Stern Type - The Good, Bad and The Ugly

[WrightCharlie]

Hello everyone,

I'm brand new to this forum and was hoping for your thoughts and advice on the pros and cons of the different narrowboat stern types. Any and all comments will be avidly read and most gratefullly received.

I'm going to buy a narrowboat next year and will be a living onboard as a single continuous cruiser, with a yet to be rescued small dog for company

I went to Crick last May for all 3 days and had a good look round and picked the brains of as many people as possible. I've also (temporarily) lived on a boat (cruiser stern) and am as confident as I can be that it will be a good lifestyle for me for a good many of my retirement years.

Do you have any advice on the 3 different styles of stern please, which I should/shoudn't consider and why?

Thanking you kindly, Charlie

 

[dogless]

Welcome.

 

I went looking for a cruiser stern as it affords great access to the engine, and also is a superb social space.

 

The boat I fell in love with has a trad stern.

 

I think it's whatever you choose/chooses you. Greater minds than mine will have other ideas.

 

Rog

[RLWP]

When I am wielding spanners, my preference from worst to best is:

 

Semi trad, modern trad, cruiser stern, engine room*

 

Richard

 

*especially if it is raining

[NealSmith100]

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.

[Ray T]

Information on types of sterns here:

 

http://rugbyboats.co.uk/narrow-boat-styles/

 

Hints 'n tips here:

 

http://rugbyboats.co.uk/#text-7

[Joe the plumber]

We went out last year to buy boat with a cruiser stern. We had a week's holiday on one first, and four days later bought a semi-trad.

 

The simple reason is, on a cruiser, there's nowhere to hide when it's raining, which it did for our first two days on the hire boat. I still remember

Mike the Boilerman on here saying this would be the case at the time, and he was right.

 

The semi-trad gives you a certain amount of protection but still means you can have other people up there with you and, in the case of the boat we bought,

the engine access is very good.

 

A Trad with an engine room gives you the best access of all of course, but personally, although I love the idea, I can't face the exhaust fumes

coming back at me from a roof mounted outlet pipe. I suppose there must be ways to vent them down the side, but you're still cruising through them.

[WrightCharlie]

Welcome.

 

I went looking for a cruiser stern as it affords great access to the engine, and also is a superb social space.

 

The boat I fell in love with has a trad stern.

 

I think it's whatever you choose/chooses you. Greater minds than mine will have other ideas.

 

Rog

Thanks Rog, can I ask why the move away from a cruiser, perhaps stern type wasn't a priority or was it something else that tipped the balance?

When I am wielding spanners, my preference from worst to best is:

 

Semi trad, modern trad, cruiser stern, engine room*

 

Richard

 

*especially if it is raining

Thank you Richard

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.

Yes, thank you. I do plan to have quite a lot of year-round visitors overnighting and in some ways am torn between more internal room and outside entertaining space.

Information on types of sterns here:

 

http://rugbyboats.co.uk/narrow-boat-styles/

 

Hints 'n tips here:

 

http://rugbyboats.co.uk/#text-7

Thanks very much, I hadn't seen this part of their site before.

[Boat&Bikes]

Cruiser stern for me. Like being outside with the weather. Like to be sat out on the deck after cruising, good for eating on, fishing from. Engine is accessible. Don't mind getting wet, think this comes from always having motorbikes as you get used to it.

[WrightCharlie]

We went out last year to buy boat with a cruiser stern. We had a week's holiday on one first, and four days later bought a semi-trad.

 

The simple reason is, on a cruiser, there's nowhere to hide when it's raining, which it did for our first two days on the hire boat. I still remember

Mike the Boilerman on here saying this would be the case at the time, and he was right.

 

The semi-trad gives you a certain amount of protection but still means you can have other people up there with you and, in the case of the boat we bought,

the engine access is very good.

 

A Trad with an engine room gives you the best access of all of course, but personally, although I love the idea, I can't face the exhaust fumes

coming back at me from a roof mounted outlet pipe. I suppose there must be ways to vent them down the side, but you're still cruising through them.

Thanks, appreciate this info

[RLWP]

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

[WrightCharlie]

Cruiser stern for me. Like being outside with the weather. Like to be sat out on the deck after cruising, good for eating on, fishing from. Engine is accessible. Don't mind getting wet, think this comes from always having motorbikes as you get used to it.

