Cruiser or Traditional Stern

[cuthound]

2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

Another point in favour of a cruiser with gas locker against the rear bulkhead. Good stout boards to stand on to lift the bottle and easy to sit it on the locker side prior to lifting it straight off the boat.

 

Rick on my local fuel boat always changes the gas bottles on my boat. Haven't changed a gas bottle myself in years. ??

[cuthound]

2 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:

I remember viewing some trads. where one had to practically crawl out and back one on one's hands and knees to get out the hatch. Obviously not all are like this but it definitely highlighted to me how much better semi trad or cruiser stern access is.

 

Yes, many modern trads have difficult to access weed hatches, and ex-working boats dont even hzve weed hatches!

 

Some builders consider access to weed hatch, engine, electrics and plumbing, some don't. Ease of access to these was a major consideration when I was looking for a boat. Unfortunately many people dont consider this until they have bought the boat.

 

My modern trad has a hinged top set into the rear deck, which it trapped under the rear doors when they are closed for security. It hinges just in front of the swan neck, making access to the weed hatch easy.

Edited June 28, 2020 by cuthound
Clarification

[David Schweizer]

2 hours ago, Narrowboat Saxa said:

wow, thats actually very smart... How long is the engine room?

There wasn't an actual Engine Room, the engine was fitted snugly inside an engine box projecting about 30 inches into the back cabin, and located between the two beds :-

 

 

 

Just in case you need to understand what I mean by about the engine fitting "snugly" :-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 28, 2020 by David Schweizer

[Ray T]

3 hours ago, Richard T said:

To confuse matters even further we have a trad stern with a large hatch - approx 1m square - which gives us space for two or three people to stand at the rear. If the weather is bad you can pull the hatch closed and whilst its not as enclosed as a full trad it helps keep the weather off. There are even some boats about with a double hatch! A small one set into a large one. We like the large hatch because it allows our grandchildren to be atthe stern in a safe area. our engine is completely boxed in

Some examples

[Alan de Enfield]

16 minutes ago, cuthound said:

My modern trad has a hinged top set into the rear deck, which it trapped under the rear doors when they are closed for security. It hinges just in front of the swan neck, making access to the weed hatch easy.

That was pretty much the same as ours, yes you could reach the weed hatch to take the lid off, but there was no way your arms could actually reach much below water level. I couldn't get down to feel the shaft or prop, even 'stood on my head'. The rear deck level where you are lying is just so high due to being 'above the engine'.

[cuthound]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

That was pretty much the same as ours, yes you could reach the weed hatch to take the lid off, but there was no way your arms could actually reach much below water level. I couldn't get down to feel the shaft or prop, even 'stood on my head'. The rear deck level where you are lying is just so high due to being 'above the engine'.

 

The hatch is wider than me so I find I can reach right down the below the hub of the propellor.

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

The hatch is wider than me so I find I can reach right down the below the hub of the propellor.

Unfortunately the older I get the more that hatch shrinks - amazing how that happens.

[cuthound]

9 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Unfortunately the older I get the more that hatch shrinks - amazing how that happens.

 

Lol,

 

I only weigh 2 stone more and have a 2 inch bigger waist  than when I got married 43 years ago. ?

 

Unfortunately I am no where near as flexible as I used to be and dont have nearly as much hair as i did back then. ?

[peterboat]

Cruiser stern for me with pram cover is the way forward, my present boat has a wheelhouse with electric motor which works for me.  I would have a full size narrowboat with engine room for the electric motor and batteries still not sure about the trad stern but most full size boats have them I suppose ?

[system 4-50]

I have a conventional weed hatch lid with baffle plate.  As the years pass, it gets heavier and heavier.  Has anyone devised a mechanism for lifting these things, pulleys or ??? 

[Movin' on]

Trad every time pref with a boatmans cabin and a stove (and an engine room)

Great roof space for dogs when its dry, BMC for dogs when its wet, heating to keep you happy (and food on the go) and the engine provides somewhere to dry your clothes - and the dogs don't get under your feet

 

Edited June 28, 2020 by Halsey

[Machpoint005]

4 hours ago, robtheplod said:

Access to the engine on our Semi-trad:

 

Nice engine!

 

 

Does your semi-trad deck leak, or is the engine 'ole floor painted in rust colour?

 

 

(not being nasty, serious question!)

[robtheplod]

2 hours ago, Machpoint005 said:

 

Nice engine!

