Engine Room for Claustrophobic Captains

[levrac68]

Starting my hunt for a Trawler/Pilothouse in the 38' range. 1998 and newer with a flybridge. Interested in the Great Loop and family cruising. No boat shows in the near future, so I'd love to get 1st hand recommendations on what boats have more spacious engine rooms. I've seen videos of the Kadey-Krogen 39 and that looks great, but other's like the Nordhavn, American & Nordic Tug, Helmsman, Selene etc... look very cramped. Maybe it's just the video/pics. I'm somewhat handy in reasonable spaces, but useless in tiny quarters. Many have large top hatches, but I'm not sure they allow enough room for me to get around the sides. At 6' tall and 230 I don't want to get corked when I check the oil or do maintenance. I've been boating for over 30 years in sub 30 footers with I/O and outboards only. Thank you...

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. Our deck in the salon mostly lifts out to access the engine room but it can still be challenging to get to the very back. We had a 46’ that I could crawl all the way around the engines and lay outboard of them but that boat had a 16’ beam. Our current boat isn’t as big and is tight in places. The starboard engine water pump is mostly sight unseen whan you work on it.

 

[Ken E.]

Boats vary greatly in how accessible things are downstairs, both single and twin engines. When you have a shortlist of boats you're interested in, find one for sale in your area, pop the hatches and see if you fit. Bear in mind that some ER areas will likely be tight in most all the boats you look at. It's almost like boat designers have a code.....'if it isn't a little snug, you've wasted space'.

 

[firehoser75]

Hi levrac68,
Yes the KK 39 ER is spacious compared to a lot of boats in this size range. Usually twin engines will be cramped compared to single engine configurations. Makes sense, double the engines. Usually accessing the outboard side of each engine is often difficult to very challenging.
Just for info, the ER in my Nordic Tug 37 with a single Cummins 6bta 330 hp engine allows fairly good access to both sides and the front of the engine. However, it is NOT a standup ER, and it has sit down or kneel headroom. According to my mechanic (who sees lots of various ER's), the Tug's ER allows for comparatively easy access.
I do most of my own maintenance, and I am 6'2" tall and weigh about 200 lbs, so similarly sized to yourself.
When we were boat hunting, I came across a number of boats with way smaller ER's than the NT 37.

For our budget, the KK 39 (as they are relatively new) were priced outside of our budget, but maybe you can find one to fit yours.
Good luck with your hunt,
Tom

 

[Tom.B]

From our shopping, this is what we saw: Californians in the 40+ range have huge, walk-in engine rooms. Big Defevers (47 & 49) have cavernous engine rooms. Lots of the Taiwanese 80's and 90's vintage - mostly single screws - have pretty good access through lift out floor panels. The Caver 47xx trawler have small engine rooms. You will do some belly crawling, but the floors do lift out and it does help some. Newer SeaRays and Regals (technically not trawlers) have extremely small engine spaces. Our Navigator has a meduim space. There is a little crawling, but once I am in, I have plenty of space.Most of that, however, is due to our 15' beam.



Good luck with your search.

 

[markpierce]

Generally speaking for smaller boats (under 44-feet?), single-engine boats have better engine access compared to multi-engine boats.

 

[AdmiralS]

The engine room on the Helmsman 38 and 43 are almost like having a 3rd stateroom. More than enough room to perform any inspection or task. There is also what we have dubbed the basement under the Saloon which is just a massive equipment and storage space. The Lazarette is also beam to beam offering easy access to running gear and storage.

 

[levrac68]

Thanks for the quick replies. There is zero chance of me crawling around. I am a bit claustrophobic. Not with elevators, but I can't do crawl spaces under houses unless they are high enough where I can sit in a mechanics chair and scoot around. Mike Rowe's Dirty Jobs has had a few episodes that I've turned off. Can't even see it on camera.

 

[HenryD]

Take a look at the Great Harbour N37 - a stand-up engine room you can walk around both engines.
https://www.greatharbourtrawlers.com/n37.html

 

[South of Heaven]

Levrac: This seems like a real issue for you. You should consider a bigger boat then. The only way to get a bigger ER is to have more breadth (beam) and a single motor.

 

[Bacchus]

From previous boat w/ twin gassers I feel like I'm in heaven when in our MS ER.
It's a single and I've had 3 Lg guys down there when we were adjusting valves.
Here's a few shots of the space. It's not stand up but plenty of room on hands & knees and I have used a stool at times but usually just as easy on knees w/ knee pads.
If that would bother you I'm guessing you will be in need of a stand-up ER?

