How and Where to Sleep on Hunter 26.5

[jerseywaters]

2008 was our first season aboard our 1989 Hunter 26.5. This year we would like to try weekend cruising. We have not slept aboard the boat yet. We have purchased a bimini (not arrived yet). I am thinking the most 'roomy' option is to camp-out topside in the cockpit. If we put plastic crates upside down on the 'floor' and two air-filled mattresses across from bench to crate to bench and use Sleeping bags that might work. We would appreciate advise and opinions. Sleep topside or in cabin? (Our head is a toilet so it cannot be moved and is in the bow 'sleeping area'). Aft is where we store everything. That leaves the two benches - one short and one really short.

 

[Glenn Bollin]

The forward berth is the most comfortable for two persons(I'm 6'3"). The problem is the portapotti. Ours doesn't smell but if you have to go during the night it is clumsey getting out without disturbing your mate. We solved the problem by sleeping apart, one forward and one aft, and temporarily moving the pp into the salon. If you haven't spent the night aboard, you may want to try overnight in your marina. You may discover some things you should bring without ruining the night. Good luck.

glenn

 

[Benny]

Cruising in small boats requires work. During the day use the berth to store stuff but at night move the stuff out to the salon and make a bed. Sleeping up on deck is OK if the weather cooperates and there are no mosquitoes.

 

[Cpt. Jon]

I'm not familiar with the layout of your 26.5, but in our 25.5 we put the table down on the two benches of the settee and then I had two plywood boards cut to go across to the bench on the other side of the cabin. We would inflate a Queen size Aerobed which fit perfectly across the cabin. We used an electric pump on an inverter which was quick and easy to inflate/deflate and it left the head in the v-berth open. We were very please and slept great like that, perhaps you could do something like that. If you don't have the settee and instead have just benches along both cabin walls, you might be able to make some sort of support structure for the plywod, like you milk crate idea.