Why did you choose your layout ...

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

^^^^
 

Good interior,

looks boaty and personal 👍

Edited December 1, 2023 by beerbeerbeerbeerbeer

[DandV]

3 hours ago, IanD said:

Both pram hoods and cratch covers*** are like Marmite -- some people love them, some people hate them. Personally I think both look awful and there are better ways to use the bow/stern spaces, but that's just my opinion. YMMV... 😉

 

*** and sterns, and engines, and toilets, and heating, and... 🙂

Aesthetically both are awful.

But, there were times, not many, I would have really appreciated having a pram cover for shelter, over our cruiser stern, when making a time sensitive navigation on one of your big rivers.

A time when just trying up and letting the rain/sleet pass was not an option.

 

Now for the cratch cover.

When we were aboard, we were aboard, continuously  for months, with no possible runs home, or anywhere else to escape bad weather, or do the all important laundry.

Here drying clothes and sheets under the cratch cover was infinitely preferable to accomplishing all the drying by hanging them all in the saloon.

By dropping the weather side of the cratch cover, drying could even be accomplished here in the abundant marginal weather.

Our regime is that we would move clothes from the cratch into the saloon at bed time, to hasten the drying though, and back outside when we got up.

 

If you are accomplishing all your  laundry onboard your knicker bunting has to be flown somewhere, remarkably often.

Outside in the cratch with a cover immediately available to shield it from rain, or excessive wind, is far far better then cluttering already limited living space.

 

 

[gatekrash]

19 minutes ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

^^^^
 

Good interior,

looks boaty and personal 👍

We're a bit 'old fashioned' compared to modern boats, but we like it. The tongue and groove is solid cherry, so it wouldn't have been cheap when the original owners had it built.

 

7 minutes ago, DandV said:

 

Here drying clothes and sheets under the cratch cover was infinitely preferable to accomplishing all the drying by hanging them all in the saloon.

By dropping the weather side of the cratch cover, drying could even be accomplished here in the abundant marginal weather.

Our regime is that we would move clothes from the cratch into the saloon at bed time, to hasten the drying though, and back outside when we got up.

 

If you are accomplishing all your  laundry onboard your knicker bunting has to be flown somewhere, remarkably often.

Outside in the cratch with a cover immediately available to shield it from rain, or excessive wind, is far far better then cluttering already limited living space.

 

 

 

We use ours for this as well !

[zenataomm]

It came with the boat

[IanD]

2 hours ago, DandV said:

Aesthetically both are awful.

But, there were times, not many, I would have really appreciated having a pram cover for shelter, over our cruiser stern, when making a time sensitive navigation on one of your big rivers.

A time when just trying up and letting the rain/sleet pass was not an option.

 

Now for the cratch cover.

When we were aboard, we were aboard, continuously  for months, with no possible runs home, or anywhere else to escape bad weather, or do the all important laundry.

Here drying clothes and sheets under the cratch cover was infinitely preferable to accomplishing all the drying by hanging them all in the saloon.

By dropping the weather side of the cratch cover, drying could even be accomplished here in the abundant marginal weather.

Our regime is that we would move clothes from the cratch into the saloon at bed time, to hasten the drying though, and back outside when we got up.

 

If you are accomplishing all your  laundry onboard your knicker bunting has to be flown somewhere, remarkably often.

Outside in the cratch with a cover immediately available to shield it from rain, or excessive wind, is far far better then cluttering already limited living space.

 

 

Cruiser sterns are grim in bad weather, semi-trad are better, trad are best. Need for a pram cover is greatest with a cruiser, least with a trad. Still look awful though... 😞

 

If you need to hang washing up to dry then a cratch cover can come in useful, even if it looks awful. If you have a tumble drier and the power to run it this need goes away... 😉

[Peanut]

On a 31ft boat, there is no room for a washing machine or dryer, and no cratch to dry your washing. Moving to a hot climate might work, but that's not happening.  I use a friend or daughter's washing machine and in this dreary damp weather bought the smallest electric air dryer I could find. It dries the clothes, heats the boat and takes apart to store in a cupboard. I do use a dehumidifier, and of course, being in a marina, I have shore power. I guess a diesel air heater could be contrived to do the same.

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/53211/dry-soon-drying-pod

[magnetman]

14 minutes ago, Peanut said:

On a 31ft boat, there is no room for a washing machine or dryer, 

I have a tumble drier in a boat with less accomodation space than a 30ft narrow boat. 8 square metres floor space including everything. Very comfortable. 

