Stern Type - The Good, Bad and The Ugly

[Ange]

I went through all the posts on the thread I linked to above and did a tick list - trad and cruiser sterns came out equal if I remember rightly

[WrightCharlie]

As a dog owner the cruiser works well for us especially as your new dog won't have grown up on board. With cruiser we found it easy to block off the openings and also easier for the mut to get in and out of the cabin. That's our doggy perspective.

Ps did you used to play fr the Mariners?

BTW RQ, neither the Seattle nor Plymouth versions of the Mariners I'm afraid. If it's my photo causing you to ask then I must confess to being an Addick fan (I'll leave you to work out who they are), I stole the name from an old goalie of ours because my uncle was always telling me what a right Charlie I could make of myself.....on more than one occasion!

As a long time boater, I wouldn't have anything other than a trad stern, but they are what I grew up with.....old habits die hard...

 

Dave

Cheers Dave.

[WrightCharlie]

I went through all the posts on the thread I linked to above and did a tick list - trad and cruiser sterns came out equal if I remember rightly

Thanks for your thoughts and for posting the link Ange, much appreciated, I just went through it and read all the comments

[Ange]

Thanks for your thoughts and for posting the link Ange, much appreciated, I just went through it and read all the comments

And thank you for sending me back to that wonderful time when we were newbys looking for our first boat. I wish you all the very best.

[WrightCharlie]

 

Ahh good question...G

 

I "think" we probably would go for a Trad Stern again, however internally I would want a reverse layout. With the galley / Saloon closest to the stern, bathrooms & bedrooms towards the front.

 

With the Trad Stern it means we have a small room just inside the main back doors, one side is my laundry / gardening "room" & the other side is for Dave's tools and bike trolley storage, it also means if he wants to do something with the engine and it's poor weather he can shut the sliding hatch, remove the back stairs and work in a dry environment; mind you it's a fairly small space and I would imagine quite uncomfortable if you were on the portly side; luckily he's one of those that close to 60 hasn't suffered with middle age spread

 

The thing that I really would like to have is a pram cover for the stern so I could set up a clothes horse to dry clothes in the winter months; my large wirly gig that attaches to the bike rack is great for spring/summer & fall, but not so great in the winter months waiting for a sunny dry day can be a long wait over here as I sure you well know.

 

Here's a pic of our back end with the bike rack, and you can just see the washer behind Dave

Cheers Bettie, I'm of a mind for a reverse layout too and was imagining I could dry a few clothes under a cratch cover, although if I get a trad or semi-trad it doesn't sound like I'd need to wear many clothes anyway

[PaddingtonBear]

Almost certainly the least qualified person to comment as am basically you, Charlie. (sans dog) but the more space you have at the back then the less room actually inside you have, which is something you need to consider.

 

if you are actually not going to actually do lots of socialising on your stern you are less likely to need a cruiser stern...

 

But here come the experts.....listen to them, not me!

 

PS Welcome to the site. I've found everyone here to be very helpful and friendly.

What a lot of good sense as I have never understood who many livekrboards choose cruiser sterns,

it also depends on how much money you have as my preference would be trad tug (sleeping under tug deck) if you have serious money and a converted ex working boat a la A. Fincher, very trad with masses of room although maybe not that much cheaper in all truth

Edited September 8, 2016 by PaddingtonBear

[PaddingtonBear]

BTW RQ, neither the Seattle nor Plymouth versions of the Mariners I'm afraid. If it's my photo causing you to ask then I must confess to being an Addick fan (I'll leave you to work out who they are), I stole the name from an old goalie of ours because my uncle was always telling me what a right Charlie I could make of myself.....on more than one occasion!

Cheers Dave.

"Who is the goalie withthe big fat a**e, Charlie Wright's his name" yes I am an old school Brighton supporter ) yes I also know that it is off topic:)

[mark99]

Engine room...... don't have to bend down with rse in air. Reverse layout - you will end up sitting there in louge staring at virtually nothing (limits external views imo as I tried one hired for a week). Cruiser stern - no good in winter fecking freezing (again tried one for a week).

 

Edited September 8, 2016 by mark99

[Ray T]

Thanks Ray, really interesting. I've browsed a lot of broker sites over the last months and visited some when I came over in May for Crick and didn't know these hybrids existed. Are they pretty much one-offs?

 

These are probably made to order when the boats were built. It may cost a bit but there is no reason why a traditional style cabin / stern couldn't be adapted.

