Engine placement at bow

[Wckoek]

Just saw this design and was curious.
Aside from weight distribution and power loss from transmission, is there any reason that engine isn't place in front more?
Seemed like a good way to save space in a small boat.

[Nicholson58]

One normally prefers weight to be concentrated midship to lessen bow-stern pitching moments. Most sail boats would benefit from having Anchor chain and windlass by the mast. Our boat is old school with over 2000 pounds of machinery, chain and anchor driving the bow in gyration.

Is the power boat offered by a reputable designer, builder? I suggest this set up would be OK on inland lakes with little wave potential.

[valhalla360]

The bow has relatively little buoyancy (it tends to be narrow and shallow).
The stern is wide with lots of buoyancy.

Not only transmission but also exhaust will tend to blow back towards the living areas.

If you have any issues, working on the engine in a seaway would be horrible as the bow tends to move a lot more than stern or midship area.

I'll second the question of who's the builder? It looks like someone photo-shopped the engine into the bow on that picture.

[Wckoek]

The designer is Trevor Bolt, who is reputable and have sucessful trawlers design, though maybe not in business anymore.
It carries 2060 gallons of fuel and 390 gallons of water mid ship, so weight probably won't be a problem.
I agree that exhaust seemed to be an issue, though not sure its a significant problem.

[Cheechako]

The Yamaha 33 sailboat had the (small) diesel in the bow. Cool boat but not so cool engine placement!

[Wckoek]

The only other design I've seen with engine in front is the late George Buehler's Tasman Sea.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Maybe it was an auto designer who is now doing boats and was thinking of front wheel drive?!


In all seriousness though, I think your comments on the weight of fuel and water, not to mention the structural weight may compensate for the engine weight. Do we know the make of the engine and the length, beam, draft, displacement, etc. of the boat? That may give some insight into whether or not this is a practical solution.

[RaymondR]

A couple of benefits would appear to be full headroom and walk around in the engine room and keeps it out of the living areas and in a compartment where it could be separated from the rest of the internals with a single sealable bulkhead.

[TrentePieds]

Interesting!!

My immediate take on this is that this little "trawler", her name not withstanding, is not intended for serious seagoing but for gentle family cruising in protected waters. The size of the engine is not stated, but its weight is unlikely to more than that of three well-grown men having a game of poker in the fore-cuddy, so the slowness of the bows to rise to the seas that must be there result of the engine placement is probably no more than can be easily tolerated in the use for which the boat is, I would think, intended.

The space that is gained for accomodations aft is, I think, well worth the slight sacrifice the forward engine placement entails. Theory of Naval Architecture is one thing, catering to the realities of keeping mom and the kiddies happy is quite another thing, and not a matter of theory.

As I look at the plans again, I am becoming convinced that she'd be the cat's pajamas for the Salish Sea - and a change of name wouldn't take much, would it :-)>

TP

[Colin A]

Originally Posted by Wckoek

The designer is Trevor Bolt, who is reputable and have sucessful trawlers design, though maybe not in business anymore.
It carries 2060 gallons of fuel and 390 gallons of water mid ship, so weight probably won't be a problem.
I agree that exhaust seemed to be an issue, though not sure its a significant problem.

Looks like it's shown with a dry stack exhaust. So no run thru the living space.

[Wckoek]

This vessel has the engine room and workbench in the bow where there is full headroom. This leaves a clear, wide open vessel that has unlimited possibilities for accommodation and use. The clear wide upper deck is great for carrying skiffs, dorys & jet skis. The aft cockpit is large enough for outdoor dining, fishing or charters. A rugged and practical style trawler yacht that can carry 2060 gals. of fuel, giving enough range to cross any ocean. The tanks are all below the cabin sole amidships and form an integral part of the structure. A John Deere 6068 with a Twin Disc MG-507-1 gives economical cruising speeds up to 9 knots. The strongly built steel hull is combined with a lightweight aluminum deckhouse giving excellent stability. The 'bulb' bow lines are extended forward at the waterline, this gives a finer entry and has proven to dampen pitching, increase speed and lower fuel consumption and all around seakeeping is improved. Over 6 ft.-6 in. headroom throughout including the engine room! 16 ft. beam, 6 ft. draught, this vessel weighs over 60,000 lbs.