Thanks, interesting thought, I don't mind the wet either.

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

Thanks Richard, what features were at the root of your love story if you don't mind me asking?

[RLWP]

Thanks Richard, what features were at the root of your love story if you don't mind me asking?

 

Oh heck...

 

So, we started off looking at cheap. Didn't find anything. Then we looked at slightly more expensive and found some horrors. Then we looked a bit more expensive still and found some OK boats, but nothing we wanted.

 

By then we sort of knew what we wanted, and began looking at boats that were a bit like hire boats. We bought an ex hire boat. We love here

 

I have a client who also loves their boat. They went out for a cycle ride and saw it for sale at the side of the cut - and bought it

 

Richard

[Tristesse]

Just a thought from someone who hasn't a clue and is boatless but have two dogs. Would a cruiser be better as the dogs will join you ?

[Bettie Boo]

Firstly - Welcome to the forum (Yipeeeeeee another Canadian wop wop wop)

 

When we were looking at boats to buy we had a criteria list as long as your arm...no older than xxx, must have this type loo, must have 2 bedrooms, this size water tank, that size waste tank, bow thruster, price range, space for a freezer & washing machine, these two types of heating, these two types of heating hot H20 etc etc

 

The one thing neither of us had a preference for was the stern type; with that said, neither of us had any experience of flat bottomed boats and or the pro's & con's of the effects of each style.

 

We ended up with a Trad, which we are happy with; although we only learned after moving onboard we were not able to have a pram cover installed, I'm not sure if that's the case with all Trad sterns or only applies to us as ours is a WB.

 

The other benefit for you having a semi would be a good place to keep you dog so it can be outside with you, or at least till it gets used to the boating life style.

 

Good luck with your search

 

 

 

ETA - missing word

Edited September 7, 2016 by Bettie Boo

[Scholar Gypsy]

I think a lot of it depends on your personal preferences. We've always had a trad stern, in part for keeping a bit warmer/drier in winter.

 

Originally there was no access from the main part of the boat to the stern other than down the side deck. This is because we like steering on our own, and not being expected to talk to people at the same time: if you want that then go to the social space at the bows. (As the helpful Rugby site says: "You only have a small stern area which limits the number of people that can congregate together when cruising" to which I say "Good, that's an advantage!"). Your personal preferences may be different.

 

We did change this slightly when we bought a new stern in 1994, to provide access from inside the boat.

 

Access to the engine is now excellent, as (with a bit of work) all of the flooring, and all the supporting steelwork, can be removed. This picture gives the general idea (yes that is the weedhatch to the right).

 

[magpie patrick]

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

 

I must really love Lutine then!

 

And you missed "Cruiser sterns with patio decking" off your list

 

OP _ Richard is right, I would still like to go back to a semi-trad, but if the rest of the boat was fine I'd accept the stern, although I'd take some convincing over a trad. I would, however like a 70 footer with a big cruiser stern and a sociable front well deck

[RLWP]

 

I would, however like a 70 footer with a big cruiser stern and a sociable front well deck

 

Gerrof, she's ours!

 

Richard

[David Mack]

The other benefit for you having a semi would be a good place to keep you dog so it can be outside with you, or at least till it gets used to the boating life style.

 

Cabin top on a trad is fine for dogs.

 

[Retardedrocker]

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

Perfectly true. I wanted a trad and bought one with a cruiser stern.

 

The boat picks the boater.

 

T.

[AndyV]

I have never owned a boat that didn't have a trad stern and can confidently say I never will. Which makes me the worst person to give advice but...

My arguments for trad

- there is plenty of room for two sat on the edge of the slide hatch and more on the roof nearby.

- it wastes the least amount of internal space.

- if you want socialising space for when moored have it at the sharp end, tug deck or big well deck.

- I really like cruising in the winter and there is something special about having the rear doors pulled closed and the slide leaving just enough space to stand so that you can warm your toes and lower half on the back cabin stove ( though I did burn the toes out of more than one pair of shoes)

- last but not least, to me they look better.

[WrightCharlie]

 

Oh heck...

 

So, we started off looking at cheap. Didn't find anything. Then we looked at slightly more expensive and found some horrors. Then we looked a bit more expensive still and found some OK boats, but nothing we wanted.

