Those full width bathrooms...

[Daftmare]

We are again trawling the "Boats for Sale" columns as we want to get a boat better equipped for living aboard. Many now seem to have the bathroom at full width, but I cannot decide whether this type of bathroom is a good idea or not.

 

One layout showed a toilet on one side of the boat with the gangway leading direct from the toilet to the stern doors, with no door in-between! Lovely sight I'm sure....

 

I wondered if anyone had experience of these type of bathrooms and what are the pros and cons.

 

Thanks

J.

[Machpoint005]

We are again trawling the "Boats for Sale" columns as we want to get a boat better equipped for living aboard. Many now seem to have the bathroom at full width, but I cannot decide whether this type of bathroom is a good idea or not.

 

One layout showed a toilet on one side of the boat with the gangway leading direct from the toilet to the stern doors, with no door in-between! Lovely sight I'm sure....

 

I wondered if anyone had experience of these type of bathrooms and what are the pros and cons.

 

Thanks

J.

Pros - more space in the bathroom

 

Cons: you can't get through the middle of the boat when someone is in occupation. That's not a problem until you need something on the 'other side' of the bathroom, and it's persisting it down with rain.

 

Having had both sorts on boats, I'd go for the non-full-width bathroom every time. But that's just my opinion.

[carlt]

One of the nice things about an engine room is having a full width bulkhead to put your bed across, we had a king size bed against that bulkhead, then a bathroom, forward of that, with a 5' bath down one side and the toilet and sink on the other . There was no walking through and disturbing anyone because the only place to go was the master bedroom.

Edited September 23, 2008 by carlt

[BlueStringPudding]

Not a fan of thru bathrooms on a boat myself. If the loo has been recently used and someone needs to access the other end of the boat, they have to walk through the smells. Nice. And the steamy dampness if the shower or bath has been used. If the floor's wet then the water gets trodden through the rest of the boat, or makes your socks or slippers wet unless you want to wear shoes all the time indoors.

 

And as mentioned above, other occupants are trapped in one end of the boat while the bathroom or loo's being used. If it's raining or cold outside they still have to go outside to access the other end of the boat. perhaps less of a hassle when there's only 2 people aboard but a pain if you've got friends or family over.

 

Thru bathrooms look nice when all closed off and you're on the inside. Personally I think they're a current fad, like those bloomin' captain's armchair things (sorry all owners of bloomin' captain's armchair things - I'm sure they're very comfy allbethem a inefficient use of space), blonde wood, cross-beds (what a palava) and U-shaped galleys.

 

They'll drift out of popularity again evenutally and will eventually seem dated (as do all things in time)

[WJM]

Full width bathrooms - what a freakish idea! Just how much space does a person NEED for ablutions?! If you find a narrowboat so cramped that you need to spill your toils into the communal gangway then get a broad-beam!

[bridgit]

Stayed the night on a friends boat, slept in back cabin. In the morning went though engine room to full width bathroom, door locked, waited 5 mins tried again. Still locked. Waited another 5 mins, still locked. Did a little jig and shouted to let me in. No answer. Getting desparate. Tried to open back cabin doors but too stiff and ended up climbing out of engine side doors, just made it.

[carlt]

Stayed the night on a friends boat, slept in back cabin. In the morning went though engine room to full width bathroom, door locked, waited 5 mins tried again. Still locked. Waited another 5 mins, still locked. Did a little jig and shouted to let me in. No answer. Getting desparate. Tried to open back cabin doors but too stiff and ended up climbing out of engine side doors, just made it.

Easy solution, don't have a door to the engine room (where on earth do the main and day tanks go?).

[bridgit]

Easy solution, don't have a door to the engine room (where on earth do the main and day tanks go?).

Main tank under back cabin floor and day tank in engine room. Is this not normal, its the same as mine only Ive not got through bathroom.

[bottle]

Pros - more space in the bathroom

 

Cons: you can't get through the middle of the boat when someone is in occupation. That's not a problem until you need something on the 'other side' of the bathroom, and it's persisting it down with rain.

 

Having had both sorts on boats, I'd go for the non-full-width bathroom every time. But that's just my opinion.

 

Agree, except the last piece ours will have a full width (walkthrough).

 

It will also depend on the make up of the crew, there will only be two of us and access will not be restricted.

