Although you can customize a trawler no end, there are only a few possible variants in the layout of the accommodation. The choice of propulsion system and location of the galley will have a major impact on the arrangement.
Design Considerations
Deciding the arrangement of Sharina was very vexatious. I changed my mind numerous times. Being in a fluid situation with relationships didn’t help. I didn’t know if I were designing for a couple, a family, weekend stag parties or just myself. But as it turns out, in a 50-60-ft boat the arrangement boils down to just a few key questions. The main considerations in deciding the arrangement are:
- Pilothouse
- Widebody or side decks
- Engine room location
- Galley up or down
- Number and location of berths
- Number and location of heads
Pilothouse
The pilothouse can be fore, raised or not, or aft.
In a smaller trawler a three-deck arrangement is the norm: below decks, main deck and then a boat deck with or without an inline flying bridge. The standard configuration is a forward pilothouse with a Portuguese bridge. In this arrangement, the pilothouse is inline with the saloon, sometimes with a step down. The pilothouse and saloon share the main deck, usually with a cockpit aft.
If the pilothouse is raised, the saloon can be arranged with a small step on a line with the forward accommodation. This one-level living is generally more comfortable. The shorter steps are better for aging knees, too. The disadvantages are increased cost and height and the need for a deeper keel if you plan to go blue water. The increased height will limit inland cruising while the deeper keel will limit inland and coastal cruising. Many inland bridges only have a 21-ft clearance and canals often have a maximum depth of 5 ft.
An aft pilothouse is raised by definition. It places the boat deck forward, where the dinghy may be exposed to more seas. In general, an aft pilothouse is more suited to a boat that is 75 ft or larger.
Standard practice is to have a forward-slanting windshield to eliminate reflectance. This requires especial attention to wipers and washing systems, as with poor design the wipers can fall forward off the glass.
Widebody or Side Decks
On the main deck traditional designs have full side decks, allowing you to walk around the boat. An alternative design is the widebody. In the widebody, the width of the saloon is extended to the sides of the boat. Often there are steps up to the top deck from the side deck alongside the pilothouse. A variation is the staggered widebody, which keeps a side deck usually on the starboard side.
The singular advantage of a widebody is that it increases living space. The smaller the boat, the more important this may be. Two extra feet will often make the difference between feeling like you’re in a trailer house and being comfortable. A secondary advantage is that it increases security somewhat, by restricting areas that can be accessed by boarders.
There are several disadvantages. Boarding may only be possible aft at the cockpit. Docking is more difficult. You will need cleats on the top deck for fenders. To get from the bow to the cockpit you will have to run through the saloon or up to the top deck and down. This may be especially troublesome going through a lock that has vertical ropes for tie-ups that need constant re-adjustment. Lifesaving will only be possible from the cockpit or the top deck. Washing the saloon windows will be more difficult, and they will lack shading from the sun. This will increase air conditioning costs.
This decision is largely a lifestyle choice. If your boat will be used mainly as a live aboard, a widebody makes sense. If you plan blue water expeditions, side decks are safer. You will be able to conduct any kind of operation from either side of the boat. Although one side deck appears to be a neat compromise, it won’t help recoveries at sea in a storm if it’s on the wrong side.
If your boat will be less than 45 ft or used primarily inland or as a live aboard, consider a widebody or one side deck for the extra living space it affords. Over 50 ft or for extensive coastal or blue water expeditions, consider two side decks.
Engine Room
The location of the engine room decides whether or not the accommodation will be split in two. In turn, the location is dependent on the type of propulsion system, and its attendant cost. With a standard mechanical propulsion system, the engine room has to be amidships to align the engine with the shaft at a reasonable angle. Typically the master cabin is aft and several berths are forward.
This arrangement of two separate living quarters has advantages for privacy. But the space allocated to mechanical systems always seems disproportionate. And amidships just happens to be the most comfortable location for a cabin.
Also, engine-room bulkheads transfer heat to the accommodation. An amidships engine room adversely impacts air-conditioning more than an aft engine room, since there are twice as many bulkheads to transfer heat (and noise).
It also complicates heating and air conditioning distribution systems; and increases the general noise level aboard. Contrarily, putting the mass of the engine amidships helps the centre of gravity. However, overall the optimum layout has the engine room aft.
There are several ways of reducing the impact of the engine room, but they all add cost and complexity. The space occupied by a central engine room can be minimised by using a sideways engine layout and hydraulic or electric drives.
With hydraulic or electrical drive, the engine can be bedded in any convenient spot. It doesn’t have to be inline with the prop shaft. This enlarges the space for the accommodation, and allows more variety in layouts.
