How do you get into bed? On the boat ...

[peter2407]

So, a couple of scenarios:

V-berth with an infill - both as you first and AN Other next
Double berth in the saloon with an infill
And any other combination

And for that matter, how do you get out?

 

[SimbaDog]

Transverse single aft cabin, we tend to walk up to the bed & then lie down on it, reverse procedure when getting up

2 single duvet's

 

[Wunja]

Can't be bothered to drop the dining table into the infill and use the (nearly) double, so sleep in the quarter birth.
Process - very difficult:
Remove the back of the after bench seat. ruck sleeping bag into a circle, sit on aft bench seat facing aft, place feet into sleeping bag and extend legs. Bum walk after until off the seat, lie down and wriggle.
Getting out is reverse, with the added fun of all the stiff muscles that stopped working during the night.

 

[aquaplane]

V berth with First Mate already in bed:
Crawl in head first then turn round, kiss first mate as my head is hovering above hers when ½ way through the manouver, appologise to first mate as I have pulled her hair when leaning on it to stop me falling on her, another kiss.
Ask if she needs all the quilt or if it would be possible for me to have a bit of it.
Getting out, sit up and spin round trying not to disturb first mate as cold feet get perilously close to her back on the way round, make amends with cup of tea and digestive in bed.

 

[Bilgediver]

V berth with First Mate already in bed:
Crawl in head first then turn round, kiss first mate as my head is hovering above hers when ½ way through the manouver, appologise to first mate as I have pulled her hair when leaning on it to stop me falling on her, another kiss.
Ask if she needs all the quilt or if it would be possible for me to have a bit of it.
Getting out, sit up and spin round trying not to disturb first mate as cold feet get perilously close to her back on the way round, make amends with cup of tea and digestive in bed.

Now try that in a boat where the only way to sit up is with the fore hatch
open......

 

[LadyInBed]

Transverse single aft cabin, we tend to walk up to the bed & then lie down on it, reverse procedure when getting up

Similar, but double aft, except I have to climb over SWMBO as she doesn't like laying against the back wall!

 

[emsworthy]

Kids in forepeak vee berth. That way we (mum & dad) get a little bit of grown up time before bed.

First mate on drop-down "double" with saloon table and me in quarter berth, takes a bit of sliding into mind (I have a bladder that will usually see me through the night irrespective of beer tally. She OTOH... ).

None of this sleeping bag malarkey though, can't bear to live like a slug. It's duvets and pillows for us.

Great thing about the quarter berth is you have the perfect excuse to stay put whilst everyone else is getting up and dressed, even if I do usually end up with one or both of the kids squeezed in with me. Get tea and bickies in bed that way .

 

[snowleopard]

V berth with First Mate already in bed:
Crawl in head first then turn round, kiss first mate as my head is hovering above hers when ½ way through the manouver, appologise to first mate as I have pulled her hair when leaning on it to stop me falling on her, another kiss.
Ask if she needs all the quilt or if it would be possible for me to have a bit of it.
Getting out, sit up and spin round trying not to disturb first mate as cold feet get perilously close to her back on the way round, make amends with cup of tea and digestive in bed.

Pretty much the same getting in. To get out, crawl forward with one hand on dressing table, other on wardrobe, one foot on seat then other to floor. Definitely not to be attempted at sea!

Important point - when 'rotating' with feet over partner's head, be sure to warn said partner to avert eyes from view of nether regions.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Ah, the biggest advantage of a centre cockpit boat with aft cabin.

Walk round to allocated side of bed and get in, just like we do at home. Reverse to get out.

Waking up in night for a pee, get out of bed walk to heads and back, climb into bed without disturbing SWMBO and hence getting a rollocking for having had to much to drink.

 

[alan_d]

Q: When singlehanded I have the choice of several berths, so why do I choose to sleep in the quarterberth, which has restricted headroom and involves squeezing past the chart-table?

A: Because I can control the cabin heater and switch the radio on for the forecast without getting out of bed.

 

[Searush]

Ahh, it all depends dunnit? SWMBO likes the foc'sle, but I find it a bit high to comfortably get in & out. And when we have family aboard, they use that.

We have a double berth on the dropped saloon table, but it isn't original as prev owner dumped the excellent Westerly table & fabricated a bit of chipboard nonsense. I have managed to make this useable as a table, but it is a bit short for a bed for me & SWMBO finds it affects her back.

