Boiler

[Shelley1981]

Hi everyone! Just started renovating my 1970 Dobson. Anyone know about boilers? Wondering if it can be moved to other areas of the boat from the kitchen so I can make my hatch a big bigger. Any advice appreciated 

[LadyG]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on buying in to the wonderful world of boating.

I'm no expert, but someone will advise on your boiler!

Before you start changing things, which is never easy, personally, I would try to get everything working, cleaned and inspected, familiarisation.

[Tony Brooks]

Yes, it can, but whether it is practical or not is the question. You need to find enough free wall space, run gas pipe that is compliant with the BSS, and alter the hot and cold water supply, as well as cutting a new hole in the roof and sealing the existing one, that means locating and avoiding the strengthening ribs that are probably in the roof.

 

If this is a boat you are permanently living on, you might need to employ a Gas Safe registered engineer endorsed LPG & marine, and that opens up a whole new more stringent set of regulations that apply to homes, rather than just the Boat Safety Scheme. If it is a holiday boat you will only need a person who is "competent" and if you are competent and in the case of an accident can prove it, you can do it yourself.

 

You can do almost anything to a boat as long a sit complies with the regulations, and you have enough money. That could even include having a window take out and the aperture filled in to give a mounting area. but will it be worth the cost and upheaval.

.

 

[Shelley1981]

Thanks Tony, I’m not going to be living on the boat and have about 6k to do it all up. Probably getting carried away with myself. I thought the boiler was a bit of an eyesore here but was told it had to stay put.

Probably my best bet LadyG, there is a lot to do to get it up to scratch 

[Tracy D'arth]

Strange door with the handle inside if those spring hinges are not on the outside!

[Shelley1981]

It’s 1970 not yet renovated so was probably ok then! 

[Stroudwater1]

Welcome to the forum. I wouldn’t necessarily be in a rush to change things which are often where they are for a reason. It’s tempting to stamp our mark on a boat then wish we hadn’t!
 

Those heaters are really good. Don’t be tempted to change it. The convenience of instant hot water is not to be underestimated. 

[David Mack]

40 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Strange door with the handle inside if those spring hinges are not on the outside!

I don't think the hinges are actually attached to the door in that photo.

[Tracy D'arth]

5 minutes ago, David Mack said:

I don't think the hinges are actually attached to the door in that photo.

You mean that it is a staged photo? On the forum? Shocking!  😲

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

1 hour ago, Shelley1981 said:

Thanks Tony, I’m not going to be living on the boat and have about 6k to do it all up. Probably getting carried away with myself. 

Welcome. Don’t get too carried away and destroy everything, To start with I would just get it so everything works and it’s comfortable for you, maybe just a good interior clean and light make/paint over. Then get out and enjoy it over the next few months in the Summer. This will let you know what works for you and what doesn’t, then plan any bigger interior changes for later when you may not want to get out on the water so much(Oct onwards) If you have no experience with boats, you can often make changes that aren’t necessary and turn out to be costly. Clean her up, enjoy it first, take your time and slowly change it. Good luck.

 

[magnetman]

It is a classic pitfall with boats. One of the major problems is if you do start rearranging things it alters the 'vibe' of the boat and can make it unpleasant to even be in there. 

 

If I were you I would do what you do. 

 

I'd leave the boiler there if I were me.

 

 

Edited June 27, 2023 by magnetman
missing word

[Tony Brooks]

2 hours ago, Shelley1981 said:

Thanks Tony, I’m not going to be living on the boat and have about 6k to do it all up. Probably getting carried away with myself. I thought the boiler was a bit of an eyesore here but was told it had to stay put.

Probably my best bet LadyG, there is a lot to do to get it up to scratch 

 

There are alternatives but none are as convenient as that instant gas water heater and if it is an air cooled engine, one alternative is a non-starter. Even if it is water cooled, you would need to run the engine every day to get hot water. The other alternatives need far more electricity than what you already have, and unless you are permanently connected to a shore line it tends to be in short supply on a boat. Even in winter, solar struggles for live-aboard use.

 

I sincerely hope that you at least had your own hull survey, because there is no point in spending £6K on doing the interior up to find it sinks in a year or two. If you have not had a hull survey, I would suggest that should be a priority. I fear rectifying a bad hull could cost twice the budget you seem to have.

 

To be honest, that layout looks to be a bit of a death trap in case of fire or flooding. I think my priority would be to get proper access steps so you can get out of that end of the boat in the dark or with it full of smoke. I fear that would require a total refit of the galley.

