Jump to content

Boat Building Dimensions


NikkieD

Featured Posts

I would guess the size shape of the boat is dependent on the location /use My thoughts on this are the owner with little experience isn't sure what they really want the initial thoughts stay put more or less so max size would be best then after a couple of years in much the same 2 or so square miles a wouldn't it be nice to move but the size etc. makes this a pain for owner & other boaters find it a pain moving or it' causes bad feelings I've met a good #of wish I'd bought so& so rather than the boat they own

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, X Alan W said:

I would guess the size shape of the boat is dependent on the location /use My thoughts on this are the owner with little experience isn't sure what they really want the initial thoughts stay put more or less so max size would be best then after a couple of years in much the same 2 or so square miles a wouldn't it be nice to move but the size etc. makes this a pain for owner & other boaters find it a pain moving or it' causes bad feelings I've met a good #of wish I'd bought so& so rather than the boat they own

I totally agree - that's why IMHO the OP's money should be spent wisely allowing for a relatively early re-sale without too much pain!

Edited by Halsey
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My memory decieved me. This is the boat I was thinking of but it's not a full wrap around cabin bow. If it were it would be curved all the way around rather than having the flat bulkhead at the front.

 

However, I still think it's a fairly successful job although others will obviously disagree and call it ugly. It just needs a double door hatch at the front, similar to cabin side hatches (and you need to imagine it with windows or portholes cut out).

 

Anyway it's certainly better than most of the retrofit jobs where people have tried to extend the front of conventional narrow boat and widebeam cabins with steel or wood. I think 90% of retrofit jobs look awful so if you're doing it the time to do it is during the build.

 

If you have any type of enclosed bow like this you'd need 2 bow ropes attached to the bow cleat and each rope would be kept on the roof coiled behind the port/starboard handrails at the widest point so you can grab them easily.

 

 

IMG_20190106_123340_0.jpg

IMG_20190106_123318_4.jpg

IMG_20190106_123300_6.jpg

Edited by blackrose
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, blackrose said:

My memory decieved me. This is the boat I was thinking of but it's not a full wrap around cabin bow. If it were it would be curved all the way around rather than having the flat bit at the front.

 

However, I still think it's a fairly successful job although others will obviously disagree and call it ugly. It just needs a double door hatch at the front, similar to cabin side hatches (and you need to imagine it with windows or portholes cut out).

 

Anyway it's certainly better than most of the retrofit jobs where people have tried to extend the front of conventional narrow boat and widebeam cabins with steel or wood. I think 90% of retrofit jobs look awful so if you're doing it the time to do it is during the build.

 

If you have any type of enclosed bow like this you'd need 2 bow ropes attached to the bow cleat and each rope would be kept on the roof coiled behind the port/starboard handrails at the widest point so you can grab them easily.

 

 

IMG_20190106_123340_0.jpg

IMG_20190106_123318_4.jpg

IMG_20190106_123300_6.jpg

Thank you so much for taking these and posting them. It has been a great help.

 

I personally think it looks very nice. Starting to get a much better picture in my mind of how it would all come together now

Link to comment
Share on other sites

41 minutes ago, blackrose said:

I still think it's a fairly successful job although others will obviously disagree and call it ugly.

It’s ugly. 

 

Sorry, couldn’t resist. I agree with you really, I think it works quite well :)

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, NikkieD said:

Thank you so much for taking these and posting them. It has been a great help.

 

I personally think it looks very nice. Starting to get a much better picture in my mind of how it would all come together now

 

You're welcome, it's always easier with some pictures.

 

Compare the enclosed cabin front above with a standard open bow well deck (this is my boat). With the bow well deck you (or your crew) get an area to work from when moving the boat and you get bow doors, but these decks tend to collect leaves and other crap. Scupper holes in the sides allow the deck to drain rain water, but most boats with these decks only have about 3 or 4 inches of bulkhead at the bottom of the doors and if you opened the gate paddles of a lock too quickly when going uphill or you had waves coming over the bow on a tidal crossing it could easily overwhelm the scuppers and you could get water coming into the cabin. That can't happen with an enclosed bow.

