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Cruiser v Semi-Trad stern


Onionman

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4 hours ago, Tonka said:

When you break down in the pouring rain you'll wish you had a trad. When your engine goes bang because of a leak that hasn't been spotted for weeks you'll wish you had a trad. When your wet clothes are drying around the engine you'll wish you had a trad. When your working on the engine in a cruiser stern and you end up cracking a rib trying to get the last bolt undone you'll wish you had a trad

Trouble is today most people think a trad is a boat with a small rear deck where you have to climb over a boxed in engine to get in the rear doors

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4 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Trouble is today most people think a trad is a boat with a small rear deck where you have to climb over a boxed in engine to get in the rear doors

Well I remember when that was described as semi-trad but that was before the new styled semi-trad came along.

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33 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Trouble is today most people think a trad is a boat with a small rear deck where you have to climb over a boxed in engine to get in the rear doors

Isnt that what a trad stern is?

 

Is a “trad” different to a “trad stern”? 

 

The OP was about types of stern.....

Edited by Richard10002
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Thanks for all the replies. The choice is between semi-trad and cruiser. We hired a trad years ago and I wouldn't touch one ever again.

 

My personal view is that semi-trads look, on paper, to be ideal. Without seeing one, you have a vision of three or four people sitting facing one another in the back. The reality is that you get one person at the back as well as the helmsman. Cruisers I have passed have had four on the back.


So, I like cruisers, the current Mrs Onionman less so.

 

All food for thought; thanks again.

 

 

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Have had several cruiser stern boats because of availability and cost at the time.  Have hired semi trad.  Seats on the semi trad uncomfortable due to tumblehome.  Hated cruiser stern.  Got a trad stern. Loved it.  I can see that a cruiser stern works with a canopy,  Never had a canopy on any of my boats so cant comment. I suppose depends on your cruising area whether you can cruise with the canopy up.

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On 20/08/2019 at 22:54, ditchcrawler said:

We had a semi trad and for anyone sitting in the semi trad bit it was bloody uncomfortable do to the tumblehome, but the dog loved sitting there and looking over the top 

 

Our dogs loved to sit there when we had semi-trad shareboats. We called it the " outbound seat".

 

 

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22 hours ago, Richard10002 said:

I have a cruiser stern, chosen deliberately to accommodate a few people on deck, as well as our dogs. I ruled out, and would never want, a trad stern.

 

With hindsight, a semi trad might work for us as well, and might even be slightly better because there are usually some seats in the open bit in front of the doors, and we could shut the dogs in this bit when mooring up, or other times when they need to be out of the way. With the cruiser stern, they are downstairs, usually on the bed, when we dont want them on deck.

 

So... if buying again, I would consider semi trads as well as cruiser sterns, but cant see any benefit in a trad stern, other than extra space downstairs.

 

Being able to stay warm and dry when working on the engine in inclement weather.

 

Staying warm and mainly dry when cruising in cold and/or wet weather, as long as you have the stern doors closed and the hatch pulled close to you.

Edited by cuthound
To remove a space masquerading as a letter.
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19 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

For maintenance from best to worst:

1. Trad stern with engine room

2. Cruiser stern

3. Semi-trad

4. Trad with engine under stern.

 

The odd one out would be when you have a trad with the engine under the stern but everything around it dismantles.  It's a bit time consuming but you end up with fairly easy maintenance.

 

I would reverse the last two, but it does depend on the individual design.  Our current boat is a trad with an oversized hatch and is the easiest engine to work on of any boat I've had except for a trad with a separate engine room.

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I've a trad, ok a modern trad with a jap engine under the deck boards.

I much prefer this set up to cruiser Sterns or semi trads because I feel disconected from the boat on any thing else than a trad. 

It's an odd feeling but stood on the rear step leaning against the hatch feels right.

 

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What I have noticed on this thread is that some people must have some bloody awful engines that they need to work on a hell of a lot of the time. My superb Japanese unit needs oil changes, the occasional coolant hose and coolant changes. I dont spend more than a day a year in total in the engine hole, why the hell would I want to. It reminds me of the eighties when Japanese cars were making massive in roads in the UK and a recon starter motor for a ford was about a tenner or so, a friend had a datsun and he needed a starter motor that cost him 30 quid or somett. I said kinell I only ever pay a tenner to which he explained " Yes but I have only ever had to buy one in years of Japanese car ownership. he was right, Jap spares were always double any other makers stuff back in those days but it wasnt relevant as having to buy a new part was a very rare occurence.

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23 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

I've a trad, ok a modern trad with a jap engine under the deck boards.

I much prefer this set up to cruiser Sterns or semi trads because I feel disconected from the boat on any thing else than a trad. 

It's an odd feeling but stood on the rear step leaning against the hatch feels right.

 

It's funny you should say that because that's how I've thought of it too - my work and hobbies are very practical and hands on so I'm up close to almost everything I do, if I have less experienced people with me I often tell them for safety you either have to be close enough to do something or far enough away to get out of the road. So I too have that slightly disconnected feeling if I'm too far away from what I should be doing. ?Hmmm.

 

 

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2 hours ago, cuthound said:

 

Being able to stay warm and dry when working on the engine in inclement weather.

 

Staying warm and mainly dry when cruising in cold and/or wet weather, as long as you have the stern doors closed and the hatch pulled close to you.

Horses for courses then..... 

 

I tend not to work on the engine in inclement weather... in fact, I dont tend to have to work much on the engine at all. As I asked before: Do trads have a habit of breaking down, or needing maintenance, so often, that it is actually an issue.

 

Similarly, I try not to cruise in inclement weather so am happy to swap what I prefer about the cruiser stern, for the rare occasion that I cruise in inclement weather. In fact, when the heavens open and I need to cruise, i have waterproofs and a hat which keep me 100% dry underneath. Many with cruiser sterns have a canopy to keep the inclement weather at bay.

