How far will you go for comfort?

DannyS · May 14, 2015

I made an adjustable floor grate in the head so the kid's (and wife's) feet will touch the floor when sitting on the toilet. Does that count?

DannyS · May 14, 2015

I figured I should post the evidence.

Pat · May 15, 2015

We make coffee on the origo each weekend morning when sleeping on the boat.. our little boat is our summer home and we have an ice bucket, crystal decanters, & such. When we first bought the boat we often had hamburgers and hot dogs (we still like them), but our slip neighbors Tom and Sue Thorp taught us to make our time on the boat the best of times and they would cook very special meals each weekend on Magus, their Erickson. As time went on, we kind of realized that being on the boat is the best opportunity we have to really enjoy something very special. Sue even had
crystal stem on Magus...but she sometimes had to scold Tom to level out the boat on
gusty Kansas days so the stemware would not be damaged....we use plastic...still is the best of times although they have both passed; we think of them nearly every weekend.
I think you are right on. Pat

capta · May 15, 2015

For me the biggest change has been the watermaker. It is pure heaven to be able to take hot fresh water showers at sea. After a lifetime of conservation (one transAt was done on 60 gallons of fresh water for two adults and a child), I still cringe when my wife washes the dodger windows w/ fresh water, even at anchor, but I'm trying to relax, honest I am.
Another huge difference has been the GPS. If you've never sailed without one, you can't possibly imagine the amount of time, effort and speculation (and Rolaids consumed) spent doing celestial and even interisland navigation, which is much better spent getting more sleep, or just being relaxed.
Nothing says decadence more than cranking up the gene and turning on the air conditioning. Since we have electric cooking, the gene is on to prepare dinner, and on those still, hot, humid evenings in the tropics, that cool air through dinner is a wonderful bit of comfort.
Necessary, no, but that wasn't what this thread is about, is it?

kloudie1 · May 15, 2015

On board air conditioning and the companionway step I made so that my vertically challenged wife has an easier step from the cockpit to the top of the engine box.. on the H-34, that step is normally 14-15 inches, IIRC. She loves the step and I now do too. We use the great engraved plastic "rocks" glasses from this site store for the evening "sundowners".. I really like the liquor locker on the 34!

Ukeluthier · May 15, 2015

I'm in my late 60s and definitely into creature comforts on my boats these days, even though I've drastically downsized.

I'm currently on a campaign to transform my Menger 19' Cape Cod-style catboat from a daysailor/overnighter designed for a couple with a kid into a proper pocket cruiser for two adults. I'm sacrificing the kid-sized berth to do so.

So far, I've replaced the despised Porta-Potti with a proper marine head (Raritan Marine Elegance electric, no less) and holding tank, built a stowable cockpit table, installed an ABYC-compliant propane locker for a 6-lb. tank, and am in the process of building a real galley with sink w/pressure water, 2-burner propane cooktop, and a 12V fridge box.

This is a heavy-displacement, beamy catboat with an inboard diesel, but -- nevertheless -- I'm paying a lot of attention to the design of these systems to keep them as simple and lightweight as possible, with good ergonomics. I'm positioning the heavier items as low as possible and carefully considering the location to maintain trim.

As a retired engineer with 40 years of cruising experience, it's an interesting challenge to get it all in there without compromising sailing performance too much, but I think it will all work.

woodster · May 15, 2015

kloudie1 said:
On board air conditioning and the companionway step I made so that my vertically challenged wife has an easier step from the cockpit to the top of the engine box.. on the H-34, that step is normally 14-15 inches, IIRC. She loves the step and I now do too. We use the great engraved plastic "rocks" glasses from this site store for the evening "sundowners".. I really like the liquor locker on the 34!

kloudie thats a good looking piece of wood working there ...what does the liquor cabinet look like i am looking for ideas

woodster · May 15, 2015

capta said:
For me the biggest change has been the watermaker. It is pure heaven to be able to take hot fresh water showers at sea. After a lifetime of conservation (one transAt was done on 60 gallons of fresh water for two adults and a child), I still cringe when my wife washes the dodger windows w/ fresh water, even at anchor, but I'm trying to relax, honest I am.
Another huge difference has been the GPS. If you've never sailed without one, you can't possibly imagine the amount of time, effort and speculation (and Rolaids consumed) spent doing celestial and even interisland navigation, which is much better spent getting more sleep, or just being relaxed.
Nothing says decadence more than cranking up the gene and turning on the air conditioning. Since we have electric cooking, the gene is on to prepare dinner, and on those still, hot, humid evenings in the tropics, that cool air through dinner is a wonderful bit of comfort.
Necessary, no, but that wasn't what this thread is about, is it?

actually it is about all you did

Sailm8 · May 15, 2015

I'm with Pat. Nothing better than sipping good Scotch or eating a fine meal from a real good glass or a proper plate. I hate paper plates. Especially those 1000 for a dollar kind everyone seems to have. Good cutlery helps too.

kloudie1 · May 15, 2015

Woody, I don't have any useful pictures of the cabinet.. I will shoot some decent pix for you, maybe next week .. Its lid is part of the chart table.. a section deep enough to hold 6 bottles(two front to back and 3 wide) upright and separated by a wood grating.. then there is a raised floor section (not as deep as the bottle holding part) that has the same kind of wood separator/grate to hold glasses.. I have always thought it was well done.. MAybe another H-34 owner has some shots to post.

Prime Time · May 15, 2015

Having a boat that has an electric toaster. Nice.

Joe · May 15, 2015

2-ply is a luxury

py26129 · May 15, 2015

We went all in on the comfort question and bought the most comfortable boat we could find. For us, that was the Island Packet 31. Some of our friends have also commented that it the kind of boat that makes one feel relaxed and comfortable very quickly.The boat does not go to windward as well as I would like, but it's a cruising boat and we spend a lot more time reaching or at anchor, than beating to windward.

To add to that, we stock the fridge with good food and keep some nice bottles in the bar. A drink in the late afternoon or a glass of wine with a nice dinner completes a day very nicely.

woodster · May 15, 2015

kloudie1 said:
Woody, I don't have any useful pictures of the cabinet.. I will shoot some decent pix for you, maybe next week .. Its lid is part of the chart table.. a section deep enough to hold 6 bottles(two front to back and 3 wide) upright and separated by a wood grating.. then there is a raised floor section (not as deep as the bottle holding part) that has the same kind of wood separator/grate to hold glasses.. I have always thought it was well done.. MAybe another H-34 owner has some shots to post.

thanks that would be great

Doug4bass · May 15, 2015

Sunwoofer!!

How far will you go for comfort?

.

.

.

.

Attachments

.

.

.

.

Attachments

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.