we'll meet up on the cut when we have our boats!

 

Ange

[stewey]

Here is the last major thread on the subject:

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php...hl=Trad+cruiser

 

Stewey

[Ange]

Thanks Stewey - I always struggle to find what I want with the search facility - more practice needed probably!!

[Miles]

We are just about to start our second year having purchased a semi-trad and like one of the earlier responses you have the looks together with an area where others can join the helmsman and enjoy our great British weather (is this really July?).Having hadthe samedebate as yourselves we think we made the right choice.

[tillergirl]

Hi Tillergirl

 

We quite like tug style bows - they can give you that bit of extra space under and on top. These only seem to come with trad sterns which is tipping the balance Dave's way .

 

You're right - it's good fun searching, though a bit expensive in diesel and time as we live in Kent. We spent the entire day today driving all the way round the M25 to see four boats, one private and the other three at marinas.

 

Good luck in your search - maybe we'll meet up on the cut when we have our boats!

 

Ange

 

I absolutely love the tug or josha style bows - for whatever reason they seem to "swim" better on the water. We're quite lucky - we have a marina not far from us and if there anything new comes in that we fancy we go and have a look round. Help to tick or cross a few boxes. We've also got Louis and Joshua near us too - good lines - really nice boats.

[Guest]

Depends how you will be using it.

If living aboard, trad I think (and preferably all ports, but then I'm biaised) as it gives you the most room, and a good engine room is a godsend for all kinds of things!!

Extended cruising, trad or semi........at least the semi still looks like a trad from outside, (and you can still get away with ports looking right!)

Summer (?) leisure cruising......cruiser is probably most sociable, (but ports just don't work for me on cruisers) Or semi is still sociable, and gives a bit more protection from the elements.........as if you need that with british boating!!?????

Pretty much agree. Our current is a semi with a pram hood. We like this setup for our extended cruising especilly for the dog. Not the prettiest with a pram hood but I don't care. Very practical we find.

[Machpoint005]

If the OP is set on a tug style front end, this post should be ignored ('cos you can't get a cruiser stern tug, at least, I've never seen one).

 

However...

For cruising in summer, assuming there is no need to maximise cabin space, I find a cruiser stern suits best. Why? Well, for a start, you can actually get at the engine. You can see all the important bits, you can maintain it without being a contortionist, and you can actually reach the stuff that's easy with the engine on a bench and impossible with the engine 'under the stairs' on a trad stern (disregarding vintage engines in engine rooms, of course).

 

You can also get 2 or 3 people on the R-send without anyone hanging off the gunwales. You can easily get on and off, never having to use the front end for the purpose (relatively dangerous). You can get at the bl**d*n' weed hatch even if you haven't got three double-jointed elbows on each arm.

 

Against? Well, you may be slightly more likely to be mistaken for a hire boat (SBW?). The lines might not be quite as pretty - but beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

 

Having had a trad stern, a semi-trad (on a shared ownership boat) and a cruiser stern, I'm still very pleased that our 48 footer is a cruiser.

 

Head down - incoming flak!!

[Scotty]

I totally agree with Matchpoint005's comments

 

and I also like the safety of having a nice rail around the back of the boat to stop the steerer falling in

[alan_fincher]

For cruising in summer, assuming there is no need to maximise cabin space, I find a cruiser stern suits best. Why? Well, for a start, you can actually get at the engine. You can see all the important bits, you can maintain it without being a contortionist, and you can actually reach the stuff that's easy with the engine on a bench and impossible with the engine 'under the stairs' on a trad stern

There is of course no real reason why a rear end engine in a so called "trad" stern has to be any less accessible than under a cruiser stern deck.

 

Admittedly not all are, and if you say chose to put a bed over the engine you rather get what you deserve.

 

But it's not hard to come up with engines in trad back ends that are very accessible.

 

Of course if its pi**ing down with rain you can still work on them in total comfort - something not possible with a cruiser stern.

 

Unless you have a pram hood of course. I can understand why people have these, but couldn't imagine going so myself, I'm afraid.

 

Not very traditional or pretty, but the most flexible arrangement I have seen features a semi-trad arrangement, but with a massive roof on rollers that can close it right in. In the back of that roof is a traditional sliding hatch. The boat can therefore be operated as semi-trad, or trad, depending on circumstances. Different, and so far I've only spotted it the once, so don't expect to find many on the second hand market.

[Machpoint005]

Of course if its pi**ing down with rain you can still work on them in total comfort - something not possible with a cruiser stern.

Fair comment - but under those circumstances I'd be inside with a brew, waiting for the rain to stop!

 

Besides which, if you have a reliable engine you're OK anyway (tempting providence here...)

[dave_2A_]

Not very traditional or pretty, but the most flexible arrangement I have seen features a semi-trad arrangement, but with a massive roof on rollers that can close it right in. In the back of that roof is a traditional sliding hatch. The boat can therefore be operated as semi-trad, or trad, depending on circumstances. Different, and so far I've only spotted it the once, so don't expect to find many on the second hand market.

