Engines and engine rooms

[Wansworth]

Or room for engines ? Why are engines banished to dark cramped areas difficult to access and the auxiliary items like fuel tanks and exhaust sand batteries had toget to or involve holding a tortuous position .Why are not engines given a working space as they are important ,yachts and their design seem to want to pretend they don’t exist yet if engines and grubbing where easily get at table they would be better looked after

 

[Tranona]

Or room for engines ? Why are engines banished to dark cramped areas difficult to access and the auxiliary items like fuel tanks and exhaust sand batteries had toget to or involve holding a tortuous position .Why are not engines given a working space as they are important ,yachts and their design seem to want to pretend they don’t exist yet if engines and grubbing where easily get at table they would be better looked after

They are in many modern boats, but the sort of old boats you are looking at have a hull shape which means that the practical place to locate the engine is narrow, shallow and partly under the cockpit. Move it forward where the hill is wider and deeper and either you can't get into the cabin or the cabin has to be moved forward reducing the amount of accommodation. All a matter of priorities, although some designs moved the engine into the middle of the saloon but that creates other problems.

 

[westernman]

One Bristol Channel Pilot cutter, Mascotte, had the engine on the port side when coming down the companionway steps. Very easy to access one side of the engine. And OK access for the other. It does mean that you lose the port side berth which would normally have been there.

I imagine it could be easily be disconnected from its mounts and swung out to access the other side.

It was connected to the twin propellers via hydraulic drives. Which probably makes if the most manouverable of all the Pilot Cutters.

It all comes down to the usual trade off - more accommodation or better access to the engine. It is extremely rare that the latter wins out.

I am surprised we don't see more diesel electric pleasure boats. This means the diesel engine can be put almost anyway. And then the electric motor could sit on top of a sail drive like thing, or placed in at the end of a conventional shaft drive. Of course all the big cruise ships are diesel electric.

 

[Wansworth]

On my quest for a boat(secondhand) I have come across fuel tanks glassed in without any inspection hatch or access through the cockpit locker standing on your head.One had no access to the stearn tube as it come through the hull.Access to the rear end of the engine. Via crawling by the engine.One had the oil filter and water pump and the Alternator all atthe front of the engine which was very good.

 

[Wansworth]

One Bristol Channel Pilot cutter, Mascotte, had the engine on the port side when coming down the companionway steps. Very easy to access one side of the engine. And OK access for the other. It does mean that you lose the port side berth which would normally have been there.

I imagine it could be easily be disconnected from its mounts and swung out to access the other side.

It was connected to the twin propellers via hydraulic drives. Which probably makes if the most manouverable of all the Pilot Cutters.

It all comes down to the usual trade off - more accommodation or better access to the engine. It is extremely rare that the latter wins out.

I am surprised we don't see more diesel electric pleasure boats. This means the diesel engine can be put almost anyway. And then the electric motor could sit on top of a sail drive like thing, or placed in at the end of a conventional shaft drive. Of course all the big cruise ships are diesel electric.

I recall drawings of a racing yacht that had the engine in the focsle with hydraulic drive.

 

[Stemar]

I am surprised we don't see more diesel electric pleasure boats. This means the diesel engine can be put almost anyway. And then the electric motor could sit on top of a sail drive like thing, or placed in at the end of a conventional shaft drive.

I've often thought that, for high performance twin rudder boats, that would be the way to go, with a retractable azipod ahead of each rudder and the engine where you want the weight. Throw in a LiFePO battery bank and you I reckon you could downsize the engine by a good bit more than the weight of the batteries, too.

 

[Frogmogman]

I am surprised we don't see more diesel electric pleasure boats. This means the diesel engine can be put almost anyway. And then the electric motor could sit on top of a sail drive like thing, or placed in at the end of a conventional shaft drive. Of course all the big cruise ships are diesel electric.

Or even with the drives as an integral part of the rudder, as pioneered by Hanse on their 315 e-motion….

 

[Chiara’s slave]

An engine room would be considered ostentatious on any boat I have yet owned. Come to that, on any boat I am likely to own.

 

[dunedin]

I am surprised we don't see more diesel electric pleasure boats. This means the diesel engine can be put almost anyway. And then the electric motor could sit on top of a sail drive like thing, or placed in at the end of a conventional shaft drive. Of course all the big cruise ships are diesel electric.

