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8 Tips For a Great Cruising Boat Interior Arrangement

What design criteria go into making a good cruising boat interior?

This is an area where I feel that I’m well qualified since, so far, I have spent approximately 30% of my 70 years living afloat and most of that while actually going places. So here are my thoughts:


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John Rushworth

Oh! dear, I feel guilty already. It is time for the ocean long term voyaging sailors to have their say, not us engineers. I can’t claim to be a voyaging sailor. The longest I have spent at sea in my own 26′ boat is 3 days covering 188 nm. Hardly a qualification. And large military and commercial vessels, don’t count so I can’t lay down that experience. But I do class myself as a mariner.

Suffice to say I agree with John and Archimedes. One of the first things I want to know is displacement, but the engineer in me says I’d also like to suggest manufacturers quote that and gt too, as opposed to nt which is more to do with cargo space.

Gross tonnage or gt being a unitless index related to a ship’s overall internal volume. That together with displacement would help me compare boats for space, far more than length or length on the waterline – which for me has more to do with attainable displacement speed and stability when taken together with beam and other stability factors.

When attempting to compare like for like about what you can fit in a boat do we want to know displacement and gt too?

John Rushworth

Hi John,

It is why I posed it as a question as I am not sure either. All I know is when skippering Jet Boats of say 60ft, is that gt could be different between two vessels of the same size and gt was what we had to go by, not displacement. As I understand gt from Wiki it is calculated based on “the moulded volume of all enclosed spaces of the ship” and is used to determine things such as a ship’s manning regulations, safety rules, registration fees, and port dues, whereas the older gross register tonnage is a measure of the volume of certain enclosed spaces.

I guess what I’m saying is we could have two boats of the same length but different displacements with the heavier one potentially having less internal volume subject to the density of materials used – yet without digging deeper it does not tell me for example how it is distributed or what weight of glass it is built with for instance. I’m just wondering what other factors we need to know to ascertain useful spare internal volume for ‘stuff’ based on a light ship.

I guess we would need to measure if you like the volume of air in the vessel and also to know where the largest volumes are placed in relation to denser materials, which could inform next to a set of stability curves.

My point being you could go on two different boats of the same displacement, length and beam but with differing internal volumes for ‘stuff’? It’s been a long day, maybe it is I who is confusing matters….

Jean-François EEMAN

Hi John,

No both Johns are not confused…
In case of aluminium and steel do not forget that the boat will be (should be) insulated… On a Boréal insulation is 8 cm thick…
We do not loose 8 cm as the insulation is partly placed in between the structure, but we do loose space.

John Rushworth

Thanks. Just like say a Sadler 34 with a double skin. Less internal volume, more flotation and ‘unsinkable’. Now add in insualtion (cold in Scotland) and the boat has shrunk for stuff 🙁

