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Getting used to portholes...


Salopgal

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agree wholeheartedly with the first para but dear god, à pram hood[/i]! ;)

Well it clearly wouldn't work for you Ange.

 

You would never be able to clear enough roof to have space to fold it down!

Edited by alan_fincher
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We are in the same position.The boat we've just bought has a stern pram hood and when I mentioned to my surveyor that we were going to get rid of it he suggested we try it first. When we took her for her maiden cruise last Saturday it was a right pain to dismantle and then put up again afterwards.

 

What we might do when we begin our living aboard in spring is to remove it for the summer cruising and store it in my son's loft. Then put it back up for the winter when we will be mainly staying in the marina and it will serve as a good place for extra storage and for things like muddy boots. If this works we'll probably keep it.

 

Ours comes/came in mostly when Jan needed to speak to Mr Lambert and Butler but as she has given up since New Year it gets less use for this purpose now. It is nice though to be able to sit 'outside' on a warm summers evening with a glass (or three) even if there is a bit of a shower on - that is when ours gets most use.

 

It also helps reduce the chance of rain water getting into the bilge as it covers approx 2/3rds of the deck boards on the stern of the boat.

 

What I really dislike about ours is the poor design doesn't allow for cruising with the the thing up. There is no satisfactory way of just rolling up the front screen in order to able to use it properly as a rain shelter when under way. We generally don't have to worry about dropping it for low bridges so it would have been better if we could have used it more while under way, while it's peeing down.

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Ours comes/came in mostly when Jan needed to speak to Mr Lambert and Butler but as she has given up since New Year it gets less use for this purpose now. It is nice though to be able to sit 'outside' on a warm summers evening with a glass (or three) even if there is a bit of a shower on - that is when ours gets most use.

 

It also helps reduce the chance of rain water getting into the bilge as it covers approx 2/3rds of the deck boards on the stern of the boat.

 

What I really dislike about ours is the poor design doesn't allow for cruising with the the thing up. There is no satisfactory way of just rolling up the front screen in order to able to use it properly as a rain shelter when under way. We generally don't have to worry about dropping it for low bridges so it would have been better if we could have used it more while under way, while it's peeing down.

 

Some have a glass/perspex fold down screen instead of the front panel - thats what I'd do if I had one - with a windscreen wiper. That seems quite a practical arrangement to me, even if it is ugly.

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I use Photobucket, you just have to chose the right link.

 

How? What I did was copy and paste the http etc link in the address bar - what else should/could I have done, please? Thanks!

 

Sorry if I'm being thick...

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How? What I did was copy and paste the http etc link in the address bar - what else should/could I have done, please? Thanks!

 

Sorry if I'm being thick...

 

Click on the one at the bottom - starts and ends IMG - it go's yellow and you will see 'copied'

 

Open a new post and right click where you want the picture to appear - select 'paste' from that menu and your picture will appear when you click on 'preview post' or 'post reply'

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Click on the one at the bottom - starts and ends IMG - it go's yellow and you will see 'copied'

 

Open a new post and right click where you want the picture to appear - select 'paste' from that menu and your picture will appear when you click on 'preview post' or 'post reply'

 

OK, it did work but I want to change my username on photobucket and they won't let me so I've cancelled the account and have to open one up in 2 days time. Really annoying but they won't let you have 2 accounts on the same email. Thanks for the help though - it did work!!

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I am probably too busy grinning at the boaters to notice the windows when Iona glides into view

:D

 

 

:D:cheers:

 

 

Well it clearly wouldn't work for you Ange.

 

You would never be able to clear enough roof to have space to fold it down!

 

:clapping:

 

Actually with a trad stern the pram hood has never been an option - we have the dreaded cratch cover instead which keeps me dry when I'm having a smoke.

 

If the owner looks at his/her boat and thinks "wow - that's mine and I love it" it's perfect :cheers:

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Actually with a trad stern the pram hood has never been an option - we have the dreaded cratch cover instead which keeps me dry when I'm having a smoke.

:

 

:(

 

Sayin nowt

 

Blunt end

 

IMG_1307.jpg

 

Pointy end

 

IMG_0614.jpg

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What I really dislike about ours is the poor design doesn't allow for cruising with the the thing up. There is no satisfactory way of just rolling up the front screen in order to able to use it properly as a rain shelter when under way. We generally don't have to worry about dropping it for low bridges so it would have been better if we could have used it more while under way, while it's peeing down.

 

Hang on, have I misunderstood something fundamental about pram hoods? I thought the whole point of having one was so that you could cruise in the rain without getting wet!?

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Hang on, have I misunderstood something fundamental about pram hoods? I thought the whole point of having one was so that you could cruise in the rain without getting wet!?

 

You can when you can see where you are going. When the rain is too heavy we can't see out the front of ours.

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ironing???? What's that???? Do boaty folk really iron? I haven't ironed since I moved aboard!

 

Love it! Will be moving onto our narrowboat in March.....I bought a tabletop ironing board for £4 from Ikea....so cheap enough to chuck and accept that I made an error!

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Got rid of the bus windows in the sleeping area.Proper job,cant see the welds.Well insulated and lined.Boat looks better out side,darker inside as you would expect.Main advantage of getting rid of bus windows is the surprising reduction of noise inside.Very handy for safe but noisy moorings.Also two less windows to remove when painting.

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Got rid of the bus windows in the sleeping area.Proper job,cant see the welds.Well insulated and lined.Boat looks better out side,darker inside as you would expect.Main advantage of getting rid of bus windows is the surprising reduction of noise inside.Very handy for safe but noisy moorings.Also two less windows to remove when painting.

