Grand Union boats Cabin Layouts

[chris_r]

Was the usual practice on GU boats to have a doorway access between cabin and engine hole, or was there a option at fitout to have a solid bulkhead at the cabin end with just have an inspection "window" between the two areas ??  Just interested to investigate the options

[David Mack]

The Big Woolwich boats were built with a solid steel bulkhead between cabin and engine hole. No door or window. Of course some have had one added later.

Edited December 26, 2021 by David Mack

[roland elsdon]

As were big Northwich boats. It was always a long way to the loo and the bulkhead used to get seriously cold in the winter if you had not been boating.

we always worried about fire with only way out past the range.

[Derek R.]

TYCHO had a steel bulkhead with an inspection window, but whether that was original or put in late I don't know.

Then there are the butties, were the wooden ones built with a door to the hold, or did all of them, wood or steel have a doorway access? - Or not?

Edited December 26, 2021 by Derek R.
Typo

[zenataomm]

Tycho Typo Derek?

[Derek R.]

11 hours ago, zenataomm said:

Tycho Typo Derek?

No. I wrote 'inspecyion'. 😉

[Dav and Pen]

Solid bulkhead on our boats. When the first safety certificates were required for hire boats and houseboats I was a bit concerned about this because the camping boat steerer slept in the back cabin. Strangely enough the surveyor was not bothered about the lack of another access as the person sleeping in the cabin was crew not passengers. If the was a door or hatch the gear rod and the engine beds would have made it difficult to use.

[Heartland]

How many Tycho's were there. I gather there was an ice breaker kept at Braunston called Tycho.

[Derek R.]

17 hours ago, Heartland said:

How many Tycho's were there. I gather there was an ice breaker kept at Braunston called Tycho.

As far as I know - One. Created by British Waterways (Board?) in 1942 by shortening the full length middle Northwich TYCHO down to 40' and adding a 5' ram to the fore end replacing the original stem post (45' overall). Also substantially strengthening the fore end plates inside, effectively doubling the plating and adding strengthening ledges from the stem post back into the hold.

[fittie]

I was told that the solid bulkhead between the cabin and engine 'ole acted as a fire wall so no doors, window or hatch between the two.

 

[BWM]

I'm fairly certain that the small Woolwich/Northwich motors had a solid bulkhead between back cabin and engine room too.

[Ray T]

One possibility that butties needed a door is that they had no gunwale to walk along at the side of the cabin. 

[roland elsdon]

Our butty had a door. Wooden cabin and door. Just looked on plans for town class motor. Solid bulkhead. Of course I knew that anyway as ours was riveted .

The downside to a door on a butty as access to the hold is when clothed up you can’t get out.

Working the butty via the gunwale is seriously high risk, probably worse than going down the planks, if you don’t fall in the cut you tear the side cloths.

As you can’t expect your 5’ tall partner to go down the planks, you just end up with various strategies, probably looked down on by perfectionists who have never actually tried boating a pair covered in frost and snow.