 

[levrac68]

Levrac: This seems like a real issue for you. You should consider a bigger boat then. The only way to get a bigger ER is to have more breadth (beam) and a single motor.

Yes it is.... Unfortunately. I don't want to go too big because of the loop and also the expense.

 

[levrac68]

The engine room on the Helmsman 38 and 43 are almost like having a 3rd stateroom. More than enough room to perform any inspection or task. There is also what we have dubbed the basement under the Saloon which is just a massive equipment and storage space. The Lazarette is also beam to beam offering easy access to running gear and storage.

I do like the 38E. I'll have to find one to look at close by.

 

[Codger2]

At 6' tall and 230 I don't want to get corked when I check the oil or do maintenance..

The video I'm enclosing is of a 2019 Mikelson 43. All Mikelsons, both old & new, have large hinged hatches that open up the entire cockpit for engine maintenance. I suggest you call Mikelson Yachts, PJ Sullivan and enquire about older used 43s. (Note
Even the older Mikelsons (1997 & up) have the cockpit hinged hatches, fishing rod holders in the salon overhead, molded in bait tanks in the transom, etc.

https://mikelsonyachts.com/2019-mik...-walk-through-at-the-newport-beach-boat-show/

 

[ddw36]

I do not know if this boat is still for sale, but at $250K, it's a bargain. Note the spacious, room-size ER on the DD 382.

 

[levrac68]

Wow... That's some Engine Room... I just don't think she's getting under that 19' Bridge on the loop. Thank You

 

[greysailor]

Starting my hunt for a Trawler/Pilothouse in the 38' range. 1998 and newer with a flybridge. Interested in the Great Loop and family cruising. No boat shows in the near future, so I'd love to get 1st hand recommendations on what boats have more spacious engine rooms. I've seen videos of the Kadey-Krogen 39 and that looks great, but other's like the Nordhavn, American & Nordic Tug, Helmsman, Selene etc... look very cramped. Maybe it's just the video/pics. I'm somewhat handy in reasonable spaces, but useless in tiny quarters. Many have large top hatches, but I'm not sure they allow enough room for me to get around the sides. At 6' tall and 230 I don't want to get corked when I check the oil or do maintenance. I've been boating for over 30 years in sub 30 footers with I/O and outboards only. Thank you...

Welcome Levrac,
May be a little more boat than you're thinking, but you'd be hard pressed to find a friendlier engine room on a commonly available trawler than a DrFever 44. I'm 6'3" and the Admiral keeps me locked down there most days!?

 

[OldDan1943]

Another suggestion, the American Tugs in the 42ft range.

 

[healhustler]

Like Henry says above, it would be difficult to imagine an ER anything close to the Great Harbour N-37, but I’d give the KK-39 a second and honorable mention to the Selene 36. Consider that a single engined vessel with ample removable hatches is a very good alternative, since guys like us can stand and work around a single with no major issues. Pictured below is a KK Manatee 36, repowered with a 140 Yanmar. Even with a huge air compressor and bulkhead mounted filters, most maintenance work is easy peasy. House batteries are maintenance free and slide beneath the sole on either side. ER’s “can” be cleaned up.

 

[levrac68]

Definitely think opening top hatches would help.

 

[dhays]

Thanks for the quick replies. There is zero chance of me crawling around. I am a bit claustrophobic. Not with elevators, but I can't do crawl spaces under houses unless they are high enough where I can sit in a mechanics chair and scoot around. Mike Rowe's Dirty Jobs has had a few episodes that I've turned off. Can't even see it on camera.

Avoid my boat then, a North Pacific 43. There is plenty of room around the single Cummins and hatches that open up above the engine and genset. However, to work on the side of the engine, you do have to crawl. I don't like tight space AT ALL but don't have a problem with working on my boat. From the sounds of it, you likely would.


I would either look for a boat with a very large and spacious ER, or go with a boat that has hatches over the entire engine space. That way to can in essence be standing waste deep in the engine space and have the entire salon area above you open.

 

[levrac68]

Avoid my boat then, a North Pacific 43. There is plenty of room around the single Cummins and hatches that open up above the engine and genset. However, to work on the side of the engine, you do have to crawl. I don't like tight space AT ALL but don't have a problem with working on my boat. From the sounds of it, you likely would.


I would either look for a boat with a very large and spacious ER, or go with a boat that has hatches over the entire engine space. That way to can in essence be standing waste deep in the engine space and have the entire salon area above you open.