 

I've also included a picture to show what I meant with the bow ropes, but on the enclosed bow they'd need to be kept further back on the roof so you can reach them - I obviously wasn't going to be reaching for my bow ropes in that lock!

 

 

IMG_20170903_182509.jpg

IMG_20170903_182536.jpg

09 lock 3.jpg

Edited by blackrose
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

You're welcome, it's always easier with some pictures.

 

Compare the enclosed cabin front above with a standard open bow well deck (this is my boat). With the bow well deck you (or your crew) get an area to work from when moving the boat and you get bow doors, but these decks tend to collect leaves and other crap. Scupper holes in the sides allow the deck to drain rain water, but most boats with these decks only have about 3 or 4 inches of bulkhead at the bottom of the doors and if you opened the gate paddles of a lock too quickly when going uphill or you had waves coming over the bow on a tidal crossing it could easily overwhelm the scuppers and you could get water coming into the cabin. That can't happen with an enclosed bow.

 

I've also included a picture to show what I meant with the bow ropes, but on the enclosed bow they'd need to be kept further back on the roof so you can reach them - I obviously wasn't going to be reaching for my bow ropes in that lock!

 

 

IMG_20170903_182509.jpg

IMG_20170903_182536.jpg

09 lock 3.jpg

Great to see a wide-beam properly equipped for and obviously intending to go cruising - as I said earlier you are not the norm.

 

I don't like wrap around bows on any boat wide or narrow as it often shows that the owner isn't really a serious cruiser just wants more space at the expense of boating - each to their own:captain:.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, blackrose said:

My memory decieved me. This is the boat I was thinking of but it's not a full wrap around cabin bow. If it were it would be curved all the way around rather than having the flat bulkhead at the front.

 

However, I still think it's a fairly successful job although others will obviously disagree and call it ugly. It just needs a double door hatch at the front, similar to cabin side hatches (and you need to imagine it with windows or portholes cut out).

 

Anyway it's certainly better than most of the retrofit jobs where people have tried to extend the front of conventional narrow boat and widebeam cabins with steel or wood. I think 90% of retrofit jobs look awful so if you're doing it the time to do it is during the build.

 

If you have any type of enclosed bow like this you'd need 2 bow ropes attached to the bow cleat and each rope would be kept on the roof coiled behind the port/starboard handrails at the widest point so you can grab them easily.

 

 

IMG_20190106_123340_0.jpg

IMG_20190106_123318_4.jpg

IMG_20190106_123300_6.jpg

It looks like a bad bow competition with two contenders, the widebeam is winning..

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Halsey said:

Great to see a wide-beam properly equipped for and obviously intending to go cruising - as I said earlier you are not the norm.

 

I don't like wrap around bows on any boat wide or narrow as it often shows that the owner isn't really a serious cruiser just wants more space at the expense of boating - each to their own:captain:.

 

Thanks. I haven't done much cruising for a while, but do intend to get back into it.

 

I'm not sure I agree. I don't see why an enclosed bow would restrict one's movements, as long as you arrange ropes in suitable places, plus extra cleats closer to the sides. I think you need to do that on a widebeam anyway. I've seen Dutch-style new build barges with wrap around cabin fronts and they were certainly built for cruising. As I already mentioned, once you get off the canals and onto tidal waters you don't really want a well deck and bow doors.

 

Edited by blackrose
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, blackrose said:

My memory decieved me. This is the boat I was thinking of but it's not a full wrap around cabin bow. If it were it would be curved all the way around rather than having the flat bulkhead at the front.

 

However, I still think it's a fairly successful job although others will obviously disagree and call it ugly. It just needs a double door hatch at the front, similar to cabin side hatches (and you need to imagine it with windows or portholes cut out).

 

Anyway it's certainly better than most of the retrofit jobs where people have tried to extend the front of conventional narrow boat and widebeam cabins with steel or wood. I think 90% of retrofit jobs look awful so if you're doing it the time to do it is during the build.

