Bedroom storage for reverse layout boat

[IanD]

For anyone looking at fitting out a reverse layout boat, here's what we did for clothes/bedding/towel storage -- effectively a huge chest of 8 drawers extending into the potters cabin in front of the bedroom (with some storage space either side), the drawer width is set by the taper of the hull and the cabin. The space underneath is filled with a 500l stainless steel water tank, the drawers are almost 3' deep (on telescopic slides) and pull out over the bed -- which is lengthways and pulls out to a standard double 4'6" wide. To get to the drawers you stand in the cross-walkway to the side of the open drawer, so no problem trying to reach the back of a very deep drawer.

 

This was driven by the fact that the hanging wardrobe space in most boats is pretty much useless, we rarely have any clothes that can make use of it (coats will go in the wet cupboard at the stern), but there's never enough space for other clothes and things like spare bedding and towels. It means the bedroom is only 8' long to the front of the cabin, but has a lot more storage space than you'd be able to fit in otherwise.

 

I've added a photo of the outside to make it clear where this all fits in.

 

Won't suit everyone, but might be a useful idea for anyone else going down the same path... 😉

[alan_fincher]

A fascinating alternative to the more usual rum of the mill approaches.

Clearly it will not appeal to those who want some kind of front deck / well, but otherwise seems a very innovative arrangement.

 

Out of curiosity how do you meet the requirement to have emergency exit routes at the front of the boat?

Edited July 5, 2023 by alan_fincher

[IanD]

9 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

A fascinating alternative to the more usual rum of the mill approaches.

Clearly it will not appeal to those who want some kind of front deck / well, but otherwise seems a very innovative arrangement.

 

Out of curiosity how do you meet the requirement to have emergency exit routes at the front of the boat?

 

I decided not to have a well, but use the (semi-trad) rear of the boat for people outside for more sociable cruising -- cushions to make comfortable seats, and no need to hide in the bows to get away from the engine noise (one reason for doing this) because there isn't any... 😉

 

There are glazed side doors (like these in the dinette) on the RHS of the bedroom, you can see the inner shutters in the first photo.

Edited July 5, 2023 by IanD

[Alan de Enfield]

4 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

Out of curiosity how do you meet the requirement to have emergency exit routes at the front of the boat?

 

It is only a BSS mandatory for commercial / hire boats,

 

If it's your own boat you can burn to death.

[IanD]

Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

 

It is only a BSS mandatory for commercial / hire boats,

 

If it's your own boat you can burn to death.

That's legally correct, but personally I'd prefer not to... 😉

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, IanD said:

That's legally correct, but personally I'd prefer not to... 😉

 

I was replying to AlanF's assertion that an emergency front exit was legally required.

[Tonka]

3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

It is only a BSS mandatory for commercial / hire boats,

 

If it's your own boat you can burn to death.

So how did the Camaltime boats built by S W Durham get away without a front door

[Paul C]

It’s a great alternative.

 

I’ve always preferred - and made use of - front doors, even on a reverse layout.

[PCSB]

Nice solution Ian, the joinery looks really good too, love the wood colour, white oak?

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, Tonka said:

So how did the Camaltime boats built by S W Durham get away without a front door

 

 

Knock-out-Windows, or maybe the BSS had a "Nelson moment", or more likely the side hatch counts as "the second escape" location.

[IanD]

22 minutes ago, PCSB said:

Nice solution Ian, the joinery looks really good too, love the wood colour, white oak?

It's just oak everywhere -- mostly solid, veneered on big boards -- but with a natural finish, no staining or tinted varnish. Ricky is pretty picky about his joinery... 😉

 

25 minutes ago, Paul C said:

It’s a great alternative.

 

I’ve always preferred - and made use of - front doors, even on a reverse layout.

 

I did look at having front doors but decided against it for various reasons -- space (waste of) was one, and I also wanted a watertight bow because I know I'll be going through tight locks (60' boat on the C&H/L&L) with leaky top gates capable of filling up a well deck. DAMHIK... 😉

Edited July 5, 2023 by IanD

[Paul C]

I can see the reasoning! We have a deck below water level and picture doors. It’s lovely when stationary. But a complete PITA when going uphill.

[alan_fincher]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I was replying to AlanF's assertion that an emergency front exit was legally required.

 

Nowhere did I mention "legal" or "legally".

 

I could just as easily been referring to "common-sense" requirement!

[IanD]

39 minutes ago, Paul C said:

I can see the reasoning! We have a deck below water level and picture doors. It’s lovely when stationary. But a complete PITA when going uphill.

A well deck above water level like on many boats (with water tank underneath) is bad enough when faced with a waterfall which puts more water in than the scuppers can drain out, so I hate to think what happens with yours... 😞

 

I also think that the tall cratches with cloth/plastic covers that many boats use look horrible, especially when they're taller than the cabin roof to try and get enough headroom inside when there's a water tank under the deck -- but that's just my opinion... 😉

3 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

Nowhere did I mention "legal" or "legally".

 

I could just as easily been referring to "common-sense" requirement!

