Comfiest V-Berth?

O C Diver · Jul 27, 2015

Hendo78 said:
??

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As mentioned previously, the step creates an air pocket at the water line. Filling that void to eliminate the air pocket should eliminate the slap. Hulls that are wood or cored tend to muffle the noise quite a bit. While I can sleep through anything, the noise would drive my wife nuts. Being solid fiberglass, the noise is much sharper coming through the hull. This was a very modest expense compared to my whole refit. If it makes the boating experience better for my wife and guests, it will be well worth it.

Ted

cool beans · Jul 27, 2015

Nice ideas! I think it was nailed when "getting in and with ease" was mentioned. This has been the biggest issue with my sailboats v-berth. There really isn't much of a "V". . .you have to sit on front, turn your legs in and crab walk into bed. . .or crawl in head first but the end of the berth is only a foot wide. . .or crawl in part way and twist around. . .either option has left me with many a banged head, knee, elbows, etc :facepalm:

Not a picture of mine (this one is much nicer), but to give you an idea:

The v-berths that have a deep "V" to them, more like twin beds on each side that meet at the end. . .are there older, smaller boats (34-36 ft range) that have a good v-berth setup?

Thanks! I appreciate all the advice

kthoennes · Jul 27, 2015

caltexflanc said:
Yet you have an aft MSR cabin boat? Or do you sleep up front instead?

It's really a toss-up. The aft cabin has the bigger bed and more space, but the v-berth is so comfortable that whenever we have guests we automatically give them the aft and we sleep like babies up front with that cozy wave slap and the stars twinkling through the bow hatch. Might be the mattress too, or the rocking, or the whole combination. I always sleep better in the v-berth.

markpierce · Jul 27, 2015

FlyWright said:
I'd prefer an island bed in the forward stateroom that allows access to each side of the bed and no need to climb over the pillows or the other person to gain entry.

I like the feeling of my partner crawling over me. :blush:

I sleep on the aisle side since the bladder is more limited. (Bed is a double, offset to one side of the forward cabin.)

N4712 · Jul 27, 2015

The best V-Berth is no V berth....

ImageUploadedByTrawler Forum1438043902.976294.jpg

ImageUploadedByTrawler Forum1438043953.791397.jpg

BruceK · Jul 27, 2015

No discernible slap in the forward cabin of our IG. But there was in our previous Masters 34.
Most of the comfort in the V-Berth (ours is more QB than V-Berth) comes from your companion. Well, it does for me.

BandB · Jul 27, 2015

Our "play" boat has a v cabin and I hadn't thought a lot about how they got walking areas beside it plus a nice size bed, so I just thought about it and looked at some photos online of the model. It's by not moving it all the way forward in the V. There's a fore deck area which just has storage under it and the cabin starts about 3 or 4' back. By the time you get to the foot of the bed, you have the full beam of the boat. It also protrudes into the galley/salon area and the aft cabin is referred to as a crew cabin, which tells you how small it is. The boat is clearly designed to sleep only two people plus perhaps on occasion one or two others. Also the cabin is completely open to the galley/salon area. Really the other place to sleep comfortably is probably the salon. We've had the boat nearly 3 years and have spent two nights on it, both with only the two of us.

It's like everything on a boat, a trade off. I hadn't really thought until just now what they did trade to get the walkaround cabin.

And for the record, I do agree with Mark and enjoy my wife crawling over, although sometimes it takes her an extraordinarily long time to get to her side.

windled · Jul 28, 2015

Ted, how was the bow spray after your modifications? I expect its dependent on speed, sea state and wind effects on the spray.

My plan is to fill the jog with the a curved surface to still deflect bow waves as well as small wavelets at anchor.

Thanks for the pictures and details.

Dale.

O C Diver · Jul 28, 2015

windled said:
Ted, how was the bow spray after your modifications? I expect its dependent on speed, sea state and wind effects on the spray.

My plan is to fill the jog with the a curved surface to still deflect bow waves as well as small wavelets at anchor.

Thanks for the pictures and details.

Dale.

Not back in the water yet.

Ted

Hendo78 · Jul 28, 2015

Marin said:
No wave slap sound in the forward cabin of our old GB.

Ah roger! Thanks mate.

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Nomad Willy · Jul 28, 2015

In our Willard 30 the V berth .. berth to overhead space was a little shy of ideal and the sole was a long way down. And if you're down it's a long way up. Sure glad we have the mid-step. When we bought the boat it had 6" thick mattresses hard as a board. Took them apart and replaced w 3" softer foam. A previous poster said it before .. the foam means a lot. Well that gave us 3" more head room above the berth .. fine .. And the softer foam .. fine. No complaints now and no slapping water on our Willard hull.

BandB · Jul 28, 2015

BandB said:
Our "play" boat has a v cabin and I hadn't thought a lot about how they got walking areas beside it plus a nice size bed, so I just thought about it and looked at some photos online of the model. It's by not moving it all the way forward in the V. There's a fore deck area which just has storage under it and the cabin starts about 3 or 4' back. By the time you get to the foot of the bed, you have the full beam of the boat. It also protrudes into the galley/salon area and the aft cabin is referred to as a crew cabin, which tells you how small it is. The boat is clearly designed to sleep only two people plus perhaps on occasion one or two others. Also the cabin is completely open to the galley/salon area. Really the other place to sleep comfortably is probably the salon. We've had the boat nearly 3 years and have spent two nights on it, both with only the two of us.

It's like everything on a boat, a trade off. I hadn't really thought until just now what they did trade to get the walkaround cabin.

And for the record, I do agree with Mark and enjoy my wife crawling over, although sometimes it takes her an extraordinarily long time to get to her side.

Here are photos of how Riva actually achieves it in a 44' open boat, basically a runabout.

First, the photo of the berth.

Then the drawing. Look how far back from the bow the berth starts which then gives good beam at the foot of the berth. 44' boat with 12'9" beam.

Comfiest V-Berth?

O C Diver

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cool beans

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kthoennes

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markpierce

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N4712

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BruceK

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BandB

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windled

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O C Diver

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Hendo78

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Nomad Willy

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BandB

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