 

By then we sort of knew what we wanted, and began looking at boats that were a bit like hire boats. We bought an ex hire boat. We love here

 

I have a client who also loves their boat. They went out for a cycle ride and saw it for sale at the side of the cut - and bought it

 

Richard

Ex-hire boats were recommended to me as their engines have seen regular use and apparently the boats are highly maintained as well. Up until then I'd had an (unsubstantiated) opinion that ex-hire boats would be shot to pieces by the time the companies let them go.

I settled on a trad with engine room and boatman's cabin. The engine room is great for drying washing all year round. The storage space under the steering position is freed up and contains most of our maintenance gear.

 

The lack of a social party deck is easily countered by the extra cabin. If we have friends visiting, we party on the towpath or indoors.

 

I worried about the exhaust a bit too, but it rarely blows in my face except on calm days, or a headwind. In both cases it is generally avoidable by simply swapping hands on the tiller and steering from the 'other side'. I have never looked back and wished we'd bought a cruisier stern, and I'd NEVER give up my engine room and boatman's cabin for anyone!

 

It is not difficult to add a higher exhaust chimney on a spring too, so that the exhaust goes mostly over your head, and you can pull it down for low bridges. So far we haven't found the need to fabricate that.

Thank you Max, to be honest I was shying away from trads without giving the pros too much thought, you've opened me up to think again so thanks.

Just a thought from someone who hasn't a clue and is boatless but have two dogs. Would a cruiser be better as the dogs will join you ?

Not sure to be honest, one of the motives for this thread is that I hope to hear opinions from dog owners......yours included

[Tony Brooks]

I think the belief that Trads have more accommodation space does not stand up to careful scrutiny. They either had an engine room or an engine casing inside the boat at the rear of the cabin. Sometimes you even have to crawl across the top of the engine case to get into the boat, on other you have to twist yourself in. This also puts potentially smelly engines inside the accommodation.

 

At least on the majority of modern cruisers and semi-trads the engine is separated from the accommodation by a steel bulkhead.

 

All the semi-trads I have seen have had poorer engine access than most cruisers. Unless the batteries are in a semi-trad's side lockers access is likely to be fare easier on a well designed cruiser stern.

 

You can get a degree of protection on cruisers by fitting a metal or canvas dodger around the stern.

 

I find it is far easier to get on and off or cross cruiser sterns that it is for any other type. As you get older climbing up and down the bow becomes difficult.

 

 

[Ray T]

Ex-hire boats were recommended to me as their engines have seen regular use and apparently the boats are highly maintained as well. Up until then I'd had an (unsubstantiated) opinion that ex-hire boats would be shot to pieces by the time the companies let them go.

Thank you Max, to be honest I was shying away from trads without giving the pros too much thought, you've opened me up to think again so thanks.

 

I think Black Prince sell their hire boats between 3 & 5 years old. Quite a few hire firms subsequently buy them, e.g. Anglo Welsh.

 

Tony Brooks

Posted Today, 07:06 PM

This also puts potentially smelly engines inside the accommodation.

 

 

 

 

 

I love a smelly engine, not so sure about Mrs T. though.

 

Edited September 7, 2016 by Ray T

[WrightCharlie]

I have never owned a boat that didn't have a trad stern and can confidently say I never will. Which makes me the worst person to give advice but...

My arguments for trad

- there is plenty of room for two sat on the edge of the slide hatch and more on the roof nearby.

- it wastes the least amount of internal space.

- if you want socialising space for when moored have it at the sharp end, tug deck or big well deck.

- I really like cruising in the winter and there is something special about having the rear doors pulled closed and the slide leaving just enough space to stand so that you can warm your toes and lower half on the back cabin stove ( though I did burn the toes out of more than one pair of shoes)

- last but not least, to me they look better.

Thanks very much Andy for sharing your thoughts, I certainly know all about cold toes living in Canada

[Tony Brooks]

Ex-hire boats were recommended to me as their engines have seen regular use and apparently the boats are highly maintained as well. Up until then I'd had an (unsubstantiated) opinion that ex-hire boats would be shot to pieces by the time the companies let them go.

 

It depends upon the engine an who the operator was. 17 years on after 8 years in two fleets the engine is fine but then it is a proper marine engine rather than a modified industrial unit.

 

Look back at the threads on here that regularly come up about buying ex-hire.