Double bed in a (small) boat?

[rwoofer]

Within the range of boats available does anyone know of any that will accommodate me and Mrs Chox comfortably? I am 6'2" and fed up with sleeping on my own in a very narrow bunk.

I wanted to buy an RM, my current boat. One of the reasons I could actually go down to the RM880 (29ft) rather than the RM1200 I started looking at was the size of the berths. I'm 6'6" and SWMBO is 6', so berths have always been a major problem for us. That extra few centimetres on berths make all the difference in the world. We actually have a choice of the forecabin (6'7" long, 6ft head end, 2ft foot end) or aft cabin which is 6'7" long about 4'6" wide. The crucial bit on the aft cabin is that due to the width of the boat hardly any is under the cockpit sole so there is more headroom than on many 40 footers.

Layout:

As you can see the only way you can achieve this on a boat under 30ft is do what RM have done and do away with the vestigal "changing spaces" you see on all small boats (so that they can claim they have proper cabins). That wasn't a problem for us as even on 40 footers we usually changed in the saloon.

So RM880 is a recommendation, but there are also many other reasons you might want one (performance, handling, engineering etc). The only problem is the exchange rate has made them quite expensive now.

 

[DogWatch]

What are you expecting for goodness sake on a 27 footer?

Actually a Heavenly Twins 26/27 has two double bunks and a queen size bunk. We've modified ours so that it has a Superking bed in one cabin, a 'honeymoon double' in another cabin and a further king size bed in the saloon, all with 2m long bunks And it also has a separate child's cabin. So if you want that space, buy a cat.

helping out

 

[Searush]

But Dick Dastardly says you can't get a decent aft cabin in anything under 40'

 

[V1701]

Wow - your Sun-Dream 28 aft cabin looks identical that on our (ex) Sun Odyssey 30 ...

I'm almost certain it's exactly the same mould (29'6" LOA). The sugar scoop was an option on the Sun-Dream, hence 28 and I don't think many were made. Sun Odyssey 30 sounds a bit grander than Sun-Dream 28 but essentially same boat with updated interior...

 

[mikeinkwazi]

OK in harbour

Trouble is, any more than a F3 and you cannot go to sea!!

helping out

 

[chockswahay]

Thanks everyone, I've got a lot to think about now! I very much appreciate your time.

Chox

 

[Rivers & creeks]

Trouble is, any more than a F3 and you cannot go to sea!!

He's right on that count. We were caught out in a nasty F6 off Nieuwpoort a few summers ago. Steep seas, hard to windward and only one port of refuge before the tide turned - suddenly I shouted a warning to my wife "that cup of coffee isn't going to stay put if this reaches an 8 my dear"

 

[Grumpybear]

or, if you can face something a little older, a Jeanneau Sundream 28. Bunk a bit narrower than you want but long enough

 

[Searush]

My name is Dick Dastardly & I don't think you can sensibly have a double berth in a boat with less than 15' beam.

Sorry, Snooksie, I couldn't resist it. I tried, honest, I did try.


Shane Acton was well over 6' tall & had a 6' Nordic girlfriend aboard his 19' Caprice(?) Shrimpy for a fair part of his global voyaging. It's all a matter of what you are prepared to accept & what you can afford to pay for.