 

You could have a 'hybrid' but doubt if you will find one on an already completed boat.

[carlt]

This was Usk's layout:

 

Apolgies for the juvenile sketch but I'm still installing software, to the new pooter, and had to use "Paint".

[BlueStringPudding]

Agree, except the last piece ours will have a full width (walkthrough).

 

It will also depend on the make up of the crew, there will only be two of us and access will not be restricted.

 

You could have a 'hybrid' but doubt if you will find one on an already completed boat.

 

That's much less of a problem, admittedly. But we often have guests aboard.

 

Also, love him dearly as I do, I can live without having to walk through my other half's poo smells when going between the living room and kitchen! And I'm sure, romantic that he is, he feels exactly the same about mine!

 

As often boat cabins seem to be built to one third, two thirds or full width of a narrowboat, we've been on some boats that have very narrow single-width bathroom because they have a central corridor running through the boat. Those are very claustrophobic and my broad bint shoulders get wedged in between the bathroom walls! However ours is a standard double-width bathroom (not a full-width or thru bathroom) with the boat corridor running down one side. We find that is ample room for a loo with a sink next to it, a small bath opposite with a shower over and enough floorspace to dry your booty with a towel like you're doing the twist (which is clearly the best way of drying one's booty ). Perfect!

Edited September 23, 2008 by BlueStringPudding

[RichardH]

This was Usk's layout:

 

Apolgies for the juvenile sketch but I'm still installing software, to the new pooter, and had to use "Paint".

 

Speaking of which, I meant to ask 'does anyone know of a piece of software which can show a plan of a boat' - bit like the hire companies use to show the layout. We are looking at a second boat and I don't have a decent plan of it so would have to draw one myself?

[carlt]

Speaking of which, I meant to ask 'does anyone know of a piece of software which can show a plan of a boat' - bit like the hire companies use to show the layout. We are looking at a second boat and I don't have a decent plan of it so would have to draw one myself?

 

Merlin Boat planner

 

Merlin have gone but their boat planner lives on.

[RichardH]

Merlin Boat planner

 

Merlin have gone but their boat planner lives on.

 

Thanks Carl

[magpie patrick]

Ripple has got both.. haha posh! Being an ex-hire boat for up to 8 she has two loos. The main bathroom is split by the aisle, doors close off the loo to one side and a shower curtain hides the other side (where the bath is). If you want the whole bathroom then the doors to the loo open and block the aisle.

 

Pro's: good big bathroom in which to dry off after shower or bath. Larger people can have a big loo compartment.

 

Cons: it blocks the aisle, but if moored getting off at front and back is so easy this isn't really a problem.

 

The back one is just a loo and takes on side of the cabin, about two feet. Pro's. self contained, con's, even my shoulders won't fit in it and we are extending the compartment this winter.

 

I nearly bought a boat with a side bathroom and corridor past it, but I couldn't get my shoulders into the shower cubicle. I'm not that big, well not across the shoulders anyway. so I suspect the answer is, if you don't have a cross room, you must compensate by making the thing longer so the shower can have the full width of the bathroom cabin, not be stuck next to the loo or wash basin

[barge sara]

We are again trawling the "Boats for Sale" columns as we want to get a boat better equipped for living aboard. Many now seem to have the bathroom at full width, but I cannot decide whether this type of bathroom is a good idea or not.

 

Can't think why we would want a bathroom 11 feet wide - seems a bit excessive!

 

John

MV Sara.

[pwl]

Ours is the same, hip bath / shower one side and loo the other with doors set so the loo is private when the aisle is free. We can lock both doors open to give a large bathroom when you want a hip bath or shower but best done when moored as you loose the ability to get from bow to stern internally. This design came with the boat but I think it is a very practical compromise. I think the 'trick' is to be able to close off the loo with the asile still free.

 

P

[BlueStringPudding]

Cool Merlin link. Spent my lunchbreak doing a diagram of our boat. Had to doctor some of the gif files a bit to make them suit our layout though.

 

Here it be:

 

[MikeV]

We have a hybrid design with the toilet in its own compartment so only when you shower do you need to close off the boat. We find this works well.

 

 

...cross-beds (what a palava) and U-shaped galleys.

