Fitout "good ideas"

[Murflynn]

Leggie - you're welcome ...........................

 

 

Alan, at least he's reading old posts and not being lazy and starting a new thread covering old and many-times-repeated stuff.

 

.....................   and if the software seems to get stuck keep posting until you're sure your message has been understood by the host 

[noone]

People ALWAYS need reminding!!?

[Jim Wortelhock]

I  have fitted several double usb outlets up and down the NB. They are flush mounted meaning that all is required is a tiny hole for the wires. The bonus is the blue backlight which provides just enough light to navigate around at night. 

I have not seen them anywhere else but Bimble Solar have them at around  £5. 

Very happy 

[David Mack]

On 16/12/2020 at 12:09, Jim Wortelhock said:

I  have fitted several double usb outlets up and down the NB. They are flush mounted meaning that all is required is a tiny hole for the wires. The bonus is the blue backlight which provides just enough light to navigate around at night. 

I have not seen them anywhere else but Bimble Solar have them at around  £5. 

Very happy 

I have some similar ones with the round central socket, but without the rectangular back plate and backlight. They were sold with a bracket for mounting on motorbike handlebars. Found them on ebay.

[Onewheeler]

4 hours ago, David Mack said:

I have some similar ones with the round central socket, but without the rectangular back plate and backlight. They were sold with a bracket for mounting on motorbike handlebars. Found them on ebay.

Can you point me at a flush mount one without the light? Looking for one that won't light up the bed.

[David Mack]

40 minutes ago, Onewheeler said:

Can you point me at a flush mount one without the light? Looking for one that won't light up the bed.

Mine are similar to this. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Waterproof-12V-Motorcycle-USB-Car-Charger-Switch-Power-Adapter-Port-Socket-New-/224040390763?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

I threw away the mounting bracket and the snap on cover and mounted in a circular hole in the panel. No backlight, but a small red led when it is switched on.

Edited December 17, 2020 by David Mack

[Onewheeler]

2 hours ago, David Mack said:

Mine are similar to this. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Waterproof-12V-Motorcycle-USB-Car-Charger-Switch-Power-Adapter-Port-Socket-New-/224040390763?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

Not flush mount then. I'm looking for ones like Jim's without the LED. They're not readily takeapartable to get at the interals.

[LittleOuse]

On 15/01/2005 at 09:54, Paul Evans said:

I'm sure I recall seeing (a long time ago) a boat with a long, low, tug-style fore deck fitted with a turntable arrangement onto which a Mini could be run up ramps. Not sure that I fancy driving the car on - especially on a dark, wet night but I suppose the turntable was fitted with some sort of stop plank to prevent the car and driver ending up in the cut.

I have definately seen one like that, but it was a smart car not a mini. There was a the engine house then open deck on which the car would fit. I believe it either had hydraulics to lift the car to the level of the canal side and foldable ramp for the gap. The rest of the boat continued and looked quite traditional in all other respects. 

 

While travelling I even met a gentleman who was very proud that he had a bath tub on board.

[LittleOuse]

I just learned about zombie posts ... sorry ?

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, LittleOuse said:

I have definately seen one like that, but it was a smart car not a mini. There was a the engine house then open deck on which the car would fit. I believe it either had hydraulics to lift the car to the level of the canal side and foldable ramp for the gap. The rest of the boat continued and looked quite traditional in all other respects. 

 

While travelling I even met a gentleman who was very proud that he had a bath tub on board.

There was a boat on the Gt Ouse often at Ely with a grey van in the hold, I have seen the same boat this week minus van, I have a feeling it was at WFB but could be wrong

 

[Paul Evans]

11 hours ago, LittleOuse said:

I just learned about zombie posts ... sorry ?

I'm glad you're speaking of zombie posts. I'm still here.

[ResearchingBoatProject]

Hi, there's some design features I've noted in other build types, but I've not seen much of in the narrow boats I have looked at. So I wouldn't know if they are good ideas or not. They are a bit of a grab bag but I am stress-testing some ideas that would make some boats options for me. (Please excuse me if they've been covered before, I've searched internally and on google but can't seem to get either to show me everything on the forum).

