Boat layouts reasonably accurate?

Hey there! Back again for a quick question...

During my research, I have downloaded the "internet Guide to Trawlers and Motoryachts" by Ed McKnew. "It comes directly from the PowerBoat Guide".

The floor plans shown on each style boat.... are they reasonably accurate?

When we house hunt, I usually find the builder's house layout plan and can eliminate a bunch of homes just from the layout alone. Then concentrate on the house layouts / plans that we like the best.

Can I use the same assumption on boat layouts as I do on my home picks?

I know...stupid question... just shows you how "New to Boating" I am!! Figured you guys would be able to give me some idea.

Thanks.

OneofSix said:

Hey there! Back again for a quick question...

During my research, I have downloaded the "internet Guide to Trawlers and Motoryachts" by Ed McKnew. "It comes directly from the PowerBoat Guide".

The floor plans shown on each style boat.... are they reasonably accurate?
Yes, reasonably but...

When we house hunt, I usually find the builder's house layout plan and can eliminate a bunch of homes just from the layout alone. Then concentrate on the house layouts / plans that we like the best.

Can I use the same assumption on boat layouts as I do on my home picks?
Again, yes with a caveat below

I know...stupid question... just shows you how "New to Boating" I am!! Figured you guys would be able to give me some idea.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

Go aboard a couple examples of the boats you do not like from the general layout information before you eliminate it from consideration. I found out recently that I made some very poor assumptions about a particular model boat and now regret rejecting that model out of hand before.

Research is good, but verifying your assumptions is priceless.

OneofSix said:

During my research, I have downloaded the "internet Guide to Trawlers and Motoryachts" by Ed McKnew. "It comes directly from the PowerBoat Guide".

Click to expand...

I tried Googling that, couldn't find it. Sounds interesting, can you post a link?

It makes sense to rule in/out some of the "big" things on your list, but there are a lot of custom configurations out there. My boat came with 2 different layouts for the aft cabin, one with a centerline berth and one with twin berths. So in the end you want to examine each ad.

I made my own "boat guide" by downloading as many pictures as I could from each model and year I had an interest in. Even if one ad didn't show everything I wanted, I'd be able to fill in the missing info from other similar models.

CaptTom: Here is the link: 2013 PowerBoat Guide Table of Contents. I paid for the downloadable pdf version last year. Looks like the 2013 version has more boat listings.

wow, really like the link.
Thanks

Richard

Six-the layouts should be reasonably accurate, but I have found that the "feeling" of a layout on a boat is quite different from a house. Because all the general features of a house are in a boat, but in a much smaller space, to me, at least, the flow of the layout cannot really be felt without getting on board. How each area flows or connects, or for that matter, how separate they are. You just don't get the same feel from layouts on a boat that you can with a house.

Layouts are useful for very general info, but details get lost in the flat overhead sketch view. I find it difficult to get the feel of the 3D space or details like transom door or boat access/egress. You also can't feel the 'tone' of the cabin based upon the light and the color and quality of the materials used.

Some options might be misrepresented in the layouts, for example, if a boat is offered with galley up/2 staterooms vs. galley down/1 stateroom (as the 34 Californian is), you'd never know from the single layout.

There's no substitute for beating the docks, talking to owners and getting on board boats.

It is also important to consider you layout choices base on how you are going cruise and us the boat. If you are live aboard, only on the boat a few times a month, long distant cruising etc will change your thoughts on the layout and how the boat will work for you.
Happy hunting

The difference between a boat and a dirt house is 3D.

The boat by necessity must stick as much stowage as possible in a very small space, "a Quart in a Pint Pot". Over 65 ft less so but....


While a floor plan will show the space to walk in , it is a very poor representation of the useability of the actual boat.

For that it needs to be seen , AND understood what your looking at.

A great looking cabinet on the outside does not tell you weather its a head banger , or if it will spill its guts from a minor wake.

OneofSix said:

...The floor plans shown on each style boat.... are they reasonably accurate?...

Click to expand...

The Trawler Guide for the Krogen 42 Trawler, shows the Standard Floor plan and the Widebody layout. The large majority of the 42's built were on the Standard floor plan followed by the Widebody or the 1 head, center-line master. They also built a few other floor plans of the ~205 Krogen 42's built.

Without a drawing of where the hand holds are,

the floor plan will mostly tell you how far you can be tossed from side to side or fore and aft.

Of course that IS useful , but not the way to pick a boat.

Good points to remember!! Hand Holds!? Of course!

I'd like to chime in here with just a short heads-up comments. I've done several factory brochure layouts that included boat interiors. Like FF says, the flat, over-head view gives one some perspective of the location of things, but when I checked for true scale....whoa...was I surprised how far off the previous brochures were. I don't know if that was a planned strategy or not, but the brochures I updated indicated quite a bit more walk-around space than was actually there. Another thing is that if you stand at the entrance of two similar sized salons, things like window size, headroom, cut-throughs, trim, color, and built-in components can change the feel of everything. If the layout looks "functional" for you usage, go see it or research Yachtworld for photo evidence. Good luck.