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Best Stern for Single Handed


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2 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

I have a copy that I would let go if anyone wants it, unmarked     ISBN   0 9531512  0  4  You are never too old to learn a bit more about canal boating.

I'd be interested.

4 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

You can leave the dog to steer, while you do the locks. 😀

A bloke on our moorings had a dog that used to hold the ropes. It was a hefty dog. 

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2 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

Not sure why they are easier for doing locks and some cruiser sterns are a pain for tying up, particularly if they have the bottom piece of a pram hood around the rails. They have a tendency to get in the way of the dollies, or T-studs as many cruiser sterns seem to have. Much better to have two easily accessible dollies on the back of a trad with no rails to have to lean over to get the lines onto the dollies.

 I didn’t think they be easier, just thought they’d be no problem. 
But what you’ve said reminds me of the experience of re tying cruiser sterns that have come away from the bank and yes it’s pain if they’ve a pram hood and/or railings.  
 

But I guess folk forego that if they can occasionally entertain on their crusader stern. 
 

And having said that I have very very very rarely seen folk being entertained on a cruiser stern. 

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4 hours ago, peterboat said:

Cruiser for me I am afraid, ease of getting on an off. 

 

That's true, often easier than a trad, but of course you lose the engine room and covered area to store lots of crap, unless you have a pram hood. But I'd say pram hoods are bad news for single handling because you lose any benefit you gained from the easy access cruiser stern in the first place.

Edited by blackrose
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I did move one semitrad with pram cover so designed that you couldnt drop it either forward or back and get off to do locks or moor up. 

I managed to get the whole caboodle removed completely and taken to the point of delivery.

 

I did have a cruiser stern with a similar problem and just undid it all and stored it on the front deck for the journey.

 

The worst one was a semitrad with permanently fixed boat wiring-including 12 and 240v, sat and TV aerials fixed round the upper pram hood beams. There were also 240v domestic sockets facing upwards on the roof next to the sliding hatch. I managed to get it to Braunston intact having informed the broker of said installation and risks of damage or electrical faults. The owner refused to have the pram hood removed, said it was part of the boats saleability.

I approached Braunston tunnel and found the tunnel lights and no internal lights worked due to water ingress in the cabin floorspace...the boat did still sell, and 3 years later, still had the same repair tape on the pram cover that I had used when repairing it on delivery.

 

 

 

 

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I single-hand around the place with a (short) cruiser stern, but would definitely prefer a trad all other things being equal. Sadly trad-sterned Sea Otters don't exist to my knowledge and I do love Lark's other attributes.

 

Cruiser/semi-trad advantages: space for other people near the helmsman (except on the gunwales), handy place to stack bags of coal etc. without having to lift them onto the roof, seating/rails make useful steps, great access to the engine under the deck boards.

 

Downsides are the reduced interior space, lack of protection from inclement weather, awkward to tie lines etc., really awkward if moored stern-on, and most cruiser sterns are quite ugly in my opinion.

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8 hours ago, Goliath said:

But if you’re a miserable git who’s happy falling out with themselves like what I am, then a more traditional stern is better. 

Sounds like it's a trad for me then!

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Trad.  You can lean against the side of the hatches for comfortable support on long days.  A long slide gives more room for the occasional second person and can still be partially closed in bad weather.

Pram hoods and cratch covers are merely impediments to getting them ahead.

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15 hours ago, Machpoint005 said:

 

I agree with you on everything except the pram hood (ugly monstrocities that belong on prams, and nowhere else).

 

Ease of getting on and off, and ease of working on the engine, swing it for me. I'm assumng that a good maintenance regime means you only have to work in the engine 'ole when the sun is shining. 

 

Agree on all points. Id rather drown than have a pram hood,  boating is a fine weather sport.

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14 hours ago, Loddon said:

I cant remember Its over 20 years since I went up there. Summer 2002.

Did Lowesmoor  Basin to Hopwood House in a day on my own so I must have been doing something right.

Next day was Long Itchington @ditchcrawler helped me up the last few

Day after that was Stoke Bruene 

Day after that was Marsworth.

 

 

was that the year boats were found washed up on the towpath in Milton Keynes? (🤣)

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2 hours ago, blackrose said:

Leaning on the hatches? On my cruiser stern I have a high bar stool so I can sit down on long days. And yes I am in front of the tiller. 

 

Sanding up all day is knackering, that's why you're leaning.


Easy enough to sit up on the side and still steer. 

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It is horses for courses. I was perfectly happy with a cruiser stern, and I did fit down sheeting to help contain the grandson when he was small, but it did not interfere with the T studs (no dollies my boat). I fitted a Desmo socket in the engine cover, so we could sit around a small circular table for meals on nice days.

 

In my view, where a cruiser stern wins hands down is that it can have the gas tank up against the rear bulkhead, making it far, far easier to lift fas bottles in and out compared with bottles in the forepeak or through doors in the cabin side. The gas tank also helps to give easier access to the roof.

 

 

Edited by Tony Brooks
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13 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

That's true, often easier than a trad, but of course you lose the engine room and covered area to store lots of crap, unless you have a pram hood. But I'd say pram hoods are bad news for single handling because you lose any benefit you gained from the easy access cruiser stern in the first place.

Pram hood down when cruising in nice weather up when its miserable. I rarely cruise when its miserable to be honest can't see the point. The wheelhouse is lovely in miserable weather, double glazed and heated 

1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

It is horses for courses. I was perfectly happy with a cruiser stern, and I did fit down sheeting to help contain the grandson when he was small, but it did not interfere with the T studs (no dollies my boat). I fitted a Desmo socket in the engine cover, so we could sit around a small circular table for meals on nice days.

 

In my view, where a cruiser stern wins hands down is that it can have the gas tank up against the rear bulkhead, making it far, far easier to lift fas bottles in and out compared with bottles in the forepeak or through doors in the cabin side. The gas tank also helps to give easier access to the roof.

 

The last thing I would want is the engine effectively mixed up with the accommodation, as it so often is on a trad. too much chance of noise and smells inside the boat. I would also hate to try to work on the engine on a semi-trad with the two side lockers restricting access.

It is horses for courses. I was perfectly happy with a cruiser stern, and I did fit down sheeting to help contain the grandson when he was small, but it did not interfere with the T studs (no dollies my boat). I fitted a Desmo socket in the engine cover, so we could sit around a small circular table for meals on nice days.

 

In my view, where a cruiser stern wins hands down is that it can have the gas tank up against the rear bulkhead, making it far, far easier to lift fas bottles in and out compared with bottles in the forepeak or through doors in the cabin side. The gas tank also helps to give easier access to the roof.

 

The last thing I would want is the engine effectively mixed up with the accommodation, as it so often is on a trad. too much chance of noise and smells inside the boat. I would also hate to try to work on the engine on a semi-trad with the two side lockers restricting access.

So right you said it 3 times Tony

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57 minutes ago, peterboat said:

Pram hood down when cruising in nice weather up when its miserable. I rarely cruise when its miserable to be honest can't see the point. The wheelhouse is lovely in miserable weather, double glazed and heated 

So right you said it 3 times Tony

 

Deleted the duplicate, it is just the latest incident where the forum bug refuses to acknowledge a reply has been posted.

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