 

 

Ah, now that is interesting, and might explain why I feel 'safe' on this boat of ours. I have the very rare hearing disability "Catastrophic Hyperacusis" - which basically means I have permanent extreme sensitivity to all sound, with ear and facial pain. Service men and women are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan with this debilitating and life-limiting condition.

 

I am guessing that the fully wood lined nature of our new narrowboat, and the portholes throughout, is why I feel very secure from sounds and content whenever I am aboard. The engine noise is fine for me when driving the boat, which is a miracle in itself and another indicator that we chose well...

 

I am very happy indeed!! :)

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We have 17 portholes 12/13 inch 4 in a large pigeon hatch which lets in lots of light into an open plan area. All the side portholes are set in Oak liners so condensation is minimal. Along with security and privacy issues, easy maintenance and asthetics, it was a no brainer of a choice for us.

 

We feel they are plenty bright enough although seeing out can't be achieved from a seated position which doesn't bother us. In summer everything is open anyway side hatch and bow doors let in ample light.

 

Through the past few months of colder weather, the ability to insulate portholes with porthole bungs helps keep the boat amply warm with minimal heating and massively reduces the problem of condensation on glass. In fact the boat is so dry internally that I now need to put out a bowl of water at night as the dryness has been causing me a sore throat.

 

Definitely portholes for us, mostly bus windows will cause nothing but condensation problems on a boat and massive heat loss as they are designed for usage in well ventilated areas such as buses and trains and not for dwelling situations where window design includes insulation and soundproofing.

Edited by Julynian
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Well, I guess I'll have to see how I get on. We bought the boat because it was in such excellent condition and it's only these sort of things that slowly dawn on you after the fact!

 

I suppose if it proves to be a problem, I could have bigger windows put in... not sure how easy that would be.

 

Shame I didn't think about this before really; as an artist, you'd think I'd have thought of it first off! Durrr.... Head's in the shed these days!

 

Just looking for a quiet life, in peace...

 

I have portholes.

I found in the summer there was no problem. In the back cabin, which I'm using as a studio, there is one porthole (small), a pigeon box and a side hatch.

Through the winter I've experimented with LED lights which are proving good.

 

An advantage of portholes over large windows, which you might want, it's easier to hang delicate artwork out of direct sunlight. I've some prints and drawings which would spoil in sunlight.

 

Personally I like portholes for privacy and security.

And, for fun, you get some cool looking reflections on the ceiling and walls, even better with the odd mirror specially placed.

 

All the best with the artwork.

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ironing???? What's that???? Do boaty folk really iron? I haven't ironed since I moved aboard!

When my cousin came down from Scotland last September she could not believe she had to remove the transit tape from the ironing board - over 3 years since moving in - and not on a boat!

I do have a travel iron I could take on the boat - not heavy enough to use as a mud weight though!

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Oh dear - portholes in the bedroom big windows everywhere else on Iona :unsure:

 

Me too and it's right for me. There is nothing traditional about my boat so why try and make it look so. Usually when moored up I have the blinds down on the towpath side. This seems common.

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Hang on, have I misunderstood something fundamental about pram hoods? I thought the whole point of having one was so that you could cruise in the rain without getting wet!?

 

 

We can - and do ! Can also lower it in seconds to pass under low bridges.

 

Lots of comments in 2012 from people, such as "like it" or "must get one of those".

 

 

Dave

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I have also made the clear screens(hows that for PC?) that fit in the side hatches double glazed, this makes them very useful in the present conditions as I think they are actually warmer than having the side hatches closed.

 

 

Would be most grateful to learn how you went about making these, please.

 

Could you post a picture too? Hope you don't mind, but I'd love to keep the hatch open all year round and don't have any kind of screen for it currently. I wouldn't know where to start!

 

Thanks!

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Would be most grateful to learn how you went about making these, please.

 

Could you post a picture too? Hope you don't mind, but I'd love to keep the hatch open all year round and don't have any kind of screen for it currently. I wouldn't know where to start!

 

Thanks!

Wooden frame made to fit inside the side hatch and about 30mm deep (I am not on the boat at the moment and this may be deeper) A piece of clear plastic same size as frame screwed to it. Another piece of clear plastic about 30mm bigger than the frame screwed on the other side of the frame. This piece of plastic is just narrow enough to get past the hinges of the side hatch. The side hatch is then opened and the screen put in from the out side so the outer plastic sits against the cabin side between the hatch hinges, the wooden frame sits inside the hatch way and the inner plastic sits flush with the inside of the hatch.

I will do you a photo if needed next time we go to the boat, but that may be a month.

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Wooden frame made to fit inside the side hatch and about 30mm deep (I am not on the boat at the moment and this may be deeper) A piece of clear plastic same size as frame screwed to it. Another piece of clear plastic about 30mm bigger than the frame screwed on the other side of the frame. This piece of plastic is just narrow enough to get past the hinges of the side hatch. The side hatch is then opened and the screen put in from the out side so the outer plastic sits against the cabin side between the hatch hinges, the wooden frame sits inside the hatch way and the inner plastic sits flush with the inside of the hatch.

I will do you a photo if needed next time we go to the boat, but that may be a month.

 

 

Thanks so much. I'm a learner, as you know, but currently the hatch is on opposite site to towpath (port?), so can't access from outside as it's situated currently. Still, may be able to cobble something together that can go in place from within...?! Not sure! Thanks again though. "All things are possible..." :)

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