Two cabin vs three cabin, eg Bav 36-2 vs 36-3

[kingfisher]

Can anybody give me the pros and cons of a two versus three-cabin version?

Because as far as I've analysed it, even in our situation (me, wife, 1/2 kid, or occasional couple of friends), we would still be better off with the 3-cabin version.

My main gripe is always stowage of luggage. Our current 31ft boat is too small: the door of the front cabin closes right against the bunk. So luggage has to go under the dining table, and in the morning all the luggage goes on the bed. In the evening the whole process is repeated in reverse. Wet luggage is not a great thing to have on a bed.

So 3 cabins gives me the impression that you use two to sleep in, and the third cabin can then be used as a bagage hold?

A 2-cabin gives you a bigger locker in the cockpit, which is too deep anyway), and/or a bigger bathroom, rarely used?

And in some 2-cabin boats, one of the dining benches can be replaced by two sofa's. Is this practical? Seems to me a bit like twin beds? I imagine Mr and Mrs each in their own seat, reading a book/watching tele, with a cupboard inbetween them? SWMBO wouldn't stand for that, since she is the cuddly type.

 

[jonic]

If you don't want the bigger bathroom, have the best of both worlds and use the third cabin for stowage. Keep the berth cushions covered or at home for better resale too.

 

[jwilson]

When we looked at Bav 36s we thought the three cabin one was obviously what the boat was designed to be, and the two-cabin option was an afterthought, with a lot of badly laid out empty space. Didn't buy a Bav at all in the end: layout/finish, choice of engine etc took us to Jeanneau.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Without a decent cockpit locker, where do you put large bits of boaty stuff, like your deflatable dinghy, warpznfenders, storm sails, stc?

 

[Tranona]

In general the three cabin has advantages. We have "converted" our third cabin (Bavaria 37 2001) into storage with a lee cloth down the split so it can still be used as a single berth.

The trade offs in the rest of the boat vary from model to model. On ours the loo is cramped and there is a linear galley and just one settee which is not ideal. The two cabin has a bigger loo and shower, an L shaped galley and two armchairs. For a couple this is the better arrangement, but the more extra crew you add the more attractive the 3 cabin. The trade off on the 36 (and 34) is different as the loo is moved forward and takes space out of the saloon and particularly the forecabin.

The 3 cabins of this size are designed to get maximum berths for charter use, particularly in the Med where the need for storage spce for clothes etc is much less and most living is on deck.

So which you choose depends on how you see the layout working for you in your style of use.

 

[fireball]

We have the 2 cabin version and it would be nice to have the 3rd cabin occaisionally ...
The large heads is nice as is the full depth cockpit locker (missing on the 3cabin version I think).
Also - instead of the linnear galley we've got a U galley further aft that you can still boil a kettle at underway.
Stowage is far less of an issue than we had on the Jen SO30 where we had to do like you - put the bags in the saloon during the night and back in the berths during the day - not the best arrangement ... we now have 3 decent sized cupboards with hanging space and clothes can go in there - although if it is just the two of us aboard we use the aft cabin for stowage!

More importantly for us was the keel - there are 2 main keel types - deep fin or shoal ... the fin is 6' and the shoal is 4' ... we've got the 4' shoal (less common) as it allows us to explore in harbour a bit more and isn't so critical when we're heading over a bar - 2' is a HUGE difference!!

[edit]If you're over this way and want to look on a 2 cabin Bav 37 (we don't have the bench seats) - just give us a shout[/edit]

 

[Marsupial]

Without a decent cockpit locker, where do you put large bits of boaty stuff, like your deflatable dinghy, warpznfenders, storm sails, stc?

Ill second that, we've had the two cabin version of the Jen 37 and Jen 43 and have never regretted it. I have found that folks with the three cabin version never carry enough sailing kit and have the dinghy draped over the deck or trailing along behind and the fenders hanging off the rails, some dont carry a dinghy because there's no where to put it, they dont have enough warps or fenders so its : so can we use yours please!

the alternative is using the third cabin as a glory hole but this means man handling stuff down through the companionway and putting up with with all the damage that ensues.

 

[kingfisher]

Without a decent cockpit locker, where do you put large bits of boaty stuff, like your deflatable dinghy, warpznfenders, storm sails, stc?

- Fenders in the anchor locker
- Dinghy in aft locker
- Storm sails inside (it's not as if you'll need it by surprise, all of a sudden

Currently in my one locker, I have three sails, a dinghy and an outbord, and a main anchor. Warps and fenders are attached to the inside of the pushpit. There is no need for them to be nice and dry (most of the time, warps will be stowed wet, creating a nice biodiverse atmosphere)

A locker will always be filled to capacity, like the universal spinaker law: "regardless of the size of a boat, it's spinaker will always fill up the cockpit on dousing.

 

[fireball]

Hmm - you'd struggle to get more than 2 fenders in the anchor locker (well - you would on my boat anyway!)
But you're right - the lockers are always full !!

 

[Bav34]

We had to work through the pro's and con's of 2 or 3 cabins when we bought our 34.