 

 

Does your semi-trad deck leak, or is the engine 'ole floor painted in rust colour?

 

 

(not being nasty, serious question!)

It did a little. I cleaned out the drainage channels and it cut it down lots, but stopped altogether when i got a canopy to fit when the boats not in use, plus gives us an area for storage. My engine bay will be derusted/painted as soon as i can stay overnight and summon the enthusiasm!

 

Edited June 28, 2020 by robtheplod

[ditchcrawler]

4 hours ago, cuthound said:

 

 

 

My modern trad has a hinged top set into the rear deck, which it trapped under the rear doors when they are closed for security. It hinges just in front of the swan neck, making access to the weed hatch easy.

Same here

 

[ditchcrawler]

4 hours ago, Ray T said:

 

It was a big chap who owned Prairie Crocus wasnt it @haggis

[haggis]

36 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

It was a big chap who owned Prairie Crocus wasnt it @haggis

You could say that! He had that boat built for him but his second one, he bought second hand  and it has an "ordinary" hatch. The second Prairie Crocus became our KELPIE . 

 

haggis

[LadyG]

I've  been cruising for fourteen hours, so I now have an opinion.  My trad has two built in "chairs" welded on to the stern, great for getting off and on,  solid things, I lean agaist them and as well as being less tiring, they make me feel safe, and are great for keeping tyres/fenders, and an axe, some ropes , an emergncy boarding ladder, windlass, knife, snacks, etc.

I have two bikes on roof, annoyingly neither store well at stern. I like a dry bilge, would not like water runoff with a cruiser. No dog.

[TheBiscuits]

Just now, LadyG said:

My trad has two built in "chairs" welded on to the stern, great for getting off and on,  solid things, I lean agaist them and as well as being less tiring, they make me feel safe

 

Suicide seats I call them.  Don't stand/lean/sit inside the tiller arc.

 

There have been several deaths associated with them over the years, and I removed them from my current boat before I started the engine for the first time the day I got the keys.

[mrsmelly]

So there you go OP. No one has a clue have we, its an impossible one to answer  

[LadyG]

36 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Suicide seats I call them.  Don't stand/lean/sit inside the tiller arc.

 

There have been several deaths associated with them over the years, and I removed them from my current boat before I started the engine for the first time the day I got the keys.

I should emphasise, I dont sit on them, they once were seating, but now are 'granny bars' I steer with my hand on tiller and am standing outsde the radius of the tiller arm most of the time. I don't put the wooden handle on as that could wack me.

Edited June 28, 2020 by LadyG

[ditchcrawler]

39 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I've  been cruising for fourteen hours, so I now have an opinion.  My trad has two built in "chairs" welded on to the stern, great for getting off and on,  solid things, I lean agaist them and as well as being less tiring, they make me feel safe, and are great for keeping tyres/fenders, and an axe, some ropes , an emergncy boarding ladder, windlass, knife, snacks, etc.

I have two bikes on roof, annoyingly neither store well at stern. I like a dry bilge, would not like water runoff with a cruiser. No dog.

Suicide seats

 

[LadyG]

?

6 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Suicide seats

 

keep up ??⬛

Edited June 28, 2020 by LadyG

[ditchcrawler]

29 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I should emphasise, I dont sit on them, they once were seating, but now are 'granny bars' I steer with my hand on tiller and am sranding outsde the radius of the tiller arm most of the time. I don't put the wooden handle on as that could wack me.

If your boat is a trad, stand inside the slide to steer, I don't see how the " wooden handle" would wack you

[haggis]

Just now, ditchcrawler said:

If your boat is a trad, stand inside the slide to steer, I don't see how the " wooden handle" would wack you

I was puzzling over that too. without the "wooden handle" the tiller must be very short and require more "work" and also it will be more difficult to stay outside the arc with a short tiller. As you say, Brian standing inside the hatch is the safest place to stand on a trad stern.

 

Haggis

[LadyG]

41 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

If your boat is a trad, stand inside the slide to steer, I don't see how the " wooden handle" would wack you

I can't see over the roof unless outside, The handle is 6 /7nches long, I can't get past it if doors closed. I dodge from one side to t'other.

Doors closed to keep cat inside as well.

I might try with bikes in well deck, but they might be a hazzard, on a long journey I could put them inside, but I still feel hande is not givng me a safe working area.

Edited June 28, 2020 by LadyG