WBOC - Inside our Boats

Inside Wilderness Boats

Whilst it is generally bad manners to stare into someone’s boat when it is occupied, most of our owners will happily talk to you about their pride and joy, and may even invite you inside for a look.

Seating, eating, and socialising

The front of most boats is arranged as two single dinettes or one double. An extra cushion at the front, and a folding chair, means a central table can accommodate six adults, (or eight really good friends!).

And there may be more space at the rear

Where's the bed?

The beds may not be obvious during the day, as they are usually doubling as seating. A cunning design feature extends the seat bases under the front and rear deck allowing up to four berths. Alternatively filling the gap between seats with caravan style slats creates a huge cross bed.

Space for the MasterChef

The midships galley has a combined sink and hob, often an oven, and an electric, solar powered, fridge. Hot water comes either from an instant “Paloma” style heater, or a Malaga/Truma gas powered storage boiler. An extractor fan of some description helps the chef stay cool.

Can I use the loo?

Yes, of course, it's midships or, sometimes, at the rear, often combined with a shower. It contains a portable toilet.

Isn’t it cold in the winter?

The roof is insulated. A few owners add insulation to the cabin sides and under the floor. Some boats, especially those that are used early and late in the year have a solid fuel stove. Others may have blown air, gas fuelled, heating. Some just have a thicker duvet, a hot water bottle, and enjoy more cuddles.

Storage

No space is left unfilled! Apart from the obvious under seat and under kitchen work top areas, the space beneath a Beaver rear deck is cavernous, and Wilderness owners were the first to discover the dry bilge area under the floor is perfect for keeping their soft, (and other), drinks cool in the heat of summer. And our owners still come up with ingenious storage for all that stuff which seems essential for a boating holiday, even if only 30% is ever used.

Beaver 4 berth layout

This is probably the most popular layout during the eighties and nineties, the four “quarter berths” giving room for four adults, or a family of four, a spacious “dressing room” containing the loo, and, often, a shower. There have been many tweaks to this layout to suit the specific needs of owners, but, despite its compromises, it has stood the test of time, and strong, well thought out reasons are needed to depart from it.

Traveller layout

Some two feet, (60cm), shorter than a standard cabin, this bijou layout, developed in the 1970s can be seen in one or two of the much later, but similar sized, Cubs. As shown it only loses one berth, and that could, theoretically, be regained by adding a folding bunk above the single berth. Of particular benefit to the single handed boater is the closeness of the cooker to the helming position. A suitably long tiller extension facilitates “brew ups without tie ups”, since the steerer can easily and quickly fill a kettle, light the gas, fill a mug, etc., whilst still controlling the boat.