Which bedding?

[Quidi Vidi]

Good morning all
After having my boat in the water for a year and managing a few day sails, i have convinced SWMBO that we ought to spend a few weekends away this year. She has immediately gone into nest building mode and started to look at fluffy things etc. She insists that we will be sleeping together even though our boat is only 22ft. It has 2 double berths and a quarter berth so you can imagine how cramped it is below and we are not by any stretch of the imagination little people. My question is, what would you reccomend as the best bedding to use in our situation? What do you use and how do you keep it dry/clean?

 

[rivonia]

Go for hollow fibre quilts as they do not absorb damp and they can be easily aired. If you were to be taking bedding back home with you then above does not apply as feather /duck down duvet are much warmer/softer and and can be aire at home.

Fair winds

Peter

 

[V1701]

If in the summer I don't think you need worry about it too much. Duvets are good, as said already. In the winter there'll be condensation under the bunks but if you keep everything aired and ventilated, give it chance to dry out shouldn't be a problem, more of an issue if you're living aboard. There's things you can do like matting for underneath the bunks, drilling some holes in the bunk top and putting a vent or vents in the locker underneath or using slats (from Ikea) to allow air to circulate, but there will almost inevitably be some dampness. Guess just try it and see what works for you/your boat and good luck...

 

[VicS]

Good morning all
After having my boat in the water for a year and managing a few day sails, i have convinced SWMBO that we ought to spend a few weekends away this year. She has immediately gone into nest building mode and started to look at fluffy things etc. She insists that we will be sleeping together even though our boat is only 22ft. It has 2 double berths and a quarter berth so you can imagine how cramped it is below and we are not by any stretch of the imagination little people. My question is, what would you reccomend as the best bedding to use in our situation? What do you use and how do you keep it dry/clean?

Ive always used sleeping bags but only on single bunks.

We used to use a double ( two singles zipped together) when camping.

With a double bunk in the bows some people like to use duvets but I'm not keen on then anyway not even at home!

I started off with cheapish sleeping bags although the heaviest filling that was available at the time but as the years have rolled on by I have found it more and more necessary to add a blanket as well. I like the all nylon covered and lined bags. being a restless sleeper I can toss and turn in them without them turning with me.

If you are broad shouldered and opt for single bags get king size. I have a couple a bit warmer than the originals that are standard width but I cannot stand being restricted by the width. OK used as a double but cannot use them singly! I don't know how people sleep in those mummy shaped bags!

I also have a pair of kingsize 13.5 tog bags but they are so bulky they fully occupy my rather restricted bunks and leave no room for me .. but they are nice and warm!

I agree with the above post. All synthetic materials. My latest bags are hollow fibre but the older ones, pre-dating its invention, are plain terylene/polyester fibre.

 

[prv]

For the kind of weekending it sounds like you plan, I just take the double (feather) duvet off my bed, roll it up with the pillows and a sheet inside, and chuck it into the forward part of the cabin. Unroll it at night; fitting the sheet is a bit of a pain over odd-shaped cushions, but no big deal. Doesn't need to be any more complicated than that - why would it?

If I was living on board, or storing the bedding on the boat, I might worry about it getting damp, but not for just a couple of nights here and there.

Sleeping bags are handy if you're taking watches and sleeping under way, but I don't think that's what you have in mind

Pete

 

[Euphonyx]

How about looking for hotels with anchorages !!??

 

[rickym]

We used these guys for the forepeak duvet.

http://www.shipshapebedding.co.uk/index.php

Duvet and cover reasonably priced. Swimbo got the sewing machine out and made a shaped bottom sheet. Comfy and cosy just like home without extra yards of duvet floating around.

Why not make it comfortable, then she will enjoy the sailing as much as you? Nothing beats a quiet anchorage nice meal cooked on board, bottle of your favorite romantically watching the sunset while reminiscing over the day and planning tomorrow!

Roll on summer!

 

[Gull]

Can also recommend shipshape bedding. We got sheets and duvets for all our cabins and really happy with them.

 

[Stemar]

Duvets are homier than sleeping bags.

Jissel's a 24 footer, so not much bigger than your boat. The forepeak cuchions are divided, so we use fitted single sheets as they allow easier acces to the lockers underneath. They're a bit of a pain to fit, but you don't have to do it every night if you have a separate forepeak. If I had to make the beds every night, I'd want sleeping bags, 'cos making up sheets & quilts is just too much faff.

The V-berth is a bit wide for a double quilt at the head - we'd need a super-king not to be fighting over it and that would be far too wide at the foot. Single duvets allow us to have our own bit at the top without crowding things too much at the foot.

We use the chepest I can find, 'cos it's far too easy for them to get midewed if you leave them on the boat at the cooler ends of the season and it hurts a lot less to replace them for a tenner than for £50.

 

[Quidi Vidi]

For gawds sake, Euphonyx, don't encourage her pleeeeease

I like your idea, Stemar, not sure SWMBO will go for it though, she's expecting a douple bed arrangement, she's probably even got throws and cushions in mind

PRV, sensible, i will try that one on her

Rickym, mine doesn't even possess a needle and thread! sewing machine, how spoilt are you? I'll have to sweet talk the mother in law into using hers.

Thank to everyone, i just hope she doesn't read this or i'll be for it!

 

[prv]

PRV, sensible, i will try that one on her

Should be a no-brainer - it seems unlikely that anything you'd buy for boat-only use would be better (more comfy) than what you have on your main bed. I know I certainly wouldn't have a double-thick duck-down duvet with Egyptian cotton cover just to use on the boat!

But perhaps the real issue is that she just wants to buy stuff?

Pete

 

[rickym]

But why be uncomfortable?

Everytime you step on board you are on 'holiday' for gawds sake!

 

[prv]

But why be uncomfortable