 

If you have any type of enclosed bow like this you'd need 2 bow ropes attached to the bow cleat and each rope would be kept on the roof coiled behind the port/starboard handrails at the widest point so you can grab them easily.

 

 

IMG_20190106_123340_0.jpg

IMG_20190106_123318_4.jpg

IMG_20190106_123300_6.jpg

Just a thought but I was always under the impression that you had to provide a means of escape (not just some windows/portholes) from the front of the boat, as well as the stern, in case you got trapped inside in a fire. So, unless something is going to be cut into the steelwork at a later date that boat provides nothing like that. Is it not a mandatory safety requirement?

Roger

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Albion said:

Just a thought but I was always under the impression that you had to provide a means of escape (not just some windows/portholes) from the front of the boat, as well as the stern, in case you got trapped inside in a fire. So, unless something is going to be cut into the steelwork at a later date that boat provides nothing like that. Is it not a mandatory safety requirement?

Roger

Well I assumed that since the boat has no windows at all it wasn't finished.

 

The other thing I wouldn't want is the bow locker on that boat as the gas locker. I wouldn't fancy the idea of trying to get gas bottles on and off the boat from there.

Edited by blackrose
Link to comment
Share on other sites

39 minutes ago, blackrose said:

Well I assumed that since the boat has no windows at all it wasn't finished.

 

The other thing I wouldn't want is the bow locker on that boat as the gas locker. I wouldn't fancy the idea of trying to get gas bottles on and off the boat from there.

Yes, cutting in windows is a more normal thing but, in my experience, hatches tend to be done at steelwork stage. I agree about the gas locker issue though.

Roger

Link to comment
Share on other sites

30 minutes ago, Albion said:

Yes, cutting in windows is a more normal thing but, in my experience, hatches tend to be done at steelwork stage. I agree about the gas locker issue though.

Roger

You might be right, but if a boat has side hatches then I'm not sure if it needs a means of escape at the bow to meet mandatory safety requirements? I've seen plenty of (non-canal) boats with no opening at the bow.

 

Anyway, what about this enclosed, wrap around bow? I think it works quite well. Built by Bluewater Boats. I think

 

Edit: I think I've actually been onboard this one when it was moored at Stratford on Avon (as shown in this picture). I met the owners through this forum and went to look at their BT electrical connections as I'd changed my brushes and couldn't figure out how it went back together! It has the same BT.

 

WIDE31.jpg

Edited by blackrose
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, blackrose said:

You might be right, but if a boat has side hatches then I'm not sure if it needs a means of escape at the bow to meet mandatory safety requirements? I've seen plenty of (non-canal) boats with no opening at the bow.

 

Anyway, what about this enclosed, wrap around bow? I think it works quite well.

WIDE31.jpg

Yes, I'm not saying that it has to be right in the front bulkhead. IIRC the CanalTime boats had a hatch in the front side of the boat because they had no front well deck etc.

Roger

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, blackrose said:

The other thing I wouldn't want is the bow locker on that boat as the gas locker. I wouldn't fancy the idea of trying to get gas bottles on and off the boat from there.

 

I guess the front of the roof is close enough to put a cantilevered arm on so that you could hoist gas bottles safely in and out of the locker.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

Well, each to their own I guess. I actually prefer it to mine.

 

 

 

Screenshot_20190106-150238~2.png

I prefer yours for general cruising (and looks) as you can get to the front of the boat without going around the side decks although I fully appreciate its reduced seaworthiness

Edited by Halsey
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, cuthound said:

 

I guess the front of the roof is close enough to put a cantilevered arm on so that you could hoist gas bottles safely in and out of the locker.

But you'd still have to get them on and off the boat and that's the difficult bit. I'd just use that locker for general storage and a separate section for anchor chain storage and I'd have a gas locker on the stern deck.

Edited by blackrose
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Or this https://www.wessexrose.co.uk/wessex-rose/ based on a Humber Keel, a little bigger than you are planning but not much

Its a pig of a boat, comes past us on a regular basis, slower than slow.

50x11 is not a good size, Parglena was that size wandered all over the place. Lengthened to 60 ft it handled so much better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.