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Tug-style front question.


Tigerr

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We're looking for another boat, and I've decided to go from semi-trap to trad with engine room, basically for easier access to maintain the lump. Our previous boat had a lovely cratch area which was my wife's favourite cruising position to watch the world go by. A number of the boats we are thinking about have tug decks with beds under. My wife is concerned that these front decks are not so good for sitting out as we go, requiring loos furniture, perhaps with low headroom at bridges, or being scraped into the cut by low hanging branches  etc. Plus initially my impression of the under deck bedding is it might be a faff to change bedding or sit up with an early morning cuppa. (An absolutely vital start to the day!)

They look nice but any comments from those who've had such a setup?

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48 minutes ago, Tigerr said:

Plus initially my impression of the under deck bedding is it might be a faff to change bedding or sit up with an early morning cuppa. (An absolutely vital start to the day!)

They look nice but any comments from those who've had such a setup?

Ive never owned one but have stayed on a good few that have.

Its like all things narrowboat-some work better than others and design,or lack of, is key.

The need to be a contortionist to get into bed isnt very helpful as you get older and have seen some sold for exactly this reason.

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Thanks, I had wondered if I was missing a big advantage in the tug deck idea. Think I will cross that off the list as , like the engine room enabling access to the motor, being able to access the bed with ease is increasingly important as age. 

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The best use I saw for a tug foredeck was for a pet goat to lounge on and motorcycle storage. 

 

The bed must be a nightmare. I think you could probably arrange for a sliding mechanism perhaps with linear actuators. Other than that even as a fit young lithe thing it would just be a nuisance. 

 

They do look good though. 

 

Edited by magnetman
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4 minutes ago, magnetman said:

The best use I saw for a tug foredeck was for a pet goat to lounge on and motorcycle storage. 

 

Never seen a goat but run into a chap with a Harley Trike on his every now again.

One day I will see how he gets it on or off 😀

 

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Most trads with an engine room (for easy maintenance access) will also have a Boatmans cabin - this is not always seen as a plus as the setup, particularly the bed, does not suit everyone . Something else to throw in the mix!!

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1 hour ago, PaulJ said:

Never seen a goat but run into a chap with a Harley Trike on his every now again.

One day I will see how he gets it on or off 😀

 

 

Locksides with road access.  Lower the water & boat to the correct depth and just drive it off.

 

 

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55 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:
2 hours ago, PaulJ said:

Never seen a goat but run into a chap with a Harley Trike on his every now again.

One day I will see how he gets it on or off 😀

 

 

Locksides with road access.  Lower the water & boat to the correct depth and just drive it off.

Not a likely technique if PaulJ is referring to Lady Hamilton, which is usually on the Aire & Calder. The mechanised locks would not be easy to emergency stop part way through a cycle at the correct level. I think there is a rotating ramp arrangement.

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I've had a boat with a tug deck for about 8 years and haven't really had any of those problems. 

 

Provided the deck is long enough and you've got a reasonable amount of headroom inside they're amazing for a bed - ours has a permanent king size bed underneath and just three and a half feet of headroom, so I can sit up in bed despite being 6'3. This also means you don't have to faff about with folding things up or constantly making and unmaking the bed. 


My experience of tugs has been that they normally sit a bit lower in the water, so usually have a lower air draught too. This means provided you have a suitable chair you shouldn't have the same problems with vegetation as the other boats on the cut have already torn it off with their higher cabins! We have a pair of low folding deck chairs that are ideal for this and dead comfy. 

 

I love an engine room too - much nicer to sit on the floor while working on it rather than the upside down contortion fest in the stern engine bay on our old boat. 

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Don't get me started on boatman's cabins.  I appreciate a storage room as much as anyone but replicating the cramped discomfort of a previous era with a 24 inch prison padded cot has always left me puzzled. I expect it works for some though, takes all sorts.

But I think i will be able to work around refurbishing a stumbled cell into something comfortable, if that if it's the 'price' of a nice engine room with a lovely old bit of kit to play with.

Thanks for all the input - helped confirm criteria, and now we will wait till the right boat turns up. 

 

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They are rare, but I have seen trads with engine room, and a permanent double in place of the cabin replica. Just wasn’t one around when I was looking, as I would have liked a looksee as I think I would prefer that.

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21 hours ago, Mike Tee said:

They are rare, but I have seen trads with engine room, and a permanent double in place of the cabin replica. Just wasn’t one around when I was looking, as I would have liked a looksee as I think I would prefer that.

That would be my choice too, or a single with a handy studio/layout worktop table space on the other side which is what I had built in the old boat. But that's a bit unlikely to turn up on the duck! I am not too fussed about vintage engines either, the engine room is for ease of access in my case. I'd happily have a hybrid setup with a hydraulic drive and hospital silencer in there. But not expecting that to turn up, and new build is megabucks and probably delivered just as I pass away!

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23 hours ago, Tigerr said:

Don't get me started on boatman's cabins.  I appreciate a storage room as much as anyone but replicating the cramped discomfort of a previous era with a 24 inch prison padded cot has always left me puzzled. I expect it works for some though, takes all sorts.

 

 

Back cabins don't have to be traditional. Ours has no stove, but does have a 4'6" wide crossbed (which folds up two thirds/one third if required) so it is comfortable but saves about 1'9" length compared with a longitudinal bed. 

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22 minutes ago, Athy said:

Back cabins don't have to be traditional. Ours has no stove, but does have a 4'6" wide crossbed (which folds up two thirds/one third if required) so it is comfortable but saves about 1'9" length compared with a longitudinal bed. 

Indeed that would suit well, if such a thing were to turn up on the Duck. 

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The 55ft narrow boat I lived on for 12 years had Russell Newbery in stern engine room and I put a cross double bed immediately in front of the bulkhead. There was a door so one could scramble across the bed but it was not an walking access all through. 

 

I did find this layout good except the engine noise was a bit much. 

 

Same arrangement but with a modern quiet diesel/hybrid would have been superb. Nice big engine room about 10ft long with two side doors and room for pushbikes and a workbench. 

 

 

Edited by magnetman
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On 05/07/2022 at 18:38, Mike Tee said:

They are rare, but I have seen trads with engine room, and a permanent double in place of the cabin replica. Just wasn’t one around when I was looking, as I would have liked a looksee as I think I would prefer that.

That is what my Orion has, it also has a 'tug style' deck (it's about a foot below the gunnel). Of course the deck wastes/uses 12 foot of the 70' but we prefer it.

 

PM me if you would like to see it, not for sale but there are certainly others about.

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8 minutes ago, frahkn said:

That is what my Orion has, it also has a 'tug style' deck (it's about a foot below the gunnel). Of course the deck wastes/uses 12 foot of the 70' but we prefer it.

 

PM me if you would like to see it, not for sale but there are certainly others about.

One tug Albion has a pull out bed with loads of storage in the deck hold. The other has a permanent made up full size bed .could even be a king size. You can even just about sit up in the bed if your a tad on the small size. Tugs are brilliant for working the single locks as mentioned in a previous post. Great outside space when moored up away from the bloody cyclists😊

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