V-berth issues

The Shadow Knows · Feb 20, 2018

Mike,

I believe the special problem is the length of boat & spatial clearances in the V-berth.
I have a C30 & never liked trying to sleep in my V-berth.
It was roomy enough but short on head clearance.

Luckily, I have a modified my cabin setee table that can be lowered for sleeping,
while being U-shaped supported around the seats.
It gives me a double (not Holliday Inn Size) however, along with the
additional head room, it works for two people to sleep.

If you have a table in the cabin, I would suggest seeing about modifying it or resizing it as a larger platform for a bed.

Good Luck Pal.........

Gunni · Feb 20, 2018

Mike;
First you have 4 drinks, then you take off all cumbersome clothing, run giggling into the V-berth and you secure the cabin door while she crawls in head first. This allows you some nice hand-holds as you then make your way into the berth. Take your time. Jostle for position and use claustrophobia to your best effect. Get close. At some point the V-berth becomes the LoveNest, the cabin walls close in and hold you both in their warm embrace! Don't forget to use the hand-rails!
Having expended yourselves, or succumbed to the effects of cocktail hour you should find her sleeping peacefully, unconcerned by her surroundings. If you fail, crawl out and make yourself a bunk in the quarter-berth. Better luck next time sailor!

BrianRobin · Feb 20, 2018

I don't see that as a stupid question at all! We don't use our v berth, except for guests or storage, you're right it is a pita getting in and out of!

Pat · Feb 20, 2018

Here is s dumb question.....are you sleeping with your head under the anchor locker? Pat

capta · Feb 20, 2018

I slept in a V-berth for 18 years. This boat has an aft cabin!
How about putting a strong overhead bar above the end of the bunk you enter you can grab on?

31seahorse · Feb 20, 2018

Climbing onto the bunk was a problem for my wife even though she usually slept alone in the V-berth. We added a fold down metal step about 8 inches up on the side of the bulkhead. One of those small brass ones designed for only the front part of one's foot. Fold it down to climb in and later fold it up after leaving the berth. She always slept head forward, but there was a bit of "footsie" if we were both in there because then we slept feet forward. Just sayin'.........

Jackdaw · Feb 20, 2018

Size matters. While getting into ANY berth on a sailboat less than 35 feet is often a challenge, an oday 27 is more so then most. How big are you two? That might factor more than boat size.

JRacer · Feb 20, 2018

Becomes more of an issue with the spinnaker pole, Weekend bags, Asym and Sym Chutes in there! ;-)

Ted · Feb 20, 2018

Use this issue to your advantage. Don't try to solve the problem. Eventually your wife will beg you to buy a larger boat. Problem solved!

rgranger · Feb 20, 2018

I think an handle to grab onto would help a lot.

BlowMeAway · Feb 20, 2018

Gunni said:
...while she crawls in head first. This allows you some nice hand-holds as you then make your way into the berth. Take your time. Jostle for position...

I like this approach to the v-berth ingress very much and have often attempted. Unfortunately my hand holds amount to the equivalent of small underfilled water balloons...I think @Gunni is just bragging now.

Stu Jackson · Feb 20, 2018

Whatsit said:
Has any one used a step stool to get in and out?

Yes, many have. Get one at a hardware store, not West Marine.

Scott T-Bird · Feb 20, 2018

Hi Mike,
Sleeping in separate berths is the most practical solution. Sue doesn't like the v-berth because the cushion is too hard anyway. She takes the salon berth. If you don't have one, then make one. But I suspect that one side has a pull-out feature on your boat - it's pretty common. We don't have enough space for 2 in the salon, either, so I take the bow when Sue is joining me. When she doesn't, I also use the salon. We set it up with a topping cushion that we can put away and it is more comfortable and far more convenient. I've also gotten comfortable in the cockpit, when swinging on anchor in higher wind makes Sue nervous. Now, she just sleeps thru it, while I keep a watchful eye.

WayneH · Feb 20, 2018

It's not a dumb question. I love sleeping in the v-berth except for two things. First, there's no foot room in our berth. We play footsies all night long. Second, if one of us gets up in the middle of the night, the other one wakes up and moves outboard so that they don't get kicked on the exit or return. Our berth has a little step for us to get up and down on.

We will however sleep separately on the settees during rough weather as they are lower in the boat and don't move as much as the V-berth does.

LuzSD · Feb 20, 2018

We spent 6 years using the V berth of our C30 every weekend. We added a comply Nova Foam topper so its comfortable without reducing the space that an added mattress might. I could easily get claustrophobic but we open the hatch right above us (not sure if your boat has that) and not only does it provide air but I use it to pull myself up and around and it sure works for me!
It is a trick to find what makes your particular V berth fit well for you. Ours is all about pillows built up at the widest end so we don't feel like we're going downhill. we do not use sheets, particularly because feeling tangled up at the same time as claustrophobic would not work for me. We use luxurious comforters top and bottom and launder those when needed. Easy!!!

We also could use the settee, its nice sized. Our table goes down and we too have a double bed there. Our neighbor keeps that spot all set up as a double bed and ready all the time...... looks really comfy over there!
I guess my advise (as the female) would be ask HER to make it what she wants it to be, she may come up with the fix.
Good luck!! I think if we did not have such a comfortable boat interior, I would not love her as much as I do.

shemandr · Feb 20, 2018

I don't like to sleep in a vee berth. On my Ranger I could have mounted the vee berth if there were a trapeze bar on the overhead. I could have pulled myself up on it and shot my feet to the forward part of the berth. My wife could stand by and hold up cards with the score for style points. But instead, it was a combination of moves that would make a wrestler blush as I spun and contorted myself to the end of the berth. No chance the bedding would be unmolested and won't become a nest of covers and sheets in disarray. Getting out is worse. You can flop like a flounder on the cabin sole or do the reverse spin and inch worm routine. Vee berths are for storage and they aren't very good for that. If I custom designed a boat, the forward cabin would be a work shop.

David in Sandusky · Feb 20, 2018

First, do you both like sleeping together in the v-berth? (If not, then don’t!) Our raised cabin roof extends to our waist, so we have good room overhead. We have room to avoid footsie if we are careful as we roll over. The hatch overhead usually supplies delightful air. The head end of the berth is wider than a queen, so there is plenty of room to turn 180 degrees to get in and out. Both of us can easily get a knee on the mattress to start getting in.

We put high quality foam in the stock cushions, then we have a memory foam top on that. Our v-berth bottom sheet has a drawstring to hold it tight on the cover and cushions. We love it and will keep sleeping there until we can’t do the 180. In that case, or if one or the other of us occasionally wants to, we have two great singles in the main cabin. By the way, I’m a large 5’11”, and the Admiral is 5’8”. This will be our 19th summer spending 20+ nights on our ‘77 h27.

V-berth issues

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