Fuel: 2060 gals. U.S.
Water: 390 gals.
Holding tanks 256 gals. Room available for more capacity for all tanks. The vessel has no trim change between lightship and full load, settling down evenly 6 1/2".

The windows are 1/2" tempered glass with drop in 1/2" Lexan storm covers. That settee to starboard (just in the door) is 8 feet long and the back flips up to form upper and lower bunks if desired. This provides a place for 9 people to sleep if you include the settees (don't forget the dinette in the wheelhouse too.) The vessel sits on her lines light or loaded, ballast is not required, but there is room for it if you want it. You may notice the wide open apartment size full scale spaces inside, this is a design trademark of Trevor Bolt Yacht Design Ltd. All berths are full size, check that one out next time you visit your plastic factory boat supplier. The weight of a steel vessel gives it a greater displacement, this increases seaworthiness and allows an increase in tank capacities and interior volumes while maintaining excellent stability. Modern paint technology allows next to zero maintenance of the steel and the strength cannot be surpassed. The engine room bulkhead is well soundproofed. This bow engine room is the best layout I have seen yet. The batteries are below the aluminum treadplate floorboards. There is a work bench and excellent access to the refridgeration, oil furnace, water heater and hydraulics, a safe comfortable place to be even when the engine is running. The hydraulic anchor winch carries 1500 ft. of 1/2" wire and 50 ft. of 1/2" chain with a 75 lb. anchor. Under the lounge table is a cabinet for the computer and printer. In the two staterooms there are drawers under the berths and hanging lockers with shelves. The stores locker is for galley dry stores.The built in freezer and fridge are located for central access. Out on the cockpit deck the hatch cover forms a seat and allows access without any water getting into the lazarette stores

Not necessary asking if the design was good or bad, but just why this isn't done more.
Probably good sound isolation as well and good use for a wasted space.

[Chuck Hawley]

I used to sail on a wonderful wooden IOR boat (older racing rule) named Zamazaan that had a Perkins 4-236 in the bow. It was undoubtedly for some rating advantage, and while it didn't make a ton of sense, it was easy to get access to the engine since it was in the forepeak. I think the propeller shaft had several intermediate bearings on the way back to the shaft log.

I remember running out of diesel off of San Francisco at night. The boat had six or seven fuel tanks that were right up against the hull to lower her CG so fuel management was a bit hit or miss. Anyway, to prime the old Perkins, I had to wedge myself in by the fuel pump on the hot engine and move the little manual primer lever up and down about 1,000 times since the tanks were located 25' away. In the bow. Of a pitching boat. Somehow, I managed to not get sick, but it was close.

Chuck

[Brewgyver]

It might be interesting to use similar placement with a diesel-electric setup. With a sufficient lithium (or newer chemistry) battery bank spread low amidships, and the electric drive motor in the keel, one could take advantage of valuable mid-ship space, and eliminating twenty-plus feet of driveshaft would enable a lower cabin sole.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by Wckoek

...is there any reason that engine isn't place in front more?...

The ridiculously long prop shaft would create vibration problems.

[Dougtiff]

I have seen one boat with the engine in the bow, it was a replica of Joshua Slocums SPRAY, built by Pete Culler in 1929 at Oxford, Maryland, She eventually ended up on the West coast [i saw her at Napa marina in 2010, hauled out on the hard], she was falling apart, had been sitting there for about 10 year's, one of the unfortunate project's, where an inexperienced person bit off more than he could chew, and gave up, it was interesting to go aboard [carefully], and have a look around, the Big gas engine was situated in the bow, with a shaft supported by a number of pillar block bearing's, this opened up the aft area of the cabin for the main state room, The Oxford Spray was finally broken up a few year's ago, i was able to obtain a couple of item's off Her. Pete and his Wife sailed her up and down the East coast and also out to Burmuda in the winter, they would load her up with rough sawn timber, sail south and sell the goods along the way, thereby finacing there holladay, but i digress.