The drier is one of the 2.5kg units. Boat is on mains electric. Tiny little thing it doubles as a seat. Very good with a vent ducting and a fluff filter. Proper tumble drier. 

 

Not a fan of domestic appliances myself as do not like luxury but a tumble drier I do like and if I have power to run one then I will have one. 

 

Clothes can be washed in a sink with bio washing powder. 

[TheBiscuits]

On 30/11/2023 at 22:19, Jon57 said:

Yep. Should have put man cave in between stove and engine.🤣👍

 

Isn't the man cave where the engine lives?  Mine is!

[Peanut]

4 minutes ago, magnetman said:

I have a tumble drier in a boat with less accomodation space than a 30ft narrow boat. 8 square metres floor space including everything. Very comfortable. 

The drier is one of the 2.5kg units. Boat is on mains electric. Tiny little thing it doubles as a seat. Very good with a vent ducting and a fluff filter. Proper tumble drier. 

 

Not a fan of domestic appliances myself as do not like luxury but a tumble drier I do like and if I have power to run one then I will have one. 

 

Clothes can be washed in a sink with bio washing powder. 

The thing is, it is a real pain to traipse to the laundrette to dry your clothes, it costs, takes time, and is not nice in the rain.

So, in the absence of a proper tumble dryer, the air dryer works for me.

[Alan de Enfield]

28 minutes ago, Peanut said:

On a 31ft boat, there is no room for a washing machine or dryer, and no cratch to dry your washing.

 

When we had a 30 footer we had a cratch (drying room) and a twin tub that lived in the bottom of a wardrobe.

 

 

 

[Peanut]

2 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

When we had a 30 footer, we had a cratch (drying room) and a twin tub that lived in the bottom of a wardrobe.

It's a lumpy water boat, no place for that kind of luxury.  Some have a cockpit tent, and keep a twin tub in a cockpit locker. That takes up some of the limited space, though. A cockpit tent makes an excellent addition for living aboard.

[DandV]

2 hours ago, IanD said:

 

Cruiser sterns are grim in bad weather, semi-trad are better, trad are best. Need for a pram cover is greatest with a cruiser, least with a trad. Still look awful though... 😞

 

If you need to hang washing up to dry then a cratch cover can come in useful, even if it looks awful. If you have a tumble drier and the power to run it this need goes away... 😉

Cruiser sterns come into their own in fine weather,  particularly on urban moorings with high intensive tow path use.

Sitting  comfortably outside but onboard, in those camping folding arm chairs, supping wine, under the alcohol prohibition notice, people watching.

Gas Street Basin, Paddington Basin, and in the middle of Chester come to mind. Great spots.

[Alan de Enfield]

10 hours ago, Peanut said:

It's a lumpy water boat, no place for that kind of luxury.  Some have a cockpit tent, and keep a twin tub in a cockpit locker. That takes up some of the limited space, though. A cockpit tent makes an excellent addition for living aboard.

 

We currently have a 36' lumpy water boat - the twin tub lives under the bed in the aft cabin and the washing hangs in the wet-room/shower.(No tents on that one).

[Peanut]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

We currently have a 36' lumpy water boat - the twin tub lives under the bed in the aft cabin and the washing hangs in the wet-room/shower.(No tents on that one).

But, don't you have two hulls? Those Lagoons are enormous, here is one in the marina here.

[Alan de Enfield]

42 minutes ago, Peanut said:

But, don't you have two hulls? Those Lagoons are enormous, here is one in the marina here.

 

No - thats the other boat, The crusier is based in North Wales, the Cat is in Plymouth.

 

The Cruiser has a 14 foot beam, the Lagoon is 23 feet beam.

 

 

 

 

Attribution for the Cat picture :  @rusty69 who took it from the Wells harbour CCTV

Edited December 2, 2023 by Alan de Enfield

[rusty69]

3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

No - thats the other boat, The crusier is based in North Wales, the Cat is in Plymouth.

 

The Cruiser has a 14 foot beam, the Lagoon is 23 feet beam.

 

 

 

 

Attribution for the Cat picture :  @rusty69 who took it from the Wells harbour CCTV

Woah, your right on the edge of the channel there fella, just as well the horse wasn't there then, you would have taken it out.😂

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, rusty69 said:

Woah, your right on the edge of the channel there fella, just as well the horse wasn't there then, you would have taken it out.😂

 

The depthometer said we were OK and it was a rising tide.

