Narrow Beam Tug Design

[Denis R]

Has anybody seen a narrow beam tug with the boatman's cabin at the front? I'm busily sketching fit-out schemes and have a vague recollection that when I looked at this many years ago, I saw such a layout (I think the builder was Peter Nicholls, but I'm not sure). The layout apparently reflected an original design.

If the boatman's cabin was at the front, what did the rest of the layout look like and what happened at the back, where the boatman's cabin wasn't, if you see what I mean?

[ChrisPy]

Has anybody seen a narrow beam tug with the boatman's cabin at the front? I'm busily sketching fit-out schemes and have a vague recollection that when I looked at this many years ago, I saw such a layout (I think the builder was Peter Nicholls, but I'm not sure). The layout apparently reflected an original design.

If the boatman's cabin was at the front, what did the rest of the layout look like and what happened at the back, where the boatman's cabin wasn't, if you see what I mean?

33796[/snapback]

how would he steer and operate the engine controls if the boatman was at the front?

[Denis R]

The steering position and controls were in the conventional position. The boatman's cabin at the front had a stove/table/bed area of similar layout to that normally found at the rear. I don't know if the rear cabin was a rope store, a day cabin, a more rearward engine room or what....

[alan_fincher]

The steering position and controls were in the conventional position. The boatman's cabin at the front had a stove/table/bed area of similar layout to that normally found at the rear. I don't know if the rear cabin was a rope store, a day cabin, a more rearward engine room or what....

33801[/snapback]

There was actually a breed of working carrying boats that had this configuration, namely the ones built for the Severn & Canal Carrying Company in the 1930s.

 

One seems to be preserved in this state.

 

Check out:

 

Link to The Waterways Trust

 

and search for the boat "Oak".

 

I "looked" at one of these Severn boats back in the 1970s as a possible project, (can't remember which one, surprisingly). Or more accurately looked at the top few inches of hull sides, and such cabin as was on it, as it was sunk at a boatyard at the time, and the vendor didn't seem to think me serious enough to pump it out for a better look....

 

As a result, I don't know how the cabin would have worked. I often wondered about this, because if the only doors to the accomodation were forward facing, then it would not have been possible to load right up to them - hence wasting even more valuable cargo length.

 

Perhaps if you contact (or visit?) the National Waterways Museum at Gloucester, you can find out how the layout worked, (although I know you were asking about tugs originally).

 

Of course many of the Town & Star class boats hacked about by BWB from about the 1970s onwards, often shortened, and made into maintenance boats, had their layout altered, with engine at the back, and some kind of cabin / mess room forward of that. But I doubt the layout was traditional, as the aim seemed to be to mess them about as much as possible, for no particular advantage gained! (This modification also puts the boatman's stove where the steerer isn't - not so clever when it's cold, I'd have thought).

 

Some survive like this still, on the southern Grand Union, although I'm not exactly sure which have been sold out of service. "Arcas" may still be one, but I could be completely wrong.

[Richard Bustens]

Hi Denis

I think you have seen a tug decked boat with a raised section on the front that is usualy used for children.

 

more common is to put a bedroom under the tug deck with a bed that pulls out to use. or just use it for equipment or storage.

[DHutch]

Ive never hear dof the boatmans cabin at the front, but if got more than two kids, i have heard they did used to put them in a cabin upfront. All to do with houseing acts etc. (limit to the no of people you can have in one room)

 

 

Daniel

[John Orentas]

As Richard says there have been many modern boats built with forward cabins but I don't remember seeing a full boatman's cabin. Why don't builder's experiment anymore? I think they were rare in the working days though many horse-boats had room there to store the horses dinner and other things.

 

Slightly off topic a friend of mine who was in the hire boat industry always had a urge to build a boat with two boatman's cabins one at the back and one at the front, he always said it was by far the best use of space and I am sure he was right.

Edited October 6, 2005 by John Orentas

[alan_fincher]

Regarding my previous post about the Severn & Canal Carrying Companay NarrowBoat Oak....

 

I've just found a much better link...

 

Narrowboats at National Waterways Museum, Gloucester

 

This says...

 

-----------------------------------------------------------

One of eight similar boats, all named after species of tree, Oak has many novel features for her time. Firstly, the engine is at the stern instead of being in front of the cabin. As this means there is no propeller shaft underneath the cabin, the floor is lower than usual, giving more headroom for the crew. The sides of the boat are made of welded iron which gives more cargo space for a given draught than for the earlier wooden boats, and loads exceeding 30 tons could be carried.

 

The unusual escape hatch in the cabin roof was provided in case of a fire in the engine room when the cargo hold was full.

------------------------------------------------------------

 

So it looks like when it was loaded, perhaps the only non-emergency way in out out was via the engine room ?

 

Anyone know more about these boats ?

 

And incidentally, Wyvern Shipping Company, Leighton Buzzard, operated 2 of these in their hire fleet in the 1970s, shortened to about 55 feet. Names were changed, so I'm not sure which "trees" they started out as, but one (by then called "Bridget") actually had part of the original cabin still present... How things have changed in the hire industry!

[Denis R]

Interesting stuff! I think the tug I'm thinking of was a tunnel tug and the 'boatman's cabin' was right at the very front of the cabin area with doors opening on to the tug deck.

Regarding Oak's layout, I'm sure my kids would love the idea of exiting their 'den' through an escape hatch in the roof as opposed to using doors, but that might just be a bit too 'retro' for me!!

[alan_fincher]

Interesting stuff! I think the tug I'm thinking of was a tunnel tug and the 'boatman's cabin' was right at the very front of the cabin area with doors opening on to the tug deck.

Regarding Oak's layout, I'm sure my kids would love the idea of exiting their 'den' through an escape hatch in the roof as opposed to using doors, but that might just be a bit too 'retro' for me!!

33819[/snapback]

Agreed,

 

But if you aren't planning to pile a fully sheeted load of cocoa powder right against the front doors, whatever they have done would probably not be too far amiss tug style either.....

[Denis R]

Well, things have moved on since I posed this question. I spoke to Peter Nicholls about the boatman's cabin 'at the front' and he said he'd taken the idea from a BCN tug. To cut a long stroy short he sketched me out a design and I've signed a contract with him for a 48ft tug with the boatman's cabin forward of the galley opening out into a shallow well deck, delivery Easter 2006. At last, I've only been dreaming about it for 20 years!!

[bottle]

Well, things have moved on since I posed this question. I spoke to Peter Nicholls about the boatman's cabin 'at the front' and he said he'd taken the idea from a BCN tug. To cut a long stroy short he sketched me out a design and I've signed a contract with him for a 48ft tug with the boatman's cabin forward of the galley opening out into a shallow well deck, delivery Easter 2006. At last, I've only been dreaming about it for 20 years!!

 

God luck

 

Pictures would be nice. when it's built.