Why are Trad sterns entry steps mainly on the right?

[jacloc]

After viewing 100's of boats, both on line and in 'real life', the trad sterns with modern engines have access steps, if not central, they go to the right over the engine. I think I have only seen 2 or 3 where they head down to the left.

 

Now is this because as 90% of the population are right handed this just feels more natural, to head to the right when entering your boat, or is there a technical, mechanical reason why entry access is not to the left?

 

The reason I ask is, because we are yet to find 'our' boat (been looking for over 2 years, had a couple of close calls but still looking) we are thinking of planning one ourselves, and the way we want our bed means the entry from the stern would be better if it was from the left. Now before I get carried away I want to know, am I just making it difficult for the important stuff (plumbing, wiring etc) wanting the entrance 'the wrong way' around?

[BenC]

I would guess that it was because Trad boats had their stoves on the left, so if one was to be fitted it could be in the correct place.

[Guest]

After viewing 100's of boats, both on line and in 'real life', the trad sterns with modern engines have access steps, if not central, they go to the right over the engine. I think I have only seen 2 or 3 where they head down to the left.

 

Now is this because as 90% of the population are right handed this just feels more natural, to head to the right when entering your boat, or is there a technical, mechanical reason why entry access is not to the left?

 

The reason I ask is, because we are yet to find 'our' boat (been looking for over 2 years, had a couple of close calls but still looking) we are thinking of planning one ourselves, and the way we want our bed means the entry from the stern would be better if it was from the left. Now before I get carried away I want to know, am I just making it difficult for the important stuff (plumbing, wiring etc) wanting the entrance 'the wrong way' around?

 

If you were having a boat designed and built from scratch all the plumbing and electrical stuff could be located to take account of which ever way you wanted the steps to run. There is no 'given' that I am aware of that anything has to be be on a particular side or location - any good boat builder should be able to accommodate your request, but equally advise you of a compelling reason why a particular design idea couldn't be done in a particular way.

[Alan de Enfield]

It leaves your left hand side clear for drawing your sword.

[RLWP]

I think WARNING that most engines have their exhausts on the left and the bits you need to access on the right

 

Richard

[Athy]

A greeno for Jacloc - for pointing out something which had never occurred me but which, now I think about it, is perfectly true.

I have a memory of a Fox's hire boat with a left-hand stairway about 1997 but I can't remember if it was a trad or a cruiser. I know most of theirs are cruisers but I rather think that one (Friendly Fox) was a trad.

 

So, any forum members who take the Left Hand Path to get into their trad stern boats?

[David Schweizer]

I suspect that some of it is to do with the depth of the hull. If the boat has a shallow draft (as do many modern boats), the top of the engine box will be almost level with the rear deck, wheras on a deeper boat the top of the engine box will be lower, therefore affording itself as a step. That is certainly the case with our boat, where the draft is about 33" deep. the first18" is level with the deck providing an extended footboard and then a step down onto the top of the engine box. There is then an additional (removable) set of three steps down into the back cabin,

Edited March 4, 2014 by David Schweizer

[Chalky]

I think WARNING that most engines have their exhausts on the left and the bits you need to access on the right

 

Richard

 

I think that Richard's hit the nail on the head. Most engines are laid out for vehicle installation and tend to have exhausts on one side and intakes etc on the other. When installing in a boat you obviously want to have hot things away from things that can be damaged by them, thus the right hand steps and left hand exhaust. Installing left hand steps wouldn't be impossible but could mean:

• Having to restrict your engine choice to engines with right hand exhausts
• Offsetting the engine so that a safe working distance was maintained between the exhaust and the steps
• Adding heat shielding to the exhaust - this may mean making the steps narrower to achieve the safe working distance

On our boat the exhaust is on the left of the engine. The calorifier is on the left since the hose connections are on the left of the engine. The batteries are on the right - next to the domestic alternator. Our steps are on the right to allow access to the batteries (which are beneath them) and also the engine filters which are on the right of the engine.

[Ronniesonic]

Our trad has steps down on the left. Works fine for us.

 

Regardless, I still bang my bonce. However, due to times of austerity, I have evolved & developed a canny method of swearing under my breath that makes me sound remarkable like 'Mutley' but avoids the requirement of a donation to the 'swear box'...... LOL.

 

Mrs Sonic also bangs here head but makes no fuss whatsover... ''No point shouting is there'' (in a calm voice) ...........

Now this pees me off even more than actually banging my head.

[GLYN FORSTER]

I would suggest its more natural for the majority of right handed cruisers to stand to the left side whilst steering with their right hand, this allows a better view down the passing side of the boat, if the controls for the engine were on the starboard side it would be harder to reach and you tend to access the boat on the opposite side to the control panel as access is easier so the majority have access to the right.

 

We sold a Jonathan wilson Trad recently which had the controls on the right and steps to the left so there are some out there, it unusually had reverse layout as well which worked well with the extra long hatch, there is a picture on our website below, as the boat is sold I'm sure i wont be pulled up for advertising :-) :-)

 

http://www.newandusedboat.co.uk/used-boat.php?boatID=185

[bizzard]

Most normal folk are right handed and therefore usually right footed also and put their right foot out first when taking their first step forward. Doing this with a left hand entry would mean carrying out an awkward twist of the lower body to place the right foot upon the first step which could bring on a nasty sprain or cramp causing you to tumble down them. If your left handed therefore most likely left footed all should be okay.

If you reverse in arse first onto the steps and are left handed (left footed) then the conventional right hand steps would be fine for you and visa versa if you are right handed (right footed). If you happen to be a bit of a freak of nature where say you are right handed but lead off with your left leg or left handed and lead off with your right leg then I'd be careful, you may need an engine over to one side with the steps in the middle.

