A new member, and a couple of questions.

[I Spartacus]

Good day to you all this is my first post on the forum, I have been visiting for the last few month's looking for questions I had. It is now time to join, firstly I must say that this forum has a vast amount of shared information and I must thank all of you who have contributed as I have be able to find most of the answers I have been looking for.

 

It has been many years since I have been on a narrow boat, but this year I am planning on buying a boat and taking life a bit slower now cruising the canal's and hopefully enjoying myself.

 

I am still looking at the options at the moment, either buying a sail-away, or buying second-hand boat and modifying it to my own requirements. The boat I am looking to get is going to be a semi-trad 50ft plus and set up for extended cruising.

 

I have a couple of questions if anyone could be so kind to answer.

 

1 What is the deck width in the cockpit near the read entrance doors of a semi -trad

2 How wide are the double doors, is there a min or max requirement.

3 What is the minimum size I could get away with for the engine room access hatch, I would be looking at a 42hp lump.

 

I expect there will be a few more questions in the near future.

 

Thanks for taking the time in reading my first post, and I am looking forward to being an active member of this fantastic forum.

 

Many thanks

Mark

[RLWP]

 

1 What is the deck width in the cockpit near the read entrance doors of a semi -trad

2 How wide are the double doors, is there a min or max requirement.

3 What is the minimum size I could get away with for the engine room access hatch, I would be looking at a 42hp lump.

 

Hmm. The deck is usually slightly wider than the doors, and narrow enough for two benches

 

The doors are wide enough to get in through comfortably but not so wide that you can't have useful storage either side in the cabin

 

The deck access is as wide as the deck between the seats less the rain gutters

 

None of which helps a jot - what are you trying to plan for? That may help

 

Richard

[DeanS]

welcome to the forum Mark.

[Paul C]

Door width would be determined by your widest piece of furniture, or possibly the cooker/fridge. In theory, engine deck width is determined by the width of the engine but if it were that narrow it would make access and work eg servicing a nightmare. Also where is the weedhatch - that needs access too.

[Chewbacka]

When I got our sailaway I specified the rear door aperture to by 620mm wide so as to be able to 'get things in' as most white goods are 600mm or less.

However the welder had the hinges sticking out a bit so I could not get the fridge in and had to carry it along the roof and in through the front where I had asked for the door to be about 630mm and got the fridge in ok.

[GreyLady]

Hi Mark welcome to the forum everyone's really helpfull on here.

[I Spartacus]

Thanks for the kind welcome everyone. I understand that I need the doors to be wide enough to get my equipment on board. 600mm would be fine as most of my stuff is under that , the biggest problem would be with the Steca freezer which is 720mm wide this would need to go through the bow doors.

 

What I was looking at is a reverse layout. The kitchen starts at the stern end bulkhead. I was thinking of cutting a hole through the steel bulkhead tight in the corner above the worktop and welding in a steel containment box at floor level and then putting the compact washing machine in it so it finishes flush with the end of the cabin wall, Could continue it along for seating or storage on the deck.

I wanted to get the tumble drier in next to it but then again as has been pointed out I need good access to the engine compartment. I would need about 1100mm to get both of them in. Me thinking that the width was about 1800mm this would leave me 700mm to play with for a door opening in the corner or centre.

 

Mark

[Paul C]

There's no compulsion to put fixed seating in a semi-trad deck area. You could use stools or fold-up seats or similar, to allow the area to also have a large floor space, therefore good engine hatch access. Engine hatch access space is not tied in with door width. And of course, if you have a wide enough corridor down the boat, the fridge and washing machine could come in the front.

[cuthound]

The two semi-trad shareboats we had both used a seat over the gas locker on one side and nothing on the other. This gave excellent engine access and allowed the entire front of the boat to be used as a giant water tank.

[I Spartacus]

I can see what you are saying about the seating, I was going to ask if the gas lockers are at the stern !. But I think that having the washing machine and the tumble drier next to each other will give me big problems getting access to the front of the engine where the alternators and belts are located. I would loose 500mm of access. Entrance at the middle might work but I now need to re look at the kitchen layout, It is nice to keep everything near the inverter and travelpack.

 

(edited to add content )

 

Mark

Edited March 18, 2016 by I Spartacus

[Theo]

Have a careful look at the consumption of the freezer. One of the main irritations of canal life is the need to charge batteries. There is any number of topics on the problem in Equipment.

 

Ask yourself if you really need a freezer. We have one but it is switch off at the moment and has been for the past six months. Our present cruising pattern means that the longer stops that we are taking does not allow for sufficient battery charging by the engine but it does allow us to shop more easily for perishables.

 

General rules for prolonging the life of you batteries are 1) Never discharge them lower than 50%, 2) recharge them daily to 80% or more. 3) recharge them weekly to 100%. I wait for someone to tell me that "That is all very well but..."!