I like the aft cabin with with 2 singles, but it is a trip across the cockpit to get to it (or back to the loo) and it has no heater. So nothing is "perfect" but any of them will do fine - especially after a good day's sailing! The aft cabin is ideal for teh skipper on passage as the helm can knock on the hatch without moving & I can sit up, open the hatch & discuss the problem without getting out of my sleeping bag.

I thought I was unusual in having less than perfectly sorted accom, it is reassuring to discover I am not alone!

One day it will rise far enough up the priorities for me to sort it out properly - but so far, it is no real problem.

Oh, and sleeping bags every time, 2 in deep mid-winter, and Damart liners for the Spring & Autumn when one's not enough & 2's too many!

 

[Ubergeekian]

Oh, and sleeping bags every time, 2 in deep mid-winter, and Damart liners for the Spring & Autumn when one's not enough & 2's too many!

I bought a shaped duvet for the forecabin. Biggest waste of money ever - too small for two people (they do a super-big size which might be better) and although it's supposed to be 10.5 tog it seems to have the heat retaining properties of newspaper. Thank goodness for Mr Tesco and his ten quid sleepng bags.

On top of those I have stacks of nice navy blue fleece blankets from IKEA. They're stupidly cheap (£2.79 each, iirc), nice and warm and give a pleasantly Captain Flint's Houseboat feel to the cabin

 

[SolentBoat]

Cockpit, sleeping bag, stars.

Circa 3am, get fed up with balancing and retreat below - finding any suitable space to return to sleep.

 

[prv]

I bought a shaped duvet for the forecabin.

What I need is a duvet with a slit in it for the compression post. Plus duvet cover and sheet to match. Contemplated modifying one, but I think it might tax my sewing abilities.

Pete

 

[Chrissie]

I have an infil for the V berth in the forecabin, so a large double, albeit less wide at the feet, I used scissors and a sewing machine, and shaped my duvet and sheets, but as I have the boat to myself I sleep across the boat, instead of having my feet in the pointy bit.
Loads of room, very warm and comfy.

 

[clyst]

As live aboards ...... two large single berths in aft cabin with duvets and double in main cabin for "adult time"

 

[PhilipF]

Waking up in night for a pee, get out of bed walk to heads and back, climb into bed without disturbing SWMBO and hence getting a rollocking for having had to much to drink.

Too much effort to walk to the heads, plus someone might see me! So, I keep a bottle in the cabin. Question: Wonder why males bladders seem to get smaller as we age, never recall waking for a pee when I was working. For some reason females do not seem to have this problem. Do wish I did not!

Back to the main question: Though we do have a sub thirty foot boat, 8.8 metres actually, we are lucky enough to have a double bedded aft cabin. SWMBO sleeps on her usual side, which in this case happens to be on the inside, so lucky she rarely has to get out!

 

[Searush]

What I need is a duvet with a slit in it for the compression post. Plus duvet cover and sheet to match. Contemplated modifying one, but I think it might tax my sewing abilities.

Pete

Unless it is feather filled, it is easy. Just mark where you want the slit & machine down one side of the line. across the bootom 1/2" & back up the other side. Then cut between the stiching & finish off with a bit of ribbon folded over each side of the cut. A bit of velcro on either side at the end will allow you to reconnect the sides of the slit when in place.

Even with feathers, you could do that provided you clear the filling out of teh way before stitching

 

[Slow_boat]

The fo'c'stle is okay without the infill but we don't even try with the infil as a double. Maybe we're both just to creaky for the contortions required to get into bed.

The alleged 'double' in the saloon is just a biggish single so I got rid of the saloon table and fill the walkway between the 'double' to port and single to stbd with slats from Ikea, push the stbd cushion over the slats and fill the stbd bed with cockpit cushions (ok, sun lounger cushions) and voila, a king size bed you can get out both sides, move around and do whatever you want in. That with two duvets, one thick and one thin, one under and one, or both, over takes care of most conditions. No need to get out for the forecast, either.

Though why they can't build a 29'x9' boat with a proper double with side access as well as a sea berth is beyond me.

There are 6 berths in my boat. Why? It's to small to sail with 6. There's not enough room in the cockpit, for a start!

 

[Danny Jo]

Walk round to allocated side of bed and get in, just like we do at home. Reverse to get out.

Waking up in night for a pee, get out of bed walk to heads and back, climb into bed without disturbing SWMBO and hence getting a rollocking for having had to much to drink.

You can do that because the aft cabin in a Moody 44 is like a room in a luxury hotel. But hotels don't roll around at sea. What I'd like to know is how you stay in bed.