[john6767]

I would go with the above, the morse control is usually on the left so that right handers would have the tiller in their right hand. The exhaust may well play into it as well, or Beta exhaust is on the left but I think you could still make it work if the steps were on the left as well, but the steps are on the right as is common practice.

[RLWP]

As the Morse control is on the end of cables, it can go either side. The fuel pump is usually on the right, connected to the Morse via the cable

 

Our BMC (cruiser stern) is very easy to access on the right side where the fuel pump, oil filter and alternator are. The left side although identical in terms of the hull and fit out is difficult because of the exhaust and air filter. If I were building a 'modern trad'* with this or a similar engine I'd put the steps on the right as putting them on the left would make the installation and servicing more complicated

 

Richard

 

*A horrible compromise that makes getting in and out hard and maintenance difficult

[b0atman]

Me thinks tunnels and bridge arches ! we keep to the right so high points of structures are on left hand side of boat. Try passing an oncoming boat in Braunston tunnel with exhaust on right of roof and not banging your head because your stood to right of tiller.

[RLWP]

Me thinks tunnels and bridge arches ! we keep to the right so high points of structures are on left hand side of boat. Try passing an oncoming boat in Braunston tunnel with exhaust on right of roof and not banging your head because your stood to right of tiller.

 

The installation that this thread refers to has it's exhaust exiting from the hull side

 

Richard

[jacloc]

So all in all it is best to keep to a right hand entry because of exhaust, air filters etc. I thought there must be an explanation to why this was the most common layout. I will rethink the plans then, no point making things more difficult then they need to be.

[Machpoint005]

All my boats including the shared ownership one have had central stairs (one trad, one semi-trad, one cruiser stern). Don't the great majority of narrowboats have this pattern?

[Guest]

All my boats including the shared ownership one have had central stairs (one trad, one semi-trad, one cruiser stern). Don't the great majority of narrowboats have this pattern?

 

I think semi trads and cruisers generally do yes, because the steps are well forward of the engine so it doesn't matter.

 

But in a trad shell fitted with a 'modern' engine (ie not one well forward and inside the boat cabin area but rather in the same place as it would be in a semi or cruiser sterned boat) the stairs tend to be configured in the way described.

 

We didn't look at many trads when we were looking but the few we did view from memory did have the steps going off to the right. We only looked at one that didn't have the engine there, it being well down the inside of the boat and that had centre mounted steps.

Edited March 4, 2014 by The Dog House

[Dharl]

All my boats including the shared ownership one have had central stairs (one trad, one semi-trad, one cruiser stern). Don't the great majority of narrowboats have this pattern?

 

in the last Month or so Mrs Dharl and my self have viewed about 15 boats, looking for shared ownership. Majority of these boats have been Semi-Trads with about 1/2 of those having the hatch and companionway (stairs into cabin ) on the Starboard Side. Seemingly the older boats built pre 2008 seem to have the hatch on this side whilst more modern ones have the hatch amidships. I wonder if that is something left over from keeping steps to the "right" side for maintenance purposes even if they are well forward of the engine room itself...?

[Rob-M]

My oil dipstick and filters are accessed from the right and you stand in the stairwell to get to them so would be very difficult if the steps were on the left.

[Neil2]

I would suggest its more natural for the majority of right handed cruisers to stand to the left side whilst steering with their right hand, this allows a better view down the passing side of the boat, if the controls for the engine were on the starboard side it would be harder to reach and you tend to access the boat on the opposite side to the control panel as access is easier so the majority have access to the right.

 

We sold a Jonathan wilson Trad recently which had the controls on the right and steps to the left so there are some out there, it unusually had reverse layout as well which worked well with the extra long hatch, there is a picture on our website below, as the boat is sold I'm sure i wont be pulled up for advertising :-) :-)

 

http://www.newandusedboat.co.uk/used-boat.php?boatID=185

I think that's it.

 

It's the same with river cruisers as well, and most of the one's I've seen have the wheel to port and companionway offset to starboard (if it can't be central). By the same token sea going boats seem to have the helm randomly placed.

[alan_fincher]

I think WARNING that most engines have their exhausts on the left and the bits you need to access on the right

 

Richard

 

What he said.

 

Most engines seem to require that exhaust and water connections are all on the left, (leading to that being the side of the boat skin tanks usually are), and most of the "maintenance" bits on the right, so it is logical to have the passageway on the right.

 

It just so also follows that if a boat continues to have a "passageway largely on the right" approach all the way through, it means that stove chimneys or Morco or Alde vents are more likely to end up on the left hand side of the roof, which is where you want them to be to avoid the arch, when keeping to the right in broad tunnels.

[FadeToScarlet]

A greeno for Jacloc - for pointing out something which had never occurred me but which, now I think about it, is perfectly true.I have a memory of a Fox's hire boat with a left-hand stairway about 1997 but I can't remember if it was a trad or a cruiser. I know most of theirs are cruisers but I rather think that one (Friendly Fox) was a trad.So, any forum members who take the Left Hand Path to get into their trad stern boats?

Friendly Fox is a trad and has the stairway on the left.

 

I spent many cramped hours snuggling that engine trying.to make it go, as its owned by a friend of mine.

[Hey Ho]

Boatmans cabins are left handed (stove, table, bed) without exception. Doesn't matter at all, but is odd all the same.

[adam1uk]

Boatmans cabins are left handed (stove, table, bed) without exception. Doesn't matter at all, but is odd all the same.

 

That WILL be because of the chimney of the stove. You want it in the middle of tunnels, not on the low side.