I've seen boats with large hatches and that would work for me. Thanks

 

[Bryant]

Eng room

A Grand Banks 36 Classic with a single engine has a very roomy engine room. Great Loop boat.

 

[Conrad]

Our Nordic Tug 42 has slither space and that's about it. But later models may have hatches that allow standing beside the engine I don't know.

 

[dhays]

Our Nordic Tug 42 has slither space and that's about it. But later models may have hatches that allow standing beside the engine I don't know.

I like that, "slither space". I'd say I'd steal it, but as forgetful as I am I'll never remember it.


I have wondered how expensive it would be to have a reasonably talented wood worker create some extra hatches in my salon floor over my "slither space".

 

[levrac68]

Our Nordic Tug 42 has slither space and that's about it. But later models may have hatches that allow standing beside the engine I don't know.

What year is yours?

 

[exmaggiedrum]

As a retired marine tech, primarily electric, but I also had to a lot of work on other systems - plumbing, toilets, some oil/filter changes, plus, plus, plus. You will be going to work on your engines more than any other part of your boat, hopefully mostly for routine maintenance, so easy access to them for that is most important. If anything is hard to get to, especially if it is hard to get there and back out, you will be tempted to not get there in the first place and thus neglect things that should not be neglected.



Every boat has its challenges but twins are usually the worst. Everything on one engine is harder to get to on the other side of the boat. Having an oil change pump is worth its weight in gold sometimes (but one more thing that can break but in general they seem to last a long time since they only are used relatively infrequently). You absolutely need to have relatively good access to the raw water impeller/pump. You have to be able to actually look inside them although sometimes a mirror will work but isn't easy or fun.


I pretty much loved most things about Nordic Tugs but I hated working on their motors if they were underneath the helm station. Other boats, especially some Bayliner models made me pretty claustrophobic especially when I had to crawl on my elbows to the front of the engines. And I had to lay across the engine mount stringers to get to the alternator on the starboard side. I almost got stuck more than a few times and hated every time. I had to take off my all-in-one belt knife and make sure I had nothing on that could catch anything.



Access to batteries is critical as well as they need more maintenance if they are FLA and get killed a lot by owners who don't do maintenance as often as they should because of how difficult it is to get to them, or work on them if the overhead space is too tight. And - replacing them can be a bear.



If I were buying a trawler right now, which I may do in the near future, engine room access would be a major factor in what boat I would consider.

 

[hpogue123]

Be sure when you check to clearance around the top hatches and you try to do something on the far side of the engines over the tops (below the fixed salon floor). When I got my '87 Jefferson 42 last year, I was elated by all the space and removeable salon floor hatches coming from a gas Carver. I thought I had all sorts of room over the tops as you can see in the picture. Now I find if they had just made the hatches a foot wider, I could reach down the outboard sides for those pesky water impeller, hoses, and oil sender and fit my upper body between the salon floor and the engine instead of just my arm that can't reach.
I would also look for hinged floor hatches as I have propped them open to go down for a quick check to be greeted by a bash in the head or fingers when a wake bumps them closed. Anyone found a good hinge to add to the typical rabbeted panels?

 

[FoxtrotCharlie]

Be sure when you check to clearance around the top hatches and you try to do something on the far side of the engines over the tops (below the fixed salon floor). When I got my '87 Jefferson 42 last year, I was elated by all the space and removeable salon floor hatches coming from a gas Carver. I thought I had all sorts of room over the tops as you can see in the picture. Now I find if they had just made the hatches a foot wider, I could reach down the outboard sides for those pesky water impeller, hoses, and oil sender and fit my upper body between the salon floor and the engine instead of just my arm that can't reach.
I would also look for hinged floor hatches as I have propped them open to go down for a quick check to be greeted by a bash in the head or fingers when a wake bumps them closed. Anyone found a good hinge to add to the typical rabbeted panels?

I've thought about putting piano hinges (full length) on our hatches, but ours fit so tight and the floors look so good I'm afraid I might mess up the floors And I'm an fairly good woodworker. Our ER looks just like yours - except for our red engines We do have the auto oil change system so that helps a bunch.

 

[OldDan1943]

The standard Nordhavn 46 is a 12Kw boat. The first owner decided he wanted a 20Kw generator. It sat in the aft Stbd part of the engine room. If anything happened on the outboard side of the 20Kw, one would have to cut a hole in the hull. (it also had an 8Kw gen in the aft laz.)
The 20 Kw gen did not have a cabinet. It had HEAVY sound deadening blankets. They were a bear to remove and move about. The 8Kw had neither a cabinet nor blankets.