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Narrowboat engine rooms...


robtheplod

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Hello everyone, we're looking at getting a narrowboat in the next few years and are looking at layout/build etc. This would be to initially be a holiday boat, but hoping to turn into a CC when we retire and have finished doing it up.

 

We're clear on most things, but the possibility of an engine room has cropped up. I can see plus and minus for these such as:

 

Plus:

Place to dry clothes

easier to work on

 

Minus:

takes up room

noisy if inside when travelling

often comes with boat cabin which may not be suitable (or useful)

 

I'd be really interested in those that already have engine rooms as to if you'd choose it again, or maybe not (and visa-versa)?  are there any points I've overlooked?

We love the traditional looking narrowboats, but not sure if having an engine room is a step too far? :)

 

thanks!!

rob

Edited by robtheplod
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Engine rooms are usually associated with old fashioned engines. There are exceptions, like the Beta Tug engine, but if you have an engine room, then you most likely need to like and be willing to look after an old thump thump thump engine. If you want a push the button and it buzzes along modern Japanese engine, then they will typically not be in a separate engine room, but tucked away out of sight somewhere.

 

Jen

Re-iterate. There are exceptions to this!

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1 hour ago, robtheplod said:

 

Minus:

takes up room

Can't really follow this as wherever you have the engine it will take up room?

 

This is a question that appears a lot. You're pros and cons lies might be the reserve from somebody else's opinion. Just go along the road that's right for you :)

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Totaly personal opinion. I wouldnt have one for a gold pig, putting the engine on my wilton carpets would ruin them. Having had the misfortune of sleeping in back cabins of friends and rellies boats I wouldnt wish one on anybody. However a good friend of mine did want an old knacker of an engine and had a gardner fitted in an engine room at the very rear of the boat as you went down the steps from the trad stern. This way he had his noisey smokey face full of exhaust fumes but also full length of uninterupted cabin to live in. Up to you innitt.

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Would not be without one.  Home to the engine, the built in generator, the bike, the batteries, the washing machine, the spare potti bottoms and loads of handy gear.  Wonderful place for wet gear to be removed and dry out and an excellent retreat when 'er indoors is on the warpath.

N

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Isn't this really a choice between a trad or semi-trad/cruiser stern? I'm not that familiar with trads so I'm just wondering how it's possible to have a trad stern without an engine room? I mean if the engine is located within the boat's superstructure then isn't it going to be in a room by default?

Edited by blackrose
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The difference being a trad stern with the engine at the rear under the floor with probably 2-3 feet taken up or trad stern with engine in an 8 foot long engine room in front of a rear cabin which is about 10' long.

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7 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

The difference being a trad stern with the engine at the rear under the floor with probably 2-3 feet taken up or trad stern with engine in an 8 foot long engine room in front of a rear cabin which is about 10' long.

 

Ok I see. 

 

Well I can't see the point of a trad stern with an engine under the floor unless that floor comes up easily and access to the engine is good. Access is bad enough on most narrowboats anyway without covering the thing up.

 

I guess some people have to build beds over the engine to save space. 

Edited by blackrose
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55 minutes ago, dmr said:

If you have to ask then you probably don't want one, if you want one you will know it! :)

 

...........Dave

 

^^^This^^^

 

By and large, the blokes who don't understand the attraction of a proper engine room with vintage engine oozing personality (and oil ?) are the blokes who have no soul.

 

 

 

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Just now, blackrose said:

 

Ok I see. 

 

Well I can't see the point of a trad stern with an engine under the floor unless that floor comes up easily and access to the engine is good. Access is bad enough on most narrowboats anyway without covering the thing up.

Our entire floor and surrounding panels are all removable on our trad stern with engine installed at the rear. And to provide a bit more access the rear deck lifts as well.  Not quite as accessible as an engine in a full engine room but you can work on the engine with the rear slide closed when it is raining.

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16 hours ago, robtheplod said:

Hello everyone, we're looking at getting a narrowboat in the next few years and are looking at layout/build etc. This would be to initially be a holiday boat, but hoping to turn into a CC when we retire and have finished doing it up.

 

We're clear on most things, but the possibility of an engine room has cropped up. I can see plus and minus for these such as:

 

Plus:

Place to dry clothes

easier to work on

 

Minus:

takes up room

noisy if inside when travelling

often comes with boat cabin which may not be suitable (or useful)

 

I'd be really interested in those that already have engine rooms as to if you'd choose it again, or maybe not (and visa-versa)?  are there any points I've overlooked?

We love the traditional looking narrowboats, but not sure if having an engine room is a step too far? :)

 

thanks!!

rob

No, it's not.

But your best move would be to visit lots of boats at brokers', look at the ones with engine rooms and those without, and decide which suits you better.

(Our 45-footer has an engine room, we find it an advantage).

Edited by Athy
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My (third hand) 70 foot boat did not have an engine room but the engine was about 15 feet forward of the prop, cocooned in the bathroom. This is a modern Beta engine.

 

For reasons which will not affect you, its position was not satisfactory for my purposes.

 

During the past winter I had the engine moved and the "old" bathroom altered into a shower room and a separate engine room. Of course it has ben less than 6 months but so far, I have found it to be an enormous improvement. The work cost a fortune (to me at least) but I wish I'd had it done 6 years ago.

