Cruiser v Semi-Trad stern

[Opener]

9 hours ago, Ex Brummie said:

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

Started out wanting a semi-trad (+bath), ended up with a cruiser (+shower). Very square asre-end with substantial taff rail. Plenty of space to wander round when cruising/manoeuvring. Crew can sit with/hop on and off comfortably. Sit out in two collapsible chairs plus table when moored (more 'private' than the towpath). All engine bits -fixed and portable- are away under substantial deck/hatches. Easy weed hatch. Stacks of work space keeping cabin clean. Only had the one boat so can't compare with other layouts but still 'happy'.

[ditchcrawler]

6 hours 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. 

Mine is full of crap, but whenever I take any of the said crap home I always need it the following trip

[rusty69]

Just now, ditchcrawler said:

Mine is full of crap, but whenever I take any of the said crap home I always need it the following trip

Ours is so full of crap, I haven't seen the engine since 1999.

[1agos]

Do cruiser stern engine holes get water logged every time it rains ?

[mrsmelly]

10 hours ago, 1agos said:

Do cruiser stern engine holes get water logged every time it rains ?

No!! and Yes. Some do and some dont, it depends greatly on design and drainage. I have had cruiser sterns that let water in and some that didnt. My present semi trad doesnt fill with water either.

[Opener]

12 hours ago, 1agos said:

Do cruiser stern engine holes get water logged every time it rains ?

Short answer - no.  There is a channel, maybe 2" x 2", which extends all the way around the hole in the back deck.  Two hinged plates (??5mm thick and 2' x 2' square) sit on that channel and form maybe 50% of the cruiser deck surface area - mine is more or less square. There is a small gap between the hinged plate and the solid rear deck.  Any water that goes down the gap ends up in the channel.  Since the boat sits down by the stern, that water goes to the back where it finds a hole connected to a tooob which runs overboard at a steep slope (no backflow).

My perception is that many boaters seem to accept that you get water in the enginole - from rain, stern gland or whatever.  Mine is DRY.  Had maybe two or three 'incidents' in seven years.  Lots of autumn leaves and wind can persuade leaves down the hatch/deck gap and block the outflow - heavy rain will then overflow the channel.  This season I backed into a really leaky lock gate and shipped about an inch of water, which overwhelmed the channel, into a small area of the bilge (which is divided up by cross members, engine bearers etc.  A bucket and a half mopped out.  So rain, melting snow/slush, lock gates etc are a worry but very, very few problems have materialised.

My cruiser deck is flat with a lip at the front protecting the rear steps.  What happens on boats where the rear steps start on the rear deck and are expose even when the rear door/hatch are closed?

[Richard10002]

As per #56.

 

The channels can get blocked with various bits of leaf and stuff, thus overflowing. A quick check and clean out when doing daily checks makes it doesn’t get too bad, or gets sorted before too much overflowing occurs....

[PaulD]

On 21/08/2019 at 15:42, 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 don’t have lockers in my semi trad rear deck. Access to engine is similar to a cruiser stern.