Hence the side doors... 😉

[Guest]

5 hours ago, IanD said:

 

I decided not to have a well, but use the (semi-trad) rear of the boat for people outside for more sociable cruising -- cushions to make comfortable seats, and no need to hide in the bows to get away from the engine noise (one reason for doing this) because there isn't any... 😉

 

There are glazed side doors (like these in the dinette) on the RHS of the bedroom, you can see the inner shutters in the first photo.

 

Some nice carpentry skills on display there.

 

Hence there should have been a build blog. Shame there wont be.

1 hour ago, Tonka said:

So how did the Camaltime boats built by S W Durham get away without a front door

 

ISTR they had a door in the same position as the ones in Mr D's boat.

[Tonka]

16 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

Some nice carpentry skills on display there.

 

Hence there should have been a build blog. Shame there wont be.

 

ISTR they had a door in the same position as the ones in Mr D's boat.

But @Alan de Enfield said it was a legal requirement to have a front door in a hire boat to get a BSS. 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Tonka said:

But @Alan de Enfield said it was a legal requirement to have a front door in a hire boat to get a BSS. 

 

I dont believe the door/hatch actually has to be right at the front but rather a means of escape from the front section of the boat is required. A side hatch fulfills that requirement.

 

Of course this raises the oft discussed issue (on here) of not being able to open the side hatch in a narrow lock.

[IanD]

5 minutes ago, Tonka said:

But @Alan de Enfield said it was a legal requirement to have a front door in a hire boat to get a BSS. 

 

The legal requirement for a hire boat is to have a second exit route, and if you look at the actual BSS rules they show an example like the CanalTime one (side doors in the bedroom) as being legal.

 

They have to be at the front of the boat, but not necessarily in the forward-facing front end of the cabin.

 

IIRC a breakout or opening window of sufficient size also meets the rules, as does a roof hatch.

Edited July 5, 2023 by IanD

[Alan de Enfield]

29 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

Nowhere did I mention "legal" or "legally".

 

I could just as easily been referring to "common-sense" requirement!

 

 

6 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

Out of curiosity how do you meet the requirement to have emergency exit routes at the front of the boat?

 

 

Ok, I'll answer it  a different way :

 

Where is there listed a requirement to have an emergency exit at the front of the boat ?

 

I can think of nothing applicable to canal boats other than the BSS, which certainly does not require one. (for a private boat)

 

For sake of clarity ................

 

re·quire·ment

[rɪˈkwʌɪəm(ə)nt]

 

a thing that is compulsory; a necessary condition:

"applicants must satisfy the normal entry requirements"

[IanD]

12 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

 

 

Ok, I'll answer it  a different way :

 

Where is there listed a requirement to have an emergency exit at the front of the boat ?

 

I can think of nothing applicable to canal boats other than the BSS, which certainly does not require one. (for a private boat)

 

For sake of clarity ................

 

re·quire·ment

[rɪˈkwʌɪəm(ə)nt]

 

a thing that is compulsory; a necessary condition:

"applicants must satisfy the normal entry requirements"

Can we please not get into another pointless nit-picking argument about this for the umpteenth time?

 

A second exit route is *required* by BSS for hire boats, but is only *recommended* for private boats. That's literally the letter of the law... 😉

[Alan de Enfield]

19 minutes ago, IanD said:

Can we please not get into another pointless nit-picking argument about this for the umpteenth time?

 

A second exit route is *required* by BSS for hire boats, but is only *recommended* for private boats. That's literally the letter of the law... 😉

 

But AlanF suggested that it was a requirement.

A requirement is something that is compulsory

 

This is wrong and should be acknowledged as such - less knowledgable boaters reading this could be given totally erroneous information.

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

40 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

But AlanF suggested that it was a requirement.

A requirement is something that is compulsory

 

This is wrong and should be acknowledged as such - less knowledgable boaters reading this could be given totally erroneous information.

Why don’t you go and start a thread on BSS requirements and recommendations, highlighting emergency escape routes for private and commercial/ hire boats and stop taking it off track and spoiling a more interesting thread.

 If people wonder why @IanD didn’t do a build blog it’s because of people like this, sorry to say .

Edited July 5, 2023 by BoatinglifeupNorth

[Tonka]

59 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

But AlanF suggested that it was a requirement.

A requirement is something that is compulsory

 

This is wrong and should be acknowledged as such - less knowledgable boaters reading this could be given totally erroneous information.

No AlanF thought it was a requirement and then you said it was a requirement in a hire boat or commercial boat. Now you say it is not and now you are blaming AlanF

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Must say the carpentry looks good. 

 

And I like the idea of internal shutters/doors on side hatch. 

With the windows opening out. 

Is that something of a new idea or is it something tried and tested?
 

 

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

2 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Must say the carpentry looks good. 

 

And I like the idea of internal shutters/doors on side hatch. 

With the windows opening out. 

Is that something of a new idea or is it something tried and tested?
 

 

Sliding shutter’s gives the option for glazed hatches instead of solid steel.