 

As people are showing their bits this is our back end.......

 

 

Edited September 8, 2016 by Ray T

[Catnip King]

Don't forget on a cruiser you can get the big pram covers so nice big outside space in the rain if your into that....

[Bettie Boo]

Cheers Bettie, I'm of a mind for a reverse layout too and was imagining I could dry a few clothes under a cratch cover, although if I get a trad or semi-trad it doesn't sound like I'd need to wear many clothes anyway

 

Fair point re the front cratch, but for us that space becomes the dry storage area for wood & coal during the winter months. We normally have about 20 bags of coal along with a fair amount of seasoned logs on the roof, but keep a good supply in the covered cratch so we aren't trying to work with wet bags of coal and logs.

 

During the summer that space is our patio

[Bettie Boo]

 

These are probably made to order when the boats were built. It may cost a bit but there is no reason why a traditional style cabin / stern couldn't be adapted.

 

As people are showing their bits this is our back end.......

 

DSCF3587.jpg

 

sorry

 

 

And what a lovely back end you have Mr. T

[RLWP]

Something else. Access to the weedhatch can be different with each design of stern

 

Richard

[Machpoint005]

Engine access, a practical weed hatch, and sociable space whilst cruising are just a few of the benefits that make a cruiser stern the ideal for me.

 

Our first boat was a trad stern, on which weed hatch access was impossible and the engine was hidden under the steps to the boatman's cabin.

Our share boat was a semi-trad, which was a reasonable compromise, but access onto the stern from the towpath was sometimes less than straightforward and it was tricky to reach some parts of the engine easily (but then I'm not noted for my flexible physique).

 

Every boat is different though. The stern type is just one of many points to consider when buying.

[Tristesse]

Before I read this I wasn't sure but I think cruiser stern for me. I couldn't possibly heave two Dobermanns on to the roof

[cuthound]

For me, in this thread, the comments to pay attention to are the ones saying 'I went to only look at 'X' and I bought 'Y''

 

Boats are like that. If you love a boat, you'll put up with the 'faults'

 

Richard

So true.

 

We (well I) was looking for a very traditional trad with a proper engine and made the mistake of taking her indoors with me. She didn't like the lack of headroom in the back cabin or the elderly dog unfriendly steps into the back cabin.

 

Ended up with a modern trad with an extra wide hatch, Beta 43, crossbed (still not over keen on it) and girlie button! Very happy with it, except for the crossbed.

 

As you say, when the right boat finds you (and the missus) you overlook it's faults.

 

Don't like cruisers, too exposed in the winter; semi-trads are a good compromise for most people and trads look best and have the most internal space, probably an essential for live-aboards.

 

Edited to add that I have tried most stern options.

 

First two hires were ex-working boats (camping boats), with rear cabin and separate engine room.

 

Next few hires were cruiser sterns.

 

Last couple of hires were semi-trads.

 

22 years of shared ownership, one semi-trad mid galley, one semi-trad reverse layout.

 

Bought own boat, modern trad (engine under rear deck) with extra wide hatch, mid galley, which for me, the wife and the dog is the best compromise.

 

Access to weedhatch is great, a lift up deck cover, locked in place by the rear doors when they are closed. Collected someone's discarded cratch cover, whilst stopping for diesel at Streethay Wharf earlier today. It stopped the engine dead, but managed to remove it through the weedhatch in less than 20 minutes.

Edited September 8, 2016 by cuthound

[Machpoint005]

>> Don't like cruisers, too exposed in the winter; semi-trade are a good compromise for most people and trads look best and have the most internal space, essential for live-aboards.

 

Your are entitled to your opinion, but isn't overall length just as important? A 55ft cruiser stern will have much the same internal length as a 50ft trad.

As for trads looking the best, does this include the picture of random legs and bodies clinging to the outside when one is coming towards you?

You have a very good engine, though, just having serviced mine!

[WrightCharlie]

"Who is the goalie withthe big fat a**e, Charlie Wright's his name" yes I am an old school Brighton supporter ) yes I also know that it is off topic:)

Hey PB, wanted to continue off topic for a brief moment to give a shout out to your supporters who last season took the time to come to one of our "Roland Out" protests, the support will never be forgotten down in SE7.

Engine room...... don't have to bend down with rse in air. Reverse layout - you will end up sitting there in louge staring at virtually nothing (limits external views imo as I tried one hired for a week). Cruiser stern - no good in winter fecking freezing (again tried one for a week).