The trade-off is that the drive system is more expensive, from $20,000 to $50,000, and the larger accommodation increases the fitting out cost. So the trawler is substantially more expensive to build. Repair expertise is harder to find for hydraulic and electric drives; although construction and farming use hydraulic extensively.
With an electric drive, build costs can be contained somewhat by using only one engine. If the engine fails, an electric drive can use the house bank for full emergency power.
Even more space can be reclaimed by placing the engine room aft, and making it smaller, using a mechanical V-drive, hydraulic Z-drive or electrical drive. Rotatable Z-drives eliminate any need for a stern thruster. All of the below deck accommodation will then be forward, substantially simplifying the layout of electrical wiring, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning. The main trade-off is in the position of the galley, especially if it has cold-plate refrigeration. A cold-plate refrigerator should be as close as possible to the engine room.
Galley
The location of the galley – up or down – is a lifestyle choice. After the location of the engine room, this decision will have the largest impact on the use of your trawler. The current trend is galley up, in the salon, supposedly to keep women happier. It’s also easier to reach from the pilothouse, when you want a quick snack or coffee. This is a bit like entertaining in your kitchen, or having a bar kitchen in your living room. Many small apartments are arranged this way.
Putting the galley and dinette below decks maximises space for lounging in the salon, while reducing the space for cabins. A galley below decks will have small port lights, while a galley above will have lots of light from windows and be adjacent to the entertainment centre. Either way, there are equally good reasons. You decide.
Berths
The number of berths is even harder to decide; although it comes down to two options and three questions. The options are: two cabins or several. The questions are: Do you want a home for two people and an occasional guest? Do you have children? Do you want to cater to large groups?
If you want a home for two and occasional guests (i.e., one or two friends or a couple) then you need either two staterooms or a stateroom and a cabin with two berths. The rest of the space can be used for an office, library, workshop or whatever tickles your fancy. That’s the two-cabin option.
If you have children, then you must plan the cabin arrangement to suit. Ideally, each child should have its own cabin. On the other hand, if you’re single and want to have a blast with the boys every weekend, then you need as many berths as you can manage (and enough safety equipment to go around). That’s the several-cabin option.
It seemed likely that I would either cruise alone, with a companion, or with another couple. As a basic requirement, Sharina had to be capable of accommodating and carrying stores for four people for four weeks, on a summer cruise or ocean passage. This was my main consideration. But in looking at my business acquaintances, I thought that overnight cruises for eight to ten or weekend cruises for six people would be desirable. Obviously, in the overnight case, people would be roughing it a bit. This argued for the larger salon.
But even though I wanted this flexibility I didn’t want space wasted on empty berths. In addition to the owners’ stateroom, the options for additional berths are:
- Port cabin
- Starboard cabin
- Pilot berth or pilot cabin on a larger boat
- Settee berths in salon (2)
- Settee berth in dinette
The two forward cabins were the big issue. One was required for another couple, or perhaps two singles. So it should have a wide lower berth and an upper bunk. The upper bunk could fold-down to convert the lower berth into a settee.
The other cabin could be an office (or what have you). But I planned to use the pilothouse as an office. As a well-practiced road warrior, I didn’t need much room for office work. Also, the pilothouse, surrounded by large windows, would be a cheerier place to work. Alternatively, with a laptop computer and wireless (wi-fi) network, I could work in the salon or dinette, or the aft cockpit on a nice day.
Another choice would be to combine the berth space in a roomier stateroom for a second couple. In the end, I decided to make both forward cabins similar, with Pullman type berths. Coward. This gave me a total of nine berths.
There is another aspect to this convoluted analysis: the more you customize the accommodation to your needs, the longer it will take to find some one with similar needs when you re-sell.
Heads
Heads also have lifestyle considerations. For example, I’m not a shower guy. I like to soak in a bathtub. This can probably be traced to the fact that we didn’t have a shower when I was a child in post-war England. On a smaller trawler, where space is at a premium, you might have one or two heads with showers. On a trawler with an engine room amidships, you would want a head ensuite with the aft master stateroom, and another one forward in the main accommodation. If size and layout permits, a day head above decks is handy, especially if you are entertaining a gang.
Summary
Placing the engine room aft will maximize accommodation space and comfort but increase your build costs substantially if you have to use an indirect drive. The least expensive indirect option is a V-drive, followed by electric and hydraulic. Putting the galley above or below deck is a lifestyle decision. Similarly the number of berths reflects the intended use of your trawler. A master cabin and a guest cabin are the minimum configuration. Heads are like bathrooms in a house, the more the merrier, but watch the water consumption.
References
1. Nelson Trawlers, http://www.nelsontrawlers.com/trawlers/defever44.htm
2. Bruce Roberts International Yacht Design, http://www.bruceroberts.com/
© 2008 David Shaw
david.shaw.x23@gmail.com
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