I reckon our crossbed takes 30 seconds to put up when we both do it, and perhaps 2 minutes if you're doing it yourself. Hardly a palava! I mostly prefer the fact that it takes up less boat length when it's not in use and one person is not trapped against the gunwhale.

 

We also find U-shaped kitchens the most practical for working in. The only downside is the two corner cupboards, but there are some "magic" solutions for this! //Mike

[magpie patrick]

We have a hybrid design with the toilet in its own compartment so only when you shower do you need to close off the boat. We find this works well.

 

 

 

I reckon our crossbed takes 30 seconds to put up when we both do it, and perhaps 2 minutes if you're doing it yourself. Hardly a palava! I mostly prefer the fact that it takes up less boat length when it's not in use and one person is not trapped against the gunwhale.

 

We also find U-shaped kitchens the most practical for working in. The only downside is the two corner cupboards, but there are some "magic" solutions for this! //Mike

 

 

Problem with our cross bed is Val's height... just under 6 feet means she has her head touching one end and her feet the other

 

having the back deck over half of it is "interesting" as well: The Kama Sutra doesn't cover these obstacles

[saltysplash]

Full width bathrooms are not a new fad. I seem to remember the old Harbourgh/Anglo Welsh designs had the heads on one side with closing doors, then the shower opposite. The corridoor was only closed off when the toilet doors were locked open for showering and how long do folk need to stay in the shower? not too long to wait to be able to walk through to the rest of the boat.

 

Our cross bed does cut off the engine room and rear cabin when its down but thats a small price to pay for a bed that is 6'6" x 6'. Its feckin huge.

It takes 1 person less than a minute to set out and put away.

[Daftmare]

Thanks, its been very interesting to know what layouts everyone has. I think that I will be sticking to a conventional bathroom.

 

I must admit to being a fan of U shaped galleys - two people can fit into it, without blocking the corridor - which is a great help when the boat is full of people.

 

I think I would choose not to have the stove at the end of the Saloon either, but towards the middle of the boat.

 

Its very exciting, planning...

 

J.

[alan_fincher]

I reckon our crossbed takes 30 seconds to put up when we both do it, and perhaps 2 minutes if you're doing it yourself. Hardly a palava! I mostly prefer the fact that it takes up less boat length when it's not in use and one person is not trapped against the gunwhale.

 

 

Problem with our cross bed is Val's height... just under 6 feet means she has her head touching one end and her feet the other

Yes, any bed that requires you to sleep across the boat, rather than along it, is not really suited to the tall.

 

When we were looking at boats, I measured a few, and not one measured over 6 feet, and some an inch or two less.

 

Not really practical if you are 6 feet or over - a bed really does need to be an inch or two longer than the tallest occupant.

 

Back on topic, for a cruising boat, I'm more than prepared to put up with a fairly small bathroom and toilet in order to maintain a through way when not in use.

 

If living aboard I might feel different, but for a holiday boat I certainly wouldn't want a full width bathroom.

 

Alan

[wrigglefingers]

Yes, any bed that requires you to sleep across the boat, rather than along it, is not really suited to the tall.

 

When we were looking at boats, I measured a few, and not one measured over 6 feet, and some an inch or two less.

 

Not really practical if you are 6 feet or over - a bed really does need to be an inch or two longer than the tallest occupant.

 

Back on topic, for a cruising boat, I'm more than prepared to put up with a fairly small bathroom and toilet in order to maintain a through way when not in use.

 

If living aboard I might feel different, but for a holiday boat I certainly wouldn't want a full width bathroom.

 

Alan

 

Funny this subject should crop up now as I'm currently chewing over the internal layout of NB Cobbett as we start her build in three weeks. I think I've decided to go with a corridor and put up with the restricted space. Much as I love Astro and Thea-the-Cats I'd probably spend most of my time chasing them out of my nice clean bathroom with their muddy paws.

 

I shall be having a cross-bed in the back cabin but as Astro is only 21 inches long I reckon he'll fit widthways on the bench seat and I'll fit lengthways. Job done!

 

Wriggly

[bag 'o' bones]

We chose a full width walk thru bathroom (shower room in this case) simply because the boat is only 48' and more space was required for a disabled family member.

 

Personally if the boat was purely for myself and no being one for lounging around in a bath, I would have gone for one of those side corridor compact wet-room affairs.