 

Thanks Mark, 3 good things for me to think about.

 

These are probably made to order when the boats were built. It may cost a bit but there is no reason why a traditional style cabin / stern couldn't be adapted.

 

As people are showing their bits this is our back end.......

 

DSCF3587.jpg

Hey Ray, may I say you have a very clean and well presented rear end

[cuthound]

Notice you have a small dog so you should be ok, when we were looking there's no way our dog would jump onto a trad, it appeared he didn't feel there's enough room to 'land'. I've had this confirmed by a broker who says that larger dogs are nervous of the smaller area. Guess this depends on the dog.

 

We like the semi trad because I think it's safer for our boy. But then, we're still novices.

 

I'll go along with those who say the boat will choose you!

 

I have a rather large dog, a GSD. He not only easily climbs onto the stern deck, but frightens the life out of me when, at our home mooring, he sees another dog on the towpath, and leaps onto the very small foredeck! He has yet to fall in off the bost. (Give him time though).

[WrightCharlie]

Don't forget on a cruiser you can get the big pram covers so nice big outside space in the rain if your into that....

No experience of those Catnip, I imagine they're useful maybe as extra storage or drying space whrn moored up, but not sure whether I'd like them whilst cruising?

 

Fair point re the front cratch, but for us that space becomes the dry storage area for wood & coal during the winter months. We normally have about 20 bags of coal along with a fair amount of seasoned logs on the roof, but keep a good supply in the covered cratch so we aren't trying to work with wet bags of coal and logs.

 

During the summer that space is our patio

Thanks Bettie.

Something else. Access to the weedhatch can be different with each design of stern

 

Richard

Cheers Richard, from what I understand this weed hatch thing is somewhere I can expect to be visiting quite frequently too!

[WrightCharlie]

Engine access, a practical weed hatch, and sociable space whilst cruising are just a few of the benefits that make a cruiser stern the ideal for me.

 

Our first boat was a trad stern, on which weed hatch access was impossible and the engine was hidden under the steps to the boatman's cabin.

Our share boat was a semi-trad, which was a reasonable compromise, but access onto the stern from the towpath was sometimes less than straightforward and it was tricky to reach some parts of the engine easily (but then I'm not noted for my flexible physique).

 

Every boat is different though. The stern type is just one of many points to consider when buying.

Thank you Ian........I find myself veering from trad to semi-trad to cruiser then back to semi-trad etc., based on everyone's comments as they roll, they all seem so sensible.

[MtB]

Wanted a cruiser, bought a cruiser.... Now want a semi trad.

 

Can't see me ever wanting a trad though.

 

 

Your taste will develop and mature though, I predict.

 

I bet there was once a time when you liked instant coffee!

[RLWP]

Cheers Richard, from what I understand this weed hatch thing is somewhere I can expect to be visiting quite frequently too!

 

Not necessarily. I find we do less weedhatch trips than when we started out. A bit of defensive boating helps

 

Richard

[WrightCharlie]

Before I read this I wasn't sure but I think cruiser stern for me. I couldn't possibly heave two Dobermanns on to the roof

They could get up there on a semi via the side lockers I imagine, at least that's one of the things I've been thinking possible if I choose a semi?

So true.

 

We (well I) was looking for a very traditional trad with a proper engine and made the mistake of taking her indoors with me. She didn't like the lack of headroom in the back cabin.

 

Ended up with a modern trad with an extra wide hatch, Beta 43, crossbed (still not over keen on it) and girlie button! Very happy with it.

 

As you say, when the right boat finds you (and the missus) you overlook it's faults.

 

Don't like cruisers, too exposed in the winter; semi-trade are a good compromise for mostvpeople and trads look best and have the most internal space, essential for live-aboards.

Thanks cuthound, the headroom and bed length is an important factor for me too as I'm 6' 1" and in some of the boats I've been in the cross-bed or fixed bed length have been too snug.

 

Not necessarily. I find we do less weedhatch trips than when we started out. A bit of defensive boating helps

 

Richard

Defensive boating, if you have the time please do tell?

[RLWP]

Defensive boating, if you have the time please do tell?

 

Basically, stay in the channel. Stay away from the edges and if you are not sure, knock the power off in bridge holes

 

Now, that all sounds simple, and it probably isn't when you start out

 

Richard