Too much to hope that you've got a picture? Sounds an interesting idea

 

Edit to add: Cruiser stern! Me and two Labs wouldn't fit otherwise!

Edited July 20, 2008 by dave_2A_

[alan_fincher]

Too much to hope that you've got a picture? Sounds an interesting idea

Sorry, no.

 

I never seem to take pictures of good ideas.

 

And it's only a good idea, if you can hope to afford it - which I can't !

[dave_2A_]

S'alright - just break out the welding gear!

[MikeV]

You have to be a contortionist to access a trad stern and I always hit my head.

This is not always true, although I know what you mean. I'm over 6ft and for me any rear entrance, even on a semi needs to have good headroom. Our trad stern has the cocooned Beta engine which mean that you can step around it and climb straight up out of the rear hatch onto the counter. It also means you can do most things on the engine in the warm and dry and at the end of the day the heat from the engine permeates into the rest of the boat. The cocoon easily come off in four pieces giving you complete access to the engine.

 

You can get at the bl**d*n' weed hatch even if you haven't got three double-jointed elbows on each arm.

No problem with the above arrangement. You just stand behind the engine and there a large hinged cover in the counter which exposes the weedhatch.

 

The above also mean when you enter the boat from the rear you are in a utility area with lots of storage, where you can take off wet coats, muddy boots, etc before entering the main cabin. Lots of hooks in this area for hanging up wet things which can dry aided by the heat from the engine. When it's raining the crew can sit just inside in the warm while still being able to talk to the steerer. It's a great arrangement for boat boat built for two, although I would agree semi or cruiser if regularly boating with 3 or more.

 

If I had was having a another boat built I would go the same way again.

[stewey]

There is a very good summary of the different types of craft on Rugby Boats Sales website here:

 

http://www.rugbyboats.co.uk/styles.php

 

Stewey

[Liam]

A couple of months ago I moved a semi trad with one of these large steel hatches over the deck area with a smaller hatch in it, to make it a trad style. It's probably just a one offdesign feature to this particular boat or if they are all the same but it's the worst thing I have ever experienced.

 

The big hatch wasn't on rollers, but on a normal push/pull slide much like your normal back hatch. When you were closing it, it required you to lift it up, and pull it at the same time, before dropping it over the back doors to close it properly. It was flippin' heavy.

 

The smaller "trad style" hatch was on a hinge, so if you only wanted to this open, it had a handle on the top which you pulled up but due to the size of it, you had to lean over to guide it gently down. This too was heavy and was very hard to do, and I'm 6ft so not the easiest thing for a smaller person to do.

 

The other problem was that if you had the trad hatch open only it was impossible to reach the throttle and gears without bending down, and leaning inside. The control panel was really hard to see unless you did the same.... and don't mention trying to get in the cabin with the semi trad hatch shut/trad open. I had to bend over double and do a crab style walk to the stairs before I could straight up again.

 

Actually I've come to the conclusion that it MUST ONLY be this boat as I can't see anybody putting up with this as I've just remembered some other design flaws...

 

The semi trad deck was about 8 inches lower than the aft deck. I don't like standing on the back deck as I can't move the tiller over properly and it's generally unsafe and I couldn't stand on the semi trad deck as the tiller was at my chin and I couldn't get anywhere near it as the back doors were in the way. Also, the stern greaser was below the weedhatch meaning that every time you wanted to put a turn on the greaser you had to lift a single, very heavy deck board up and struggle to reach down to turn it. Likewise for the master switch to turn the leccy off.

[alan_fincher]

Sounds like it was very poorly executed Liam.

 

Most could bee overcome with proper thought and engineering.

 

Big hatch on rollers, little hatch on slide (not hinges), greaser and master switch sensibly located.

 

The one bit I did wonder about was....

 

and don't mention trying to get in the cabin with the semi trad hatch shut/trad open. I had to bend over double and do a crab style walk to the stairs before I could straight up again.

 

I'm not sure how that worked on the one I saw.

 

I must admit that quite a few trads, even new build off the peg jobs, seem to expect people to crawl across a high deck over the engine. Not really acceptable, and certainly avoided in the better builds.

 

Most cruiser sterns, (and presumably many semi-trads ?), seem to need deck boards lifted to access greasers or switches, (I'm now expecting a host of people to tell me that theirs don't !)

[Liam]

Isn't it funny that when you realise you need a new set of fenders you suddently take an interest in what fenders look like on other boats? For example we were looking at getting a cratch cover so we were checking out what others have to compare..

 

Since moving this boat I started to take an interest in peoples hatch set ups including the location of their greaser - as in if I could see one on their back deck. Some boats I've moved have theirs under the stern deck but must either have theirs just inside the hatches or just fixed to the taff rail round the back. Our old cruiser stern'd boat had it fixed to the taff rail.

[carlt]

There is of course no real reason why a rear end engine in a so called "trad" stern has to be any less accessible than under a cruiser stern deck.

I find it interesting that a boat with an engine shoved in the stern of a boat is described as "trad stern".

 

A trad stern boat has an engine room.