What sort of boat?

Cruiser, trad, semi trad, narrow beam Dutch Barge - the final answer is down to your personal preference. However, below I have listed some pro and cons of all of them. I'm sure there are plenty of other points to be made, and I will be adding any as they come to mind or are suggested to me.

Trad: Trads broadly divide into two categories - those that have an engine set beneath the floor of the aft cabin, which I will call the modern trad, and those that have a back cabin (often laid out as a traditional boatman's cabin) with the engine set in its own room, which I will call the trad trad. Then there's the semi trad (which could equally be called a semi cruiser) the cruiser, the tug and the narrow beam Dutch barge.

Trad trad

Boatman's cabin offers a work/ relaxation/sleeping area separated from the rest of the interior space by the engine room immediately forward of it. If you love the sound and looks of a true vintage engine such as a Gardner, Russell Newbery, Lister, Ruston and Hornsby etc then you should read no further. Beta Marine produce a "tug" engine based on a 3 cylinder John Deere tractor unit (earlier Beta Tugs were Ford units) - looks the part but purists will be a bit sniffy! Engine is easily accessible for servicing, etc.	Engine room takes up around 8 feet of the internal space, so other areas lose size accordingly unless you dispense with a permanent double bedroom and sleep in the boatman's cabin. Vintage engines do require care and attention. They are, by their very nature, old! Some types may require a good deal of resourcefulness should spare parts be required - ask a marine engineer who specialises in these units before diving in.Engine exhaust comes vertically through the roof, about 8ft in front of the steerer's head.

Modern Trad

Offers maximum internal space - which is why they are still the most popular craft with long term cruisers and live aboards.Compact modern engine allows for greater accommodation space in the boat. Spare parts (if needed) widely available. Will not however win you the Golden Crankshaft Award at the next IWA festival, if you're bothered about such things.Engine exhaust at low level through the side of the counter, well away from the helmsman's face.	You only have a small stern area which limits the number of people that can congregate together when cruising. With the engine beneath the aft cabin floor you have to duck through to get to the stern - hard work for the less agile. Engine harder to work on as it is boxed into a confined space.

Semi trad

From the canal side the boat looks like a trad - a shape that appeals to many people. Their popularity has certainly increased over the last decade. Offers more outside space at the stern for friends to congregate while cruising. High sides to rear deck keep children and pets safely contained.	Less cabin space than a trad - the engine room of the trad becomes an open external deck. In heavy downpours (unless protected by a tonneau cover) water may well get through the engine covers and into the engine bilge.

Cruiser

Large open rear deck provides good sociable area when cruising with friends. Hence their popularity as hire boats. In posing the question as to which type of boat was preferred on the Canal World forum it was the sociable space when cruising that sold this style to those that like them.	Large open rear deck leaves the helmsman very exposed to the elements. With the engine beneath the aft deck floor in heavy rain some will usually run down into the engine bilge.

Tug

The tug is a statement of style - a triumph of good taste over boring practicality. Or so tug lovers tell me. Usually (but not always) with a proper boatman's cabin and engine room their distinguishing feature is a long front deck - normally flat but sometimes recessed like a well deck. One owner told me that they found working locks that much easier with a raised front deck to hop on and off. You have to decide - a two seater soft top sports car isn't practical either, but lots of people would prefer one to a Ford Focus or something equally practical!	Many feel the long deck is a waste of good potential space. A number of tugs utilise the under deck space by having a double berth that slides out partially from underneath into the cabin area - but you have to do this every time you want to sleep.

Narrow Beam Dutch Barge

You either like 'em or you hate 'em. Some love the fact that they are different, some think they simply don't look right on our waterways. For the latter view I have to wonder what the working boatmen would have made of today's narrowboats anyway - any of them. "It's a lot of fun and it's different," says one owner. Commonly (but not always) with a folding wooden wheelhouse which provides a pleasant seating area protected from the elements and with a good view.	The wheelhouse will have to be dismantled if you are cruising in an area with low bridges and tunnel headroom. You will need to become well acquainted with a pot of varnish to keep the wheelhouse woodwork looking bright.