[Shelley1981]

Thanks 😊 

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

3 minutes ago, Shelley1981 said:

Thanks 😊 

Yes, a bit of a doomsday reply that one☠️☠️ Don’t let him put you off😂

[Tony Brooks]

11 minutes ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

Yes, a bit of a doomsday reply that one☠️☠️ Don’t let him put you off😂

 

OK, you tell me what was incorrect in that reply.

 

In my view, before the OP spends £6K on what are essentially cosmetic things, they need to know the hull is sound for a fair number of years. I also think the OP needs to be made aware of the dangers of what looks like a single entrance/exit boat. Once she is aware, then she can take a more informed view of where to spend money.

 

It looks to me as if one may well have to climb across or into the sink to use the entrance shown.

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

She’s asking about moving the boiler, not for people to critique and rip her boat apart, there might be a side hatch with steps, she probably had a survey, you don’t know. We can all find fault with boats and layouts, but it’s not always necessary.

Edited June 27, 2023 by BoatinglifeupNorth

[Hudds Lad]

6 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

OK, you tell me what was incorrect in that reply.

 

In my view, before the OP spends £6K on what are essentially cosmetic things, they need to know the hull is sound for a fair number of years. I also think the OP needs to be made aware of the dangers of what looks like a single entrance/exit boat. Once she is aware, then she can take a more informed view of where to spend money.

 

It looks to me as if one may well have to climb across or into the sink to use the entrance shown.

From what i can glean from a quick Google, it'll be a wooden cruiser with mid cockpit something like THIS

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

4 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

From what i can glean from a quick Google, it'll be a wooden cruiser with mid cockpit something like THIS

Looks more like a Narrowboat with hatched front bulkhead like older hire boats. Here’s a previous discussed Thread on Dobson boats.

 

Edited June 27, 2023 by BoatinglifeupNorth

[Hudds Lad]

1 minute ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

Looks more like a Narrowboat, here’s a previous discussed Thread on Dobson boats.

 

It's all guesses without further info/pics and you're probably right, it does look similar to the enclosed bow of a Springer on further perusal, either way i highly doubt it's the only way in or out.  

[Tony Brooks]

7 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

From what i can glean from a quick Google, it'll be a wooden cruiser with mid cockpit something like THIS

 

If it is, then I am even more concerned about the hull, those images look like its is double diagonal planked to me. I fear that needs skills, time, and money to keep in goof condition.

 

The windows look more like narrowboat than cruiser to me though.

2 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

It's all guesses without further info/pics and you're probably right, it does look similar to the enclosed bow of a Springer on further perusal, either way i highly doubt it's the only way in or out.  

 

No, but I expect the other one is at the other end of the boat. That is fine until there is a catastrophe, then people panic and need a second easy way out.

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

6 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

No, but I expect the other one is at the other end of the boat. That is fine until there is a catastrophe, then people panic and need a second easy way out.

 Lots of boats have these front bulkhead hatches, many with a bed in the way, get a couple of these next to the windows.

 

Your looking at the worse case scenario. Go and start a new thread about boat escape routes and don’t spoil this one with totally off track comments, as she will just leave the forum👍

 

[magnetman]

Auto centre punch also useful for windows. 

 

 

Provided they are toughened glass.

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

18 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Auto centre punch also useful for windows. 

 

 

Provided they are toughened glass.

Hopefully @Tony Brooks will start a new Thread on escape routes and why they are needed when catastrophe occurs and leave this Thread with it’s intended question, so not to disillusion the OP from asking questions and being active👍 

Edited June 27, 2023 by BoatinglifeupNorth

[BilgePump]

Welcome to the forum OP. As you can see there is a tendency to go off at a tangent at times in this place

As for the boiler and hatch, I'd do as LadyG and other advise and leave them as is.

The hatch is fine imho as an emergency escape route and from a BSS point of view is compliant. Some grp boats like Dawncraft only have sliding windows as their accepted escape routes, my little Shetland just has a houdini hatch on the roof. 

I assumed at first reading that the boat is a steel narrowboat, like the Springers with forward hatch but seems the company did all kinds over the years in wood, grp and steel. Expanding the hatch for aesthetic reasons won't be simple or cheap in any of those materials. Relocating the boiler also an expense and would just put it somewhere else. The galley is a convenient and suitable place so I'd leave it in place unless you decide to relocate the whole galley.

Enjoy doing it up and having some summer boating!

[system 4-50]

12 hours ago, Shelley1981 said:

Just started renovating my 1970 Dobson.

I think this statement justifies a few cautionary comments.  A bit more info about the boat from the OP would allay our fears and also satisfy our insatiable curiosity.  Any chance OP?