GB2042426A - Boat construction - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to the building of boats with cabins. A hull (Fig. 1) having a bottom 10 and sides 11 and 12 defining with bulkheads and a recess in the hull. A cabin shell (Fig. 3) e.g. of laminar plastics construction is manufactured separately and then dropped into the recess in the hull. The invention enables a cabin shell to be manufactured by mass production techniques at a different location to the hull, for example in a factory where the cabin shell can readily be manipulated and worked upon without the need to work in a restricted space. The cabin shell can then be transported to a boat yard and be rapidly fitted into the hull. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Boats The invention relates to waterborne craft, referred to hereinafter as boats, and particularly to boats provided with cabins.

Heretofor, boats provided with cabins have been built by constructing a hull, then building a cabin superstructure on the hull to define a cabin space between the hull and the superstructure, and then fitting out the cabin space. We have realised that this procedure has a number of disadvantages. For example the building of the cabin superstructure and the fitting out has to be carried out at the same location as the hull, and indeed may have to be carried out while the hull is afloat.

Furthermore, the building of a superstructure on to a hull, and the subsequent fitting out, has to be carried out by hand and often in the enclosed space and restricted working area of a boatyard. To ensure accurate fitting of the superstructure it may have to be individually tailored to fit a particular hull, since each hull may tend to vary slightly in dimensions. It is difficult and expensive to manufacture a number of similar hulls to close tolerances and this problem is particularly acute when building steel hulls, for example for canal narrowboats.

In spite of the above mentioned disadvantages, the traditional method of building has remained unchanged for many years.

According to the invention a method of building a boat comprises the steps of constructing a hull having a recess therein, constructing a cabin shell which defines within the shell a cabin space, and fitting the cabin shell into the recess in the hull.

Preferably the cabin shell is provided with a cabin floor which, when the cabin shell has been fitted into the recess in the hull, is supported by the hull.

The invention enables the cabin shell to be manufactured by mass production techniques at a different location to the hull, for example in a factory where the cabin shell can be readily manipulated and worked upon by sophisticated machinery without the need to work in a restricted space. The cabin shell can thus be manufactured cheaply and then be transported to the hull location to be fitted to the hull. Provided that the recess in the hull is slightly larger than the cabin shell to readily mate with the cabin shell, there is no need for the hull to be manufactured to close tolerances.

The cabin shell may be partially or completely fitted out before being fitted into the hull.

The invention includes a boat comprising a hull having a recess therein, and a cabin shell which defines within the shell a cabin space, the cabin shell being fitted into the recess in the hull.

Preferably the cabin shell has a floor which is supported by the hull.

Preferably the front of the recess in the hull is defined by a rigid bulkhead against which the front of the cabin shell abuts, to restrain the cabin shell from moving forwardly relative to the hull.

The rear of the recess in the hull may be defined by a rigid bulkhead against which the rear of the cabin shell abuts, to restrain the cabin shell from moving rearwardly relative to the hull.

The hull may be of welded steel construction.

The cabin shell may be of laminar construction, for example comprising a heat insulating material sandwiched between sheets of glass reinforced plastics or vinyl coated steel.

By way of example, a specific embodiment of boat will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a vertical transverse cross-section through the hull of an embodiment of boat according to the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-section on line ll-ll of Fig. 1: and Figure 3 is a vertical transverse cross-section through the cabin shell of this embodiment of boat according to the invention.

The hull shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is of welded steel construction. The hull has a flat bottom 10 and sides 11 and 1 2 made of steel plates which are 3/16" to 1/4" thick. The bow section and the stern section of the hull are not of importance to the present invention and they are not therefore described in detail, merely being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 at 13 and 14.

A rectangular recess is defined within the hull by the sides 11 and 12, and by a rear bulkhead 1 5 and a forward bulkhead 1 6.

Each of these bulkheads comprises a 1/4" thick steel plate.

