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Engine Rooms..


robtheplod

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Hi All

 

I'm a newbie to all things narrowboat but just thinking about some boats that have engine rooms rather than the engine tucked away underneath. Are there any other benfits of this apart from it must be much easier to work on and the engine probably helps heat the boat on cold days? I'm thinking it must be very noisy when you're travelling inside the boat?

 

rob

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No benefits whatsoever.....................you will of course get others who mistakenly disagree with this wink.png

Full headroom Engine compartments are very convenient for engine servicing

 

My Boat has an Engine room 6 feet long which houses Main Engine,built in Generator and all the Boats cruising kit,fenders ,Windlasses ,wet gear and the like.

 

It has natural and forced ventilation so anything stored within is always dry

 

The Engine casing is removable,takes one minute to take apart and the Engine casing top makes a handy Workbench

 

CT

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Yes on my first two Narrowboats the engine was roaring away under my feet as I cruised along. Noisy and unpleasant.

 

Now I have separate engine rooms in each boat ten feet away from the helm and behind a closed door. WHAT a delight to cruise without the engine noise remote instead of right in my ear!

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Hi All

 

I'm a newbie to all things narrowboat but just thinking about some boats that have engine rooms rather than the engine tucked away underneath. Are there any other benfits of this apart from it must be much easier to work on and the engine probably helps heat the boat on cold days? I'm thinking it must be very noisy when you're travelling inside the boat?

 

rob

Narrowboats that have engine rooms usually have nice low reving engines that are not unpleasant to hear unlike most modern engine drones.

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Now I have separate engine rooms in each boat ten feet away from the helm and behind a closed door. WHAT a delight to cruise without the engine noise remote instead of right in my ear!

And you can inhale the particulate material from the exhaust all day long without having to bend over the stern!

 

Chris G

 

(about to modify Batavia's exhaust system so that it can either come out of the cabin roof or the stern of the boat, due to fed-up-ness with the clods of soot - although the impending engine swap might ease things somewhat)

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A fringe benefit is that because of the dry heat, noted above, which the engine exudes, they make good drying rooms in wet weather: shoes on top of the engine, clothes on a line stretched from the front to the back of the room.

As well as the engine, ours is home to a jerry can, the folding festival trolley, chimneys when not in use, "Buckby" can ditto, top coats which are too bulky to fit in wardrobes (and which are nice and dry when it's time to put them on) and of course a large tin of Brasso and its concomitant cloths and rags.

...which leads me to another point, polishing the engine is satisfying, relaxing and therapeutic.as well as being a conversation starter with people who look through the side doors and ask "Is it a Lister?"

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My engine room houses the water pump which would be noisy if it was in the cabin.

 

It's a bit like my garden shed so things like my old bike, tools, rain wear, oil cans, anchor, life aids etc are stored in there. There is also a fixed work bench.

 

The other nice thing is that it's somewhere you can take muddy boots off before walking into the living space.

 

Lots of things then. The only regret is that my engine room isn't quite big enough for a bed and small stove (boatman's cabin).

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A major benefit to add to those mentioned above is that the engine is more likely to be maintained to a good standard, as the awkward access to those positioned below decks, etc can be off putting. Any potential issues are easily spotted, leaks, etc.

Another bonus of a well organised engine room is that they are almost like a mechanical version of Jack Hargreaves shed!

  • Greenie 1
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No benefits whatsoever.....................you will of course get others who mistakenly disagree with this wink.png

 

 

The best benefit is observing the angst and denial from those poor sods with engine stuffed in a stupid place. ;)

  • Greenie 1
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You won't get any sense here asking questions like this, its like pumpout vs cassette but even worse. A pumpout supporter might just manage with a cassette but a boater who wants a boat with an engine room would not even consider a boat without one. Its a matter of personal taste rather than practicality, the fact that a proper engine room has many many huge practical advantages is just an incidental bonus. And of course you can hear them when they are running, that's one of the advantages.

 

..............Dave

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And you can inhale the particulate material from the exhaust all day long without having to bend over the stern!

 

Chris G

 

(about to modify Batavia's exhaust system so that it can either come out of the cabin roof or the stern of the boat, due to fed-up-ness with the clods of soot - although the impending engine swap might ease things somewhat)

 

I read this often on this forum but is it actually true or a false conclusion drawn because the exhaust is more visible?

With a suitably tall chimney without a splitter or whatever the exhaust smoke should just go straight up out of the way, including when in a lock.

Its very rare to get a strong enough wind to blow the exhaust into the steerers face.

I accept that with the titch pipe on, especially in tunnels, that it can be bad. It was also often bad when we had a "tractor top" so now we take this off when we are cruising.

 

On the other hand, sharing a lock with a boat with a conventional exhaust can be unpleasant as the exhaust smokes surrounds the steerers.

 

................Dave

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You engine needs around six feet of your boat's length.

 

You can let it hog a whole six feet to itself, perhaps grudgingly surrendering some limited space for you to store a few things.

 

Or you can double purpose that six feet - engine below, fully usable deck space above.

 

You make your choices!

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Yes on my first two Narrowboats the engine was roaring away under my feet as I cruised along. Noisy and unpleasant.

Now I have separate engine rooms in each boat ten feet away from the helm and behind a closed door. WHAT a delight to cruise without the engine noise remote instead of right in my ear!

If your engine is roaring away you are either under propped or trying to get her on the plane.

 

Neil

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If your engine is roaring away you are either under propped or trying to get her on the plane.

 

Neil

 

 

Whatever noise my engine is making, I'd rather it was making it ten feet away from me and behind a closed door thank you, rather than under my feet.

 

The noise of the engine close by is unnecessary and unpleasant.

  • Greenie 1
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For it to really work you do have to go the full route with engine room and back cabin. (I expect some will say even more wasted space biggrin.png )

 

An engine crammed in at the back is a bad quality space, you have to sort of climb over the engine to go in and out and there is a sort of half heigh storage space above. A full engine room is a good room and the space right at the back then becomes useful storage,

 

We have the Beta JD3 so its maybe a bit different for despite a few disadvantages its a very clean engine so the engine room really is part of the boat rather than an "industrial area", we even have curtains in the winter. I like to stand in there and look out of the side hatches and once in a while the dog has slept in there.

 

...............Dave

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You engine needs around six feet of your boat's length.

 

You can let it hog a whole six feet to itself, perhaps grudgingly surrendering some limited space for you to store a few things.

 

Or you can double purpose that six feet - engine below, fully usable deck space above.

 

You make your choices!

 

.......and then when you want to go boating in winter you can wrap up in layers of thermal underwear, pullovers and donkey jackets, because you are stood outside on am area of floorboards, several feet away from the cabin where the actual warmth is. (If you have an "other half" they may well stay in side enjoying hot drinks, but not want to get cold bringing them out to you!).

 

..................... Or of course you can choose an arrangement where your lower half is surrounded by cabin heat as you steer, with the option of a range stove just beside you meaning you can stay toasty warm without having to dress up and look like the Michelin man.

 

As you say "You make your choices!"

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Whatever noise my engine is making, I'd rather it was making it ten feet away from me and behind a closed door thank you, rather than under my feet.

 

The noise of the engine close by is unnecessary and unpleasant.

Well actually, our first boat had the engine (a Petter PH2) just below and in front of the steerer - in fact there was a footplate, or manstand, or what you will, which enabled the steerer to stand directly over the engine. It was the sound of that engine which got me interested in the more traditional power units in the first place. So, though I like Trojan's layout with its engine room forward of the sleeping cabin, I didn't mind the other arrangement either - indeed our second boat had the engine (Rigas Dizelis) at the back but exposed, too.

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