Decor Specifications
Walls (lower): Hand-waxed Teak paneling
Ceiling: White paneled with fibre optic lighting
Floor: Teak flooring
Seat fabrics:  
Window frames: Aluminium & teak
Stairwell: Stainless Steel guard rail and banister
JENAL ~ Interior Wheelhouse

Details of the interior design, decor & equipment used.
 

The Navigation centre on JENAL, other than the obvious steering point, is the 'vital signs' department. Monitoring all her engine and navigation 'pulses'. Plus all the tank capacities, bilge conditions and rudder direction. Housed below it are all the key electrical systems.

Made from a natural teak lamination, the cabinetry houses the behind-the-scenes steelwork which supports the steering wheel and its power assisted hydraulic pump which transfers steering effort into rudder direction. To capitalise on space, there are cabinets installed in the consul front and starboard side plus bin-space above for nick-knacks and a flat area for the all important navigation charts.
Dining and relaxing in the wheelhouse is a vital part of the barging lifestyle and is a needy part of its flexible design language. This principle design was an easy decision, the next was finding a table that suited both the functions of a small, low coffee table and a higher/larger, formal dining table.

A visit to OneDeko in the interesting part of London called Spitafield Market, gave up the table we needed.  Named the Punto, it has a dark wooden surface which blended well with the dark infill of the teak flooring. Its chrome base also suited the stainless steel fittings in the wheelhouse.  But the best part was its infinitely adjustable height from as low as knee-high-to-a-grasshopper, to a formal dining table height (actually 22-78cm). Plus the table surface adjusts in size from 70 x 120cm to 140 x 120cm... perfect, just perfect.		  

  The seating also gave design problems. The wheelhouse layout lent itself to an 'L' shaped fixed settee running along the back wall and the portside, partly to disguise the needed headroom in the bathroom below. But moveable seating opposite the settee created a dilemma, partly because of the limited space in the wheelhouse.

What we needed was a chair with a 50cm cushion height for dining and 70cm plus viewing height when cruising.  The height needed to give an optimum viewing angle to captain and crew when navigating the waterways. Fortunately a new chair-come-bar-stool design had hit the UK market, called the bar chair. The design on the left was chosen because, like the table, its colour (black leather & satin chrome) suited the general décor and its comfort and height versatility fitted the differing seating requirements. The height adjusting central ram includes a hydraulic damper which cushions the seat as one sits down, adding comfort. These stylish chairs will also be used around the circular kitchen dining area.
  The boarding 'plank' on the left is made from aluminium with teak treads. It folds out to 2 meters in length and is reasonably light. It slots into sockets in the gunnels, outside each of the wheelhouse doors and the aft end of the ship for end-on mooring.

Teak flooring will reference well with the teak navigation consol. Because the wheelhouse is a high traffic flow area and will receive the most influx of dirty feet & paws, the solid wood floor will be inlaid at each door entrance with suitable foot-wipe matting to keep the remaining surface clean and looking superb.

  

The Stainless Steel Destroyer steering wheel by Aquafax is ideal for JENAL, although it was a late design change. The original was a traditional galleon style 36" wooden one but as JENAL's wheelhouse progressed and more stainless fittings went inside, the 70cm Destroyer model fitted right in. Its Teak centre boss was a bonus and matched the interior woodwork.

     There will be several Stainless Steel trim items in the wheelhouse, these include the stairway banister (hand-rail), guard rail, grab-rails and seat cushion mounting bars.
     
  Return To: Wheelhouse page
     
HOME <> SITE MAP <> CONTACT US <> ABOUT US <> JENAL DIARY <> SUPPLIER CONTACTS <> DUTCH BARGE ASSOCIATION