Berth orientation in Hunter 40.5

[Rich Stidger]

We had an 2005 H38 with the E-W berth and didn't like it for the mentioned reasons. I built a removable pedestal, added an 18" mattress extension and created a N-S king-sized bed using standard king bedding. The admiral loved the change. The rear cabin on the H38 had just enough room for the conversion. You could still remove the engine cover to check the fuel filter and marine gear oil level, and easily remove the extension to change fuel filters or access the packing gland. I suspect the 40.5 may have a similarly designed rear cabin.

Do you have pictures?

 

[desodave]

Sorry ... no pictures left. I deleted them soon after buying the current boat and selling the H38. Fairly simple process - one sheet of 1/2" birch plywood, an 8' piece of 1 x 2 hardwood, some screws and some careful measuring and planning. Use the 1 x 2 to create a support strip for the extension screwed to the underside of the existing bunk and an 18" one to the "seat" on the starboard side (head of the current berth). Build the pedestal (approx 4' length x 8" width) to the height of the underside of the current berth, offset it to the port side for overall stability (starboard side of the berth is screwed to the 1 x 2 strip), use an 18" wide piece of the plywood ( curved on one corner to fit the existing structure) as the bunk extension, and then get a 6'6" x 18" piece of mattress made. All easily held together by a king sized mattress cover. I cut air holes in the berth extension and the top of the pedestal to aid in lining screw holes up when disassembled. The mattress extension was the most expensive part of it. We had already had a good mattress made up some years before so the extension made sense and was not noticeable sleeping on it. Our existing mattress could be folded in the middle (length wise) and was just manageable to get it in and out of the cabin ... not sure a full king mattress similarly folded would be as manageable.