Welded to the bottom of the hull 10, extending parallel to the sides 11 and 12, and spaced apart across the width of the boat, there are four steel rods 17, each rod being of 1/2" X 1/2" square section.

Welded to the tops of the rods 1 7 there are nine transversely extending hollow beams 18, spaced apart along the length of the hull.

Each beam has a rectangular cross-section of 5" x 2" external dimensions. The upper faces of the nine hollow beams are aligned to lie at the same level, thereby defining a support surface on which a cabin shell can rest with equal weight distribution.

Extending along the inner face of each side of the hull are four lengths of 2" X 2" angle iron. The lengths of angle iron are spaced apart vertically and serve to stiffen the sides of the hull.

Finally, a steel D-section 21 extends around the periphery of the hull to add strength and stiffness and to provide a rubbing strip.

Turning now to Fig. 3, there is shown a vertical cross-section through a cabin shell, the shell having vertical end faces. The shell has a lower portion comprising a floor 22 and vertical side walls 23. It also has an upper portion comprising a cabin roof 24 and sloping cabin sides 25. At each side of the cabin shell there is a shoulder 26 between the walls 23 and the cabin sides 25.

The dimensions of the lower portion of the cabin shell are such that the entire cabin shell can be lowered into the recess in the hull, until the cabin floor 22 rests on, and is supported by, the nine beams 18. The shoulders 26 rest on the upper angle irons 20 so the cabin shell snugly closes off the recess in the hull. The ends of the cabin shell abut against the bulkheads 1 5 and 16, so that the cabin shell cannot move forwardly or rearwardly with respect to the hull, once the cabin shell has been lowered into position.

The cabin shell comprises a heat insulating material such as high density polystyrene foam sandwiched between an outer layer of glass reinforced plastics or vinyl coated steel and an inner layer of formica or similar material. Timber inserts are provided at various locations within the outer and inner layers to receive screws or similar fixing members when the cabin shell is fitted out. The sandwich construction of the cabin shell may be from 1" to 1.1 /4" thick.

The floor of the cabin shell may be 1 2 to 1 8 mm thick exterior grade plywood instead of formica or similar material. The floor may be covered with vinyl or other flooring material.

The cabin shell is retained in position by its own weight. There is no need to carefully tailor-make a cabin superstructure to fit closely to a hull as in conventional boat building. The cabin shells may be manufactured, and indeed fitted out, at any desired location, and they can then be transported to the hull location and be lowered into position in the assocated hull. Any necessary plumbing or other services between the hull and the cabin shell can then be connected up.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment. For example the various dimensions are given by way of example only, and a boat of any shape or size may be constructed using the principles of the invention.

Claims (11)

1. A method of building a boat, comprising the steps of constructing a hull having a recess therein, constructing a cabin shell which defines within the shell a cabin space, and fitting the cabin shell into the recess in the hull.

2. A method of building a boat as claimed in Claim 1, including providing the cabin shell with a cabin floor which, when the cabin shell has been fitted into the recess in the hull, is supported by the hull.

3. A method of building a boat as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the cabin shell is partially or completely fitted out before being fitted into the hull.

4. A method of building a boat substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A boat comprising a hull having a recess therein, and a cabin shell which defines within the shell a cabin space, the cabin shell being fitted into the recess in the hull.

6. A boat as claimed in Claim 5, in which the cabin shell has a floor which is supported by the hull.

7. A boat as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6, in which the front of the recess in the hull is defined by a rigid bulkhead against which the front of the cabin shell abuts, to restrain the cabin shell from moving forwardly relative to the hull.

8. A boat as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 7, in which the rear of the recess in the hull is defined by a rigid bulkhead against which the rear of the cabin shell abuts, to restrain the cabin shell from moving rearwardly relative to the hull.

9. A boat as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 8, in which the hull is of welded steel construction.

10. A boat as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 9, in which the cabin shell is of laminar construction.

11. A boat as claimed in Claim 10, in which the cabin shell comprises a heat insulating material sandwiched between sheets of glass reinforced plastics or vinyl coated steel.