Starting to see quite a few production boats now with this as an option - though generally with a modest battery bank as well so a serial hybrid power train. Arcona, X-Yachts, Salona have all recently launched serial hybrid boats with twin electric saildrives

 

[Poignard]

I once crewed on a yacht that had the engine between the bunks in the main cabin and its box also functioned as the dining table.

I'm not sure but it might have been a SHE 27.

 

[geem]

Our engine room is truly massive. 44ft boat. We can walk in. A bench with a vise. Tools hanging on the wall. A hatch above the bench for ventilation. Super easy access for maintenance of engine and generator. Room for wall mounted heater, watermaker and battery charger. Built in 1980

 

[Lightwave395]

Both my First class Europe and my Humpries half- tonner had the engine in the saloon under the table, access was une piece de gateau, remembering to open the exhaust gate valve and plug in what we referred to as 'the donkey's plonker' before starting less so...

 

[RupertW]

Or even with the drives as an integral part of the rudder, as pioneered by Hanse on their 315 e-motion….View attachment 142362

And it’s orca proof

 

[Tranona]

Our engine room is truly massive. 44ft boat. We can walk in. A bench with a vise. Tools hanging on the wall. A hatch above the bench for ventilation. Super easy access for maintenance of engine and generator. Room for wall mounted heater, watermaker and battery charger. Built in 1980

Earlier this year I looked at a custom designed bluewater cruiser a bit bigger than yours - maybe 46'. Lots of clever idea (and lots of not so clever!), but best thing was port amidships was a workshop accessed through s door from the saloon with a workbench, stores much of the electrics, pumps etc and in the centreline on a deep bilge on top of the keel a 4 cylinder Gardner out of a 1933 Bristol tram, salvaged in the 60s when the trams were withdrawn. Excellent access all round.

 

[geem]

Earlier this year I looked at a custom designed bluewater cruiser a bit bigger than yours - maybe 46'. Lots of clever idea (and lots of not so clever!), but best thing was port amidships was a workshop accessed through s door from the saloon with a workbench, stores much of the electrics, pumps etc and in the centreline on a deep bilge on top of the keel a 4 cylinder Gardner out of a 1933 Bristol tram, salvaged in the 60s when the trams were withdrawn. Excellent access all round.

Yep, we have a 5ftx3ft access panel from the engine room to the galley that lifts off. Also the whole front section of the engine room behind the steps lifts off so we end up with fantastic access on all four sides. I think it's one of the reasons I bought the boat?
We used to have a washing machine in the engine room but I stripped it out as it seemed a bit excessive. Also it compromised maintenance access to the generator.

 

[jdc]

It's got to be a question of size and what space one in prepared to give up for the engine room. The Rustler 42, and it's predecessor the Bowmans 40 and 42, both have the engine mid-ships in the cabin (in the galley, with drawers built above it). This works v well as access is excellent since one can get all round the engine with rather minimal dismantling of cupboards / pulling drawers out. Not quite an engine room, but an ok compromise and very much better than an engine under the companion-way stairs. It also allows tanks to be under the saloon floor where they are accessible and one can open inspection hatches or drain from the very bottom, and the exhaust to be routed rather easily, again under the floor rather than in inaccessible places. Ditto drive-train and stern-gland.

In addition there is a machinery room in the stbd quarter - not standing room but an acceptable working space nonetheless - in which we have water-maker, generator, charger, inverter, heater and sundry other equipment. It's called Narnia by the boatyard staff since one gets into it through the back of the wet locker. This means that there is less (still some unfortunately, in particular the hot water tank) machinery and plumbing in random lockers around the boat. I would have liked a permanently mounted drill stand and engineer's vice but for that would need to give up one berth.

 

[Tranona]

Yep, we have a 5ftx3ft access panel from the engine room to the galley that lifts off. Also the whole front section of the engine room behind the steps lifts off so we end up with fantastic access on all four sides. I think it's one of the reasons I bought the boat?
We used to have a washing machine in the engine room but I stripped it out as it seemed a bit excessive. Also it compromised maintenance access to the generator.

Great when you have the volume to do things like that.

 

[Momac]

My boat has adequate space for all regular service jobs

 

[johnalison]

I think I must start calling the compartment that my engine almost fits into the engine room. It’s sure to impress my club mates.

 

[mrming]

I recall drawings of a racing yacht that had the engine in the focsle with hydraulic drive.

The Albin Scampi is set up like this.