• Mosquito screens. Most blogs covering the downside of canal boats mention temperature control, humidity, air flow, and bugs and rats. Winter or summer, sometimes you need to throw all the hatches and windows open. I've seen some really stunning shutters added to some people's fit outs. But I've rarely seen any fit-outs with mosquito-screens. Is this a space thing? Likewise, if you had plantation or louvre shutters with a mosquito-proof screen on the outside, would this work? In a dream scenario these would be sliding pocket-doors.
• Separate toilet and bathroom. I think this is a space and legacy thing, but I have seen a lot of composters next to showers or in shower trays. But since composters need to be dry, surely it makes sense for it to be in a separate place that's as dry as possible- the opposite of a bathroom? Likewise, managing smells is a big issue so wouldn't you want it in a space that's separate from where you brush your teeth? 
• Access hatches or removable floors. Leaks and condensation are a case of when, not if, and most underfloor parts appear to need routine checks or maintenance. But you seen a lot of 'content' of people ripping up expensive flooring to get to access hatches, or needing to cut new hatches above components that obviously needed checking more than once every few years. Is this just a case of the people online being un-representative/the loudest often being the least well considered, or is there a good reason for a lack of access hatches or modular flooring. Is it an insulation thing?
• Conduits. I've seen some excellent builds with wiring neatly placed in clearly marked and accessible conduits. I've also seen some fire-trap nightmares where people are needing to rip off panelling to fish about for wires in different kinds of insulation. This seems weird given how often upgrades and maintenance are needed on a dual system. Is this because people are treating live-aboard fit-outs like it's a house, because good-looking conduits are new-ish/high end, or something else?
• Modular panelling. It looks like there's a lot of potentially re-usable materials being damaged being taken on and off (panels nail gunned to battening). I've also seen a lot of materials that look like they have been treated in visible areas when condensation is equally likely to eat them from the back.  So people treating panels like they're permanent but not doing everything they can to ensure longevity. Is it that panels are treated but not visibly? Would there be any value in epoxy-coating panels all over including fixing holes, and attaching them to battening with something that allows them to be removed and inspected?

Now I look at my ideas I'm pretty certain it would end up with a boat that looks a lot more like the office in a warehouse than a home- but besides the aesthetics I'm more interested in the practical details of whether these wouldn't work.

While I'm on a roll- a lot of old narrow-boats historically had 'clos' beds. Like an enclosed bunk bed with storage underneath. They're very energy and space efficient. Is this a ventilation or claustrophobia thing?

[LadyG]

On 07/12/2004 at 07:46, Yamanx said:

Having recently broke down, in the dark. I have thought a good idea would be to fit some lighting to the engine room.

 

I am going to fit lighting and provide a 12v and 240 socket in the engine compartment also for tools, lead light, etc.

 

Y

1) have a red LED interior lighting permanrntly  in the engine room to ensure your night vision is not destroyed (in case you break down while travelling at night).

2) keep a few torches handy.

3) build tbe bed adjacent to the loo area.

4) composting toilets are not practical for most people. I keep a spray bottle of diluted blue and pink for flushing, as my Excelence piston flush loo longer flushes

5) i have a fan in the loo which turns on for seversl minutes then turns off, its connected to the light switch. Closing the door should help.

On 29/10/2004 at 17:11, John Orentas said:

Clevett.

 

I have had no luck at all with smoke alarms, I found wherever I put them they were forever going off for no good reason.

 

John Squeers

My best smoke alarm has a light, it is above the cooker and it picks on smoking oil, but not irrationally, it has a push function which turns it off . Its a Fireangel.

Edited May 2 by LadyG

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

1) have a red LED interior lighting permanrntly  in the engine room to ensure your night vision is not destroyed (in case you break down while travelling at night).

2) keep a few torches handy.

3) build tbe bed adjacent to the loo area.

4) composting toilets are not practical for most people. I keep a spray bottle of diluted blue and pink for flushing, as my Excelence piston flush loo longer flushes

5) i have a fan in the loo which turns on for seversl minutes then turns off, its connected to the light switch. Closing the door should help.

My best smoke alarm has a light, it is above the cooker and it picks on smoking oil, but not irrationally, it has a push function which turns it off . Its a Fireangel.

 

 

 

Replying to  20 year old posts - must be close to a record !

[Sea Dog]

27 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

 

Replying to  20 year old posts - must be close to a record !