 

It is louder but we are both usually outside when moving. When moored we can still hear the radio with the engine running but the engine room door closed. We do have a boat cabin but this includes the bed so doesn't take any additional space.

 

PM me if you want more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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10 hours ago, Rob-M said:

The difference being a trad stern with the engine at the rear under the floor with probably 2-3 feet taken up or trad stern with engine in an 8 foot long engine room in front of a rear cabin which is about 10' long.

You really only need anything like an 8 feet engine room if you are fitting some enormous and inappropriate monster of an engine.

 

A "Grand union" engine room is 5' 6", and will easily accommodate any sensible engine.  The fact that one of ours had been upgraded to a triple rather than a twin in no way limited space available, and that also housed massive Grand Union quarter tanks for diesel.

 

Also a standard GU motor back cabin is barely over 8 feet, so te combined length taken by both is about 13' 6", not the 18 feet you mention.

 

It's actually quite a good use of the length, if you treat the back cabin as its own stand alone bedroom.

Edited by alan_fincher
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8 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I find mine are an excellent place to keep the engine too....

 

Gosh, how enterprising!

This reminds me of the day, last year, when I was carrying a "Buckby" can of water from tap to boat, and another boater remarked that he'd never seen one being used for that purpose before. Er, the name "water can" does offer a clue....

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We have an engine room and back cabin, the engine room is great for drying coats etc. and also for storing all things engine related along with brushes, mops bucket and so on, so a good use of room, the engine is also a good radiator after it has been running all day, if it's too hot we just leave the engine room doors open. You also see the engine all the time so keep it clean, and notice any pipes or covers working loose before they cause problems, and they are easier to work on.

 

The children took over the back cabin, one in the cross bed and one in the side bed, the table cupboard housing toys etc, it has become their little house.

 

All in all a great move from a boat with a cruiser stern. 

  • Greenie 1
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12 hours ago, Athy said:

No, it's not.

But your best move would be to visit lots of boats at brokers', look at the ones with engine rooms and those without, and decide which suits you better.

(Our 45-footer has an engine room, we find it an advantage).

Thanks for all the replies - very insightful!

 

We have looked at lots of boats to get an idea. I like the engine room and its advantages, but often the ceiling is lower in the engine room and back cabin so the wife isn't too impressed with it!  :)

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2 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

Thanks for all the replies - very insightful!

 

We have looked at lots of boats to get an idea. I like the engine room and its advantages, but often the ceiling is lower in the engine room and back cabin so the wife isn't too impressed with it!  :)

The floor is usually higher ...

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13 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

Thanks for all the replies - very insightful!

 

We have looked at lots of boats to get an idea. I like the engine room and its advantages, but often the ceiling is lower in the engine room and back cabin so the wife isn't too impressed with it!  :)

 

Totally bizarre, that the ceiling in an engine room being low-ish is a reason not to have one at all!!!

 

Ans why would you want to stand up in a back  cabin? The low ceiling is all part of the charm of them.

 

 

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2 hours ago, robtheplod said:

Thanks for all the replies - very insightful!

 

We have looked at lots of boats to get an idea. I like the engine room and its advantages, but often the ceiling is lower in the engine room and back cabin so the wife isn't too impressed with it!  :)

Not necessarily. The floor is mostly the same height as the rest of the boat in our engine room and back cabin.

 

MP.

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13 minutes ago, MoominPapa said:

Not necessarily. The floor is mostly the same height as the rest of the boat in our engine room and back cabin.

 

MP.

Same here, almost: the corridor which passes through the engine room has a floor which is level with the other floors. The actual engine sits up a bit (at a guess the floor is 6" higher).

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12 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

You really only need anything like an 8 feet engine room if you are fitting some enormous and inappropriate monster of an engine.

 

A "Grand union" engine room is 5' 6", and will easily accommodate any sensible engine.  The fact that one of ours had been upgraded to a triple rather than a twin in no way limited space available, and that also housed massive Grand Union quarter tanks for diesel.

 

Also a standard GU motor back cabin is barely over 8 feet, so te combined length taken by both is about 13' 6", not the 18 feet you mention.

 

It's actually quite a good use of the length, if you treat the back cabin as its own stand alone bedroom.

Those dimensions are a bit limiting though. You get a 3’ 6” wide bed and an engine room that you can only access through the side hatches. I think most modern boats built with a traditional style cabin and engine room are probably between yours and Rob’s dimensions as they have a wider bed and an engine room that you can open a door into and walk round the engine.

 

Although personally I think even 13’ 6” is unnecessary. Bedroom and ‘vintage’ lump in 9’ 2” is no problem.

 

JP

Edited by Captain Pegg
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50 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

Those dimensions are a bit limiting though. You get a 3’ 6” wide bed and an engine room that you can only access through the side hatches. 

 

Plenty of GU boats have had doors inserted into one or both of the engine room bulkheads so you can pass through from engine room to back cabin and/or conversion cabin.

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Just now, David Mack said:

 

Plenty of GU boats have had doors inserted into one or both of the engine room bulkheads so you can pass through from engine room to back cabin and/or conversion cabin.

5’ 6” is still on the small side for an engine room. Any of those boats actually got bigger cabins and/or engine rooms than the original?

 

JP

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