We opted for a 2 cabin version and haven't regretted it.

The obvious deciding factor was how often would we sail REGULARLY with 6 people on board. We often go away with 4 ... only occasionally with 6 ... and that's only for weekends.

A 3 cabin, 6 crew option would obviously give more than enough luggage storage but limit other areas. I didn't like that trade-off.

Our 34 has three large hanging wardrobes with shelves inside and stowage for shoes under the small seats.

When there are 6 of us, all the bags get unpacked and stowed under the bunks. Each couple then has their own wardrobe and there is minimal additional clutter.

WE then have the benefit of a shallow cockpit locker on port that takes most of the fenders and lines plus buckets etc and a large starboard locker that takes the holding tank, tender, outboard, shore-lines, spare diesel, spare water, spare gas bottles and so on. Our anchor locker easily takes three fenders plus two bow-lines and a spring.

You mentioned 'too-deep' when you talked about lockers. We pack our starboard locker with things in collapsible boxes towards the stern. At the bottom are rarely used things ... spare-spare gas bottle, extra thick line for possible towing, snorkel gear etc. Above that is stuff we might use more frequently ... shore lines, BIGGG fender for 'those' moments , and above that the final box holds the day to day stuff ... fold flat hose, tender pump, tender seat etc. The tender slots in vertically alongside that and falls back against the hull, the outboard rests on that and there's still MORE room between that lot and the holding tank.

I'd rather have too-deep than too-shallow.

 

[photodog]

Have a good look at the Holding tank on the 3 cabin 36.... the 2 cabin it worked fine but on the 3 cabin they put it forward and had issues with it not draining properly...

I think that the other pro's and con's have been discussed... the only thin gI would add in reference to the lockers is... WE ALL HAVE WAY TO MUCH STUFF ON BOARD!

Seriously... I knuckled down and gave some serious thought to what I was carrying on the boat... redistribted it for better balance... and cleared out quite a bit of unneeded bits... as a consequence my aft locker is never more than half full..

 

[Bav34]

WE ALL HAVE WAY TO MUCH STUFF ON BOARD!

Hmmm !

This year I am seriously thinking of not taking the two folding bikes and inflatable kayak.
Or the BBQ.
Fan heaters.
240v lamps.
Spare-spare diesel and water tanks ( 50 litres between them).
Visitors guides to just about everywhere we've been.
Old almanacs.
Old pilot guides that were JUST enough different to each other to warrant keeping.
5 litres of anti-freeze.
10 litres of oil ... I'll keep 5.
3 fan belts ... 1 should do
Instruction manuals for just about everything on board that I could never fix anyway.
Charts in FATHOMS ... just in case the more modern ones blew over the side.
Quite so many bottles of wine .... we're never THAT far away from a shop

I could go on.

I won't.

 

[Twister_Ken]

"WE then have the benefit of a shallow cockpit locker on port that takes ... spare gas bottles and so on."

Wrong. Leak. Spark. Bang. Wotnoboat?

 

[Bav34]

It has a hole drilled in the floor that drains to the the actual gas locker that drains to the atmosphere.

Damn these Bavs

(I said it for you)

 

[Heckler]

Without a decent cockpit locker, where do you put large bits of boaty stuff, like your deflatable dinghy, warpznfenders, storm sails, stc?

The fenders go in the sugar scoop locker, its gi normous on the 351 and 381 Beneteau, the dink goes ON the sugar scoop, either packed in the bag or sideways on inflated. The sails go under the forward bunk, the warps go in the stbd locker, plenty of room of rooom in both lockers.
Am in the process of putting more shelves in the sugar scoop for long term storage. Benes are ENORMOUS if you look a bit closer!
Stu

 

[Heckler]

"WE then have the benefit of a shallow cockpit locker on port that takes ... spare gas bottles and so on."

Wrong. Leak. Spark. Bang. Wotnoboat?

All the Benes have a gas drain in the lockers
Stu

 

[PeterGibbs]

Without a decent cockpit locker, where do you put large bits of boaty stuff, like your deflatable dinghy, warpznfenders, storm sails, stc?

In anything below 40 ft a third cabin will always be at the expense of the cockpit locker.
But this is no issue really, becasue we who have made this transition realise you don't need all that clobber. Taff rail for the fenders, and storm sails...I ask you.

PWG

 

[Jamesuk]

3 is better, from working onboard a yacht with 3 cabins It make life so much easier having that 3rd Cabin for Storage (in my case I was the Storage cabin)

EG your new pride and joy you decide to buy some cockpit cushions for a £1000 where to store them underway? 3rd Cabin.

I just had a thought, I sailing a jeanneau in the Summer and the forward to cabins were made to be able to become two separate cabins. Using simple separaters!

 

[Skents]

We chose to build the 3 cabin version of the Van de Stadt Caribbean (40 foot) as we have us (a couple) plus son on board full time and daughter and fiance visiting.

One major advantage from our point of view is that the forecabin isn't much fun offshore in a big sea whereas both aft cabins are much more snug and comfortable.

Our son uses forecabin most of the time but moves aft for longer trips (three or four days or more at sea).