 

Remember the next morning when we were boarded by a huge black seal, which, as it slid up the back-scoop turned out to be a 'dashing blond' in a rubber suit ?

Happy days !

[magnetman]

11 hours ago, Peanut said:

The thing is, it is a real pain to traipse to the laundrette to dry your clothes, it costs, takes time, and is not nice in the rain.

So, in the absence of a proper tumble dryer, the air dryer works for me.

 

these really are small. If you are on mains power it is well worth considering one of them. Really good item and smaller than you might assume. Great for heavy things like jeans and cotton rollnecks. 

 

https://www.robertdyas.co.uk/russell-hobbs-rh3vtd800-2-5kg-compact-vented-tumble-dryer-white

 

 

[rusty69]

2 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

The depthometer said we were OK and it was a rising tide.

Ah yeah, but where is your transducer. Unless its on the port bow jim, your fooked.

Edited December 2, 2023 by rusty69

[Alan de Enfield]

17 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Unless its on the port bow jim, your fooked.

 

But I was Kling(ing) on !

 

From memory we had gone over to that side as we were instructed to make a 180, stem the tide and then slide into a gap (about 2 feet longer than we were) past boats breasted up & onto the pontoon.

We had to use the tide to ferry glide us into the slot.

 

Nice man waiting on the pontoon to take the lines.

 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Alan de Enfield

[rusty69]

6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

But I was Kling(ing) on !

 

From memory we had gone over to that side as we were instructed to make a 180, stem the tide and then slide into a gap (about 2 feet longer than we were) past boats breasted up & onto the pontoon.

We had to use the tide to ferry glide us into the slot.

 

Nice man waiting on the pontoon to take the lines.

 

 

 

Yeah, that makes sense. You would need quite a turning circle for that beast. Bob (Robert) the harbour master probably took your lines. Great bloke.

[Alan de Enfield]

25 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Yeah, that makes sense. You would need quite a turning circle for that beast. Bob (Robert) the harbour master probably took your lines. Great bloke.

Twin engines (widely spaced) so it has a turning circle of 38 feet (but obviously a fast running tide can make things a little more tricky)

[LadyG]

I just bought my boat without any options, the only thing I don't like is the narrow bit twixt galley and bed, it's a corridor loo. I would rather gave a super duper shower cabinet, walk through. A whb would be premium, but not sure about the cassette, it needs a tiny alcove out of sight.

[IanD]

29 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I just bought my boat without any options, the only thing I don't like is the narrow bit twixt galley and bed, it's a corridor loo. I would rather gave a super duper shower cabinet, walk through. A whb would be premium, but not sure about the cassette, it needs a tiny alcove out of sight.

So long as the boat layout is suitable (e.g. reverse layout with only the bedroom ahead of it) a walk-through bathroom gives a *lot* more space inside it than a side-corridor one.

 

But it doesn't work so well with a traditional layout where you have to walk past/through it all the time to get along the boat to/from stern/saloon/dinette/kitchen, someone in there (e.g. using the toilet or shower with the doors locked) blocks access to anyone else on the boat. OK for a solo boater though... 😉

 

11 hours ago, DandV said:

Cruiser sterns come into their own in fine weather,  particularly on urban moorings with high intensive tow path use.

Sitting  comfortably outside but onboard, in those camping folding arm chairs, supping wine, under the alcohol prohibition notice, people watching.

Gas Street Basin, Paddington Basin, and in the middle of Chester come to mind. Great spots.

And that's when a cruiser stern is at its best. When cruising in the driving freezing rain, it's at its worst. It all depends on your usage and priorities... 😉

Edited December 2, 2023 by IanD

[DandV]

7 hours ago, IanD said:

So long as the boat layout is suitable (e.g. reverse layout with only the bedroom ahead of it) a walk-through bathroom gives a *lot* more space inside it than a side-corridor one.

 

But it doesn't work so well with a traditional layout where you have to walk past/through it all the time to get along the boat to/from stern/saloon/dinette/kitchen, someone in there (e.g. using the toilet or shower with the doors locked) blocks access to anyone else on the boat. OK for a solo boater though... 😉

 

And that's when a cruiser stern is at its best. When cruising in the driving freezing rain, it's at its worst. It all depends on your usage and priorities... 😉

The beauty of extended cruising is that it you are only rarely subject to any  time pressures to actually untie and  move.

Normally you can just tie up and sit out inclement weather snug inside.

It is actually rare that the whole day is foul.

Often there is a window after daybreak before forecast bad weather arrives, or the bad weather passes later in the day.