 

There are obviously benefits and disadvantages to all types of stern. For me, the advantages of a cruiser stern, (and possibly a semi trad), outweigh the disadvantages, and I dont find the advantages of a trad outweigh the disadvantages. You see things differently, which is fine.

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I like my semi-trad which is fitted with extended seats over the rear lockers for comfort. It's a handy space to bring passengers along (and safely contain little terrors), looks good, is easy to access the engine (I can stand in the engine bay) by removing one large board, and it never leaks as long as I keep the drain tracks clear.

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5 hours ago, Richard10002 said:

Horses for courses then..... 

 

I tend not to work on the engine in inclement weather... in fact, I dont tend to have to work much on the engine at all. As I asked before: Do trads have a habit of breaking down, or needing maintenance, so often, that it is actually an issue.

 

Similarly, I try not to cruise in inclement weather so am happy to swap what I prefer about the cruiser stern, for the rare occasion that I cruise in inclement weather. In fact, when the heavens open and I need to cruise, i have waterproofs and a hat which keep me 100% dry underneath. Many with cruiser sterns have a canopy to keep the inclement weather at bay.

 

There are obviously benefits and disadvantages to all types of stern. For me, the advantages of a cruiser stern, (and possibly a semi trad), outweigh the disadvantages, and I dont find the advantages of a trad outweigh the disadvantages. You see things differently, which is fine.

 

I've only had two breakdowns, with any type of stern over the last 46 years, a failed starter motor and a damaged driveplate.

 

However I prefer to change the oil in the engine more frequently than the manufacturers recommend, and to do this when it is raining, rather than waste good cruising time on a sunny day. ?

 

Having tried all three types of stern, plus a modern trad with a wide hatch, my preference is for the latter, but as others have said, it is the rest of the boat that determines what I would buy, rsthervthsn  minimise my choice by inciting on one particular stern type.

 

The worst thing about cruiser stern is the way the engine hole is usually full of rainwater.

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My boat found me, a trad stern.

 

Liked it as more internal space than the other boats I viewed. A 50ft narrowboat with beta 1305. I haven't been on any other sterns cruising so couldn't say which I prefer. I suppose with cruiser stern have a nice seating area and space for plant pots/ social area. 

Must get out next year as not been anywhere in years except winding hole and back, ran lovely.

 

James.

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I found most semi trad seats were not sittable in, due to the tumblehome on the side digging into the middle of your back. The main advantage is you can shut the dog in the semi trad cockpit. Getting on and off on both the trad and semi trad interferers with the tiller arc which can cause problems. The cruiser stern allows people to get on and off much easier unless you are moored stern on to the bank. You can fit a dodger, or even lockers around the back on a cruiser to give wind protection up to the waist.

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6 minutes ago, Detling said:

I found most semi trad seats were not sittable in, due to the tumblehome on the side digging into the middle of your back. The main advantage is you can shut the dog in the semi trad cockpit. Getting on and off on both the trad and semi trad interferers with the tiller arc which can cause problems. The cruiser stern allows people to get on and off much easier unless you are moored stern on to the bank. You can fit a dodger, or even lockers around the back on a cruiser to give wind protection up to the waist.

 

You learn something new every day.

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On 21/08/2019 at 12:08, NB Caelmiri said:

As much as I love my boat, given the opportunity to buy again, I'd get one with at least a semi-trad if not a cruiser stern. As much as it might be the design of my boat, I find there's a lot of wasted space that can't really be used in the engine room and as space is always at a minimum (or I have too much "stuff" perhaps?), I feel like a semi-trad or cruiser stern might have opened up a bit more space. And with a pram hood, it'd be an ideal storage space for a bike or other bits and pieces. But I've got her now and for all her foibles, I'm very happy. Still would prefer a cruiser stern though.

 

How can you POSSIBLY say engine room is wasted space when there so many reasons for having it, most of them already covered previously in this thread?!!!!

 

 

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On ‎20‎/‎08‎/‎2019 at 23:10, robtheplod said:

 

 

There seem to be far more Trads for sale than others, not sure if this means anything other than there are more Trads about?

Or people with cruiser/semi's are happy with what they've got.

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4 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

How can you POSSIBLY say engine room is wasted space when there so many reasons for having it, most of them already covered previously in this thread?!!!!

 

 

You haven't seen my engine room!

 

And when I say "engine room" I'm not referring to an entire room specific to the engine, I'm referring to the bit between where I steer and where I sleep (trad stern with engine under stern)

Edited by NB Caelmiri
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4 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

How can you POSSIBLY say engine room is wasted space when there so many reasons for having it, most of them already covered previously in this thread?!!!!

 

 

And there was no reasons for having it when I posted my comment!????

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11 minutes ago, NB Caelmiri said:

You haven't seen my engine room!

Just curious - is there something about your engine room specifically that you don't like or is it engine rooms in general?

 

I suppose like all things some engine rooms probbly have a better layout than others, which is why I ask. 

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6 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

Just curious - is there something about your engine room specifically that you don't like or is it engine rooms in general?

 

I suppose like all things some engine rooms probbly have a better layout than others, which is why I ask. 

It's not a full/entire dedicated room for the engine (as in a traditional engine room), I'm just referring to the bit at the back of the boat between my bedroom and the stern exterior - I suppose technically it's the stern. An actual proper engine room I wouldn't mind!

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5 minutes ago, NB Caelmiri said:

It's not a full/entire dedicated room for the engine (as in a traditional engine room), I'm just referring to the bit at the back of the boat between my bedroom and the stern exterior - I suppose technically it's the stern. An actual proper engine room I wouldn't mind!

Oh right I see :)

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