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'Replica' Traditional (Trad) This label mainly refers to the stern section of the boat. The early leisure trads were converted working boats in which the aft deck is just a small semicircle. The aft doors are central and open down into the boatman's cabin - a replica of the area in which the working boat families lived. The engine, a vintage unit or copy of, is in its own cabin forward of the boatman's cabin and has side doors (seen open here in the photo). The 'leisure' accommodation is situated forward of the engine room in the remainder of the cabin. |
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Cruiser Style When boating holidays became really popular, boats were built specifically for the purpose rather than converting an old working boat - although the pioneer of canal cruising for leisure, Tom Rolt, converted a former working boat, Cressy, into a prototype of the cruiser style. They are built with large stern decks (which allowed more people to socialise together whilst cruising) and more accommodation space (by putting a modern engine under the aft deck boards rather than inside the cabin). The aft doors can either be on one side or in the centre (as seen in the photo). The deck normally has a protective taffrail round the outer edge and sometimes has a net/canvas stretched around the outside to help prevent kids/pets falling off. |
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Modern 'Trad' When leisure boat building became established for private ownership, the 'modern' trad was the most common style built. Externally these look like the converted working boats, and perhaps more importantly to some of their owners, nothing like a cruiser-style hire boat. There is no boatman's cabin, and the modern engine is situated immediately inside the cabin, all boxed in - thus maximising virtually all the cabin for leisure accommodation. |
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Semi-trad style More recently there has been a recognition by the private boater of the advantages of a cruiser style for social cruising, and this gave rise to the cross between the two. In the semi-trad the aft is essentially a cruiser style stern with the cabin sides (but not roof) of the trad - giving an enclosed social space. Externally from the bank this looks like a trad with just the small semicircle of deck at the aft. The modern engine is under the aft cockpit deck as in the cruiser style. |
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Tug Style This is essentially a trad, normally a replica trad with boatman's cabin and vintage engine in its engine room although there are some that are mod-trad style, with either a large forward hold covered with cloths (seen here with cloths removed) or a large forward raised sealed deck with hold under accessible from inside. A common feature in many relica tugs is a bed that slides out partially from beneath the raised foredeck into the forward cabin area. Usually a tug has portholes rather than windows and there is usually less freeboard (height above water to gunwale.) |
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Narrow-beam Dutch Barge Based on the barges found in abundance in Holland, this is a slimmed down version (widthways only) to allow it to pass through the standard 7 ft wide locks. The hull and cabin sides tend to be vertical, with wider than normal side decks and a wheelhouse at the rear with wheel steering. The wheelhouse is normally collapsible to allow passage under low bridges and tunnels. There is no forward cockpit. The engine is situated under the wheelhouse deck. |
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