 

And welcome to the forum. We look forward to your contributions.

[ditchcrawler]

Do you really want a semi trad

[Hawkmoth]

To expand on Ditchcrawlers question above. We decided on semitrad for our boat. We found that, like all compromises it isn't perfect. The down side was room on the deck. Because the sides lean in they take up social space and we found that 4 people on deck was an awkward crush. On the plus side there was a certain amount of weather protection, and when using the locks of the Leeds Liverpool Canal the rear doors gave some protection from the waterfall though the top gates of the locks while descending. It's a personal thing, but I think if we had it done again we would seriously consider a cruiser deck. Trad, for us was far too unsocial.

Bob

[I Spartacus]

Do you really want a semi trad

Well I don't want a cruiser stern, I think they look like a mobile disco LOL, I would like a bit of room on the back for storage, I think a trad might not give me what I need well the space if my daughter and friend invite themselves aboard.

 

Theo I have been thinking about, could I get buy without a freezer, Yes I know they drink power and I need to look after my batteries

I was looking at getting one of these the 166 model http://www.bimblesolar.com/offgrid/solarfridge/steca-fridge-PF166 I won't be buying it off Bimble at that price,,I have had some of these freezers before, so my supplier will give me a good deal. The power consumption look good to me, if it uses to much I will use it as a fridge.what do you think about the power charts.

 

Mark

[ditchcrawler]

To expand on Ditchcrawlers question above. We decided on semitrad for our boat. We found that, like all compromises it isn't perfect. The down side was room on the deck. Because the sides lean in they take up social space and we found that 4 people on deck was an awkward crush. On the plus side there was a certain amount of weather protection, and when using the locks of the Leeds Liverpool Canal the rear doors gave some protection from the waterfall though the top gates of the locks while descending. It's a personal thing, but I think if we had it done again we would seriously consider a cruiser deck. Trad, for us was far too unsocial.

Bob

That's the way I see it, its not one or the other. Our last boat was a semi, back deck as small as a trad and inside the semi the seats got in the way, uncomfortable to sit on as the hull sides sloped in. The dog liked sitting on it.

[Paul C]

There's different variations of semi trad stern though. Ours had no fixed seating so was great for space, and a couple of stools could be used for seating which were much better than any fixed seating I've seen - could drive while sitting down; or put just one out if 1 person using the boat. Or fold away for locks, etc

 

I've seen some longer boats where the available stern area is "stretched" so its larger, in proportion with the boat.

[cuthound]

Have you considered a trad with an oversized hatch? That is what we have now, it allows 2 people to sit in the hatches, one in front of the other, so is more sociable than a year. Only works for 2 people though.

[I Spartacus]

It is still going to be a bit small I think, it looks like it is going to be a semi.

 

Thanks

 

Mark

[DeanS]

remember that once you build any sort of passage into your boat...with a floor width of 650 or whatever, that the sloping sides of the cabin, means the width at neck height is reduced, and you wont be able to bring stuff in the front and carry to the back. Ask me how I know...lol

[RLWP]

remember that once you build any sort of passage into your boat...with a floor width of 650 or whatever, that the sloping sides of the cabin, means the width at neck height is reduced, and you wont be able to bring stuff in the front and carry to the back. Ask me how I know...lol

That's how all the best knowledge is gained - the hard way!

 

Richard

[I Spartacus]

remember that once you build any sort of passage into your boat...with a floor width of 650 or whatever, that the sloping sides of the cabin, means the width at neck height is reduced, and you wont be able to bring stuff in the front and carry to the back. Ask me how I know...lol

Lol thanks for the tip I will remember that,

 

Mark

[Alan de Enfield]

Maybe NOT having a tumble drier would not only give you more room, but, would save an enormous amount of electrickery.

 

Do you really need one ?

[GreyLady]

A bit late but welcome to the forum.

 

(Ow and I am spartacus)☺

[Neil Smith]

our rear doors are only 590mm wide but i have a 600mm washing machine but its less than 500mm deep so goes in side ways easily, the cooker and fridge freezer are only 500mm wide all chosen because the rear doors are too narrow as i forgot to specify the width to my builder only that i wanted stable doors.

 

Neil

[I Spartacus]

Maybe NOT having a tumble drier would not only give you more room, but, would save an enormous amount of electrickery.

 

Do you really need one ?

 

Alan, you are totally correct Do I need a tumble drier, I might give this a miss at the end of the day but you know what daughters are like !!!!. As I look at it, it all comes down to cost at the end of the day. I am planning on having a 6kw travelpack so it would only be used while on the move. I don't want to be hanging damp cloths over the radiator or above the fire in the winter and getting condensation in the cabin The thing that I need most is the deep-freeze, I need to find room for this as this is a big money saver.

 

 

Greylady thanks for the kind welcome

 

 

Mark