Dick Stevenson

Homage to a dedicated shower “room”
Dear John,
This is probably way too long and subjective for most to go through, but I wrote it a while back and find it relevant for this topic. And I have been having fun, over time, thinking of the less obvious design decisions that allow a good offshore boat to also be a superb home rather than just a fast safe platform for adventures. It is especially where those 2 goals intersect that interest me.
When we bought Alchemy (another 40 footer), one design decision that I noticed, but little thought of, was the inclusion of an enclosed shower room. Gradually, its many attributes, on passage and at anchor, have been revealed so that, at this point, I consider a dedicated shower to be almost on a par with the importance of indoor plumbing. Bear with me:
A separate dedicated shower
Dimensions: (approx)
1. Think telephone booth with an added bench on the side
2. 85cm x 56cm (standing 50 x 50) with a bench (essential) for sitting tucked under the side decks
a. The size is just big enough for washing without gymnastics, but small enough for safety showering at sea
b. I am a bit larger than average I suspect
3. Sump is the standing area, 50x50cm and is a 24cm deep fibreglass tub with a drain
4. The entrance is slightly bevelled from square
a. Entrance is mostly athwartships so stuff (including people) does not fall out when heeled
Location
1. Bottom of companionway steps
a. All wet gear has an easy, out of the way, water contained, place to go
b. Helps keep all wet gear from going further into the boat
c. Makes stored gear readily available
2. Head and shower are part of same area.
Attributes on passage
1. String lines with loops in the shower
a. All wet gear goes in there, hung on hangers and ready to go and drying as well as possible
2. Gear can be gotten quickly out of the cockpit or off deck by being tossed/put in the shower easily and be contained (read not underfoot)
3. Heavy weather use
a. When anticipating a heavy weather situation, gear (parachute anchor, drogue etc, long rodes, chain) can be accessed and stowed in the shower, ready at hand and contained, but out of the way for when conditions dictate their use.
i. From the shower they can be assembled, and made ready for deployment, yet safe and out of the way.
4. On a more prosaic side, it is hard to over-estimate how good a hot shower can feel on passage: how beneficial to sleep, to being relaxed, feeling human, feeling in control etc.
a. The bench, small area, and athwartships entrance combine to allow me to safely shower even bashing to wind in moderate conditions.
b. This may be personal, but, like a cup of tea, taking time for a shower just changes one’s perspective in a good way.
Attributes at anchor (especially in cool/cold weather)
1. It is always nice to shower
a. We have an extra long hose and run the shower out the portlight when swimming. Then we soap and rinse in the sea and spritz off with the shower.
b. The last year or more we have been in colder climes where swimming is not our recreational activity and showering where the whole head does not get a soaking (and the work that entails) is a joy.
In marinas
1. We do all our showering aboard.
a. We do not have to walk, sometimes long distances in dodgy weather, to shower in locations where cleanliness is often poorly monitored.
b. Sometimes you have to pay extra for showers.
Other attributes
1. With the high sides, the sump can be used as a tub for laundry which can be left soaking and sloshing (agitating) for periods of time without worry about spilling.
a. This can be done under sail (maybe best done)
Drawbacks
1. Must find a way in winter to heat water when you are not using the engine regularly
a. Same/similar issue when at anchor for over a few days
2. Adds moisture to the interior of the boat in the winter when you least want it
a. We squeegee the sides and wipe down.
b. But we run a de-humidifier all winter now.
3. Takes up interior space
a. Alchemy is 40 feet and altogether my head and shower seem no larger; just use space differently, than other boats our size and larger.
4. Promotes excessive water use.
a. Like with all consumables, be aware of your vessel’s limits.
b. In 10 years I have taken very short showers to conserve, but I have rarely not showered.
c. We live aboard full time so we appreciate the ability to operate (within reason) as if we are in a land based home with all its resources.
i. When possible we shy away from actions that promote us feeling like we are camping.
ii. Throwing buckets of salt water on ourselves and swimming while on passage is fun, but not so much when cold out and your goal is to get clean and climb into bed.
5. Adds to overboard discharge of questionable stuff
a. Short answer is people wash boats & cars etc and flush into the sea
b. Longer answer is too long to enclose.
My best to all and I congratulate you for persevering to the end.
Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

Ed Kelly

I love the explanation and logic in Dick Stevenson’s thoughts on a dedicated shower. A luxury that should be a necessity on all boats. Too little thought on this key element in the design of vessels.

Alan

Hi John,
2 thoughts
1. obvious but often forgotten is to have the main saloon berths parallel to the centreline (many are not) and if you can take them out to 7′, better for us taller people.
2. Galley, rather than “U” shape, go for what is sometimes referred to as “G” shape, with a centreline return -only needs to be 18″ – is far safer and more comfortable than trying to rely on straps etc and easily fits within you 7′ allowance. Just make sure the stove is not within the enclosed footprint so you cannot fall against it.
regards
Alan

Matt Marsh

Two quick thoughts.

Berths: Length must be no less than 200 cm (6’6″). Any less than that will make bigger / taller crew (like me) VERY grumpy. Lord only knows what the marketing guys are thinking when they point to a cubbyhole the size of my desk and say “look, double bed!”.

Head: One comfortable, reliable head is far better than two cramped ones. We get by just fine in the summer with one shared between 6-8 people; one per cabin seems like a horrible waste of space.