To be fair to @LadyG and others, this thread already has quite a claim on a record for the number of times it has been exhumed! 

[Tony Brooks]

15 hours ago, ResearchingBoatProject said:

Hi, there's some design features I've noted in other build types, but I've not seen much of in the narrow boats I have looked at. So I wouldn't know if they are good ideas or not. They are a bit of a grab bag but I am stress-testing some ideas that would make some boats options for me. (Please excuse me if they've been covered before, I've searched internally and on google but can't seem to get either to show me everything on the forum).

• Mosquito screens. Most blogs covering the downside of canal boats mention temperature control, humidity, air flow, and bugs and rats. Winter or summer, sometimes you need to throw all the hatches and windows open. I've seen some really stunning shutters added to some people's fit outs. But I've rarely seen any fit-outs with mosquito-screens. Is this a space thing? Likewise, if you had plantation or louvre shutters with a mosquito-proof screen on the outside, would this work? In a dream scenario these would be sliding pocket-doors.
• Separate toilet and bathroom. I think this is a space and legacy thing, but I have seen a lot of composters next to showers or in shower trays. But since composters need to be dry, surely it makes sense for it to be in a separate place that's as dry as possible- the opposite of a bathroom? Likewise, managing smells is a big issue so wouldn't you want it in a space that's separate from where you brush your teeth? 
• Access hatches or removable floors. Leaks and condensation are a case of when, not if, and most underfloor parts appear to need routine checks or maintenance. But you seen a lot of 'content' of people ripping up expensive flooring to get to access hatches, or needing to cut new hatches above components that obviously needed checking more than once every few years. Is this just a case of the people online being un-representative/the loudest often being the least well considered, or is there a good reason for a lack of access hatches or modular flooring. Is it an insulation thing?
• Conduits. I've seen some excellent builds with wiring neatly placed in clearly marked and accessible conduits. I've also seen some fire-trap nightmares where people are needing to rip off panelling to fish about for wires in different kinds of insulation. This seems weird given how often upgrades and maintenance are needed on a dual system. Is this because people are treating live-aboard fit-outs like it's a house, because good-looking conduits are new-ish/high end, or something else?
• Modular panelling. It looks like there's a lot of potentially re-usable materials being damaged being taken on and off (panels nail gunned to battening). I've also seen a lot of materials that look like they have been treated in visible areas when condensation is equally likely to eat them from the back.  So people treating panels like they're permanent but not doing everything they can to ensure longevity. Is it that panels are treated but not visibly? Would there be any value in epoxy-coating panels all over including fixing holes, and attaching them to battening with something that allows them to be removed and inspected?

Now I look at my ideas I'm pretty certain it would end up with a boat that looks a lot more like the office in a warehouse than a home- but besides the aesthetics I'm more interested in the practical details of whether these wouldn't work.

While I'm on a roll- a lot of old narrow-boats historically had 'clos' beds. Like an enclosed bunk bed with storage underneath. They're very energy and space efficient. Is this a ventilation or claustrophobia thing?

 

1. Cost to builder, but seems a good idea if it does not restrict air flow, but we never had a problem with mozies, daddy long legs yes, but not little mozies. An electric fly swat deals with DDLLs.

 

2. If you have space then fine, but a decent composter will be drawing air over the deposit 24/7, so half an hour of damp air should not matter and it should eject smells to outside the boat. You can always fit a roof mounted fan to purge the air in the compartment.

 

3. Cost to builders, and it has always been done the cheap way on canal boats. Yachts and cruisers are likely to have large removable floor areas, but it is more work because the bulkheads have to be fitted before the floor. Easier to fit the bulkheads onto a fixed floor.

 

4. I agree conduits, preferably with clip on tops are ideal, but as far as upgrades go (popcorn) you need to be cognisant of the RC/RCD of post 1998 boats. I agree the maintenance point.

 

6. Cost to builder and thus the final cost to customer. When I fitted cabin panne lining they were fairly easily removable without any damage, but some had exposed screws in cup washers whilst others had fairly wide trim strips to cover joints AND the screw heads That is not what many boaters think they want,  especially if it adds a few thousand to the price.

 

 

[ResearchingBoatProject]

Thanks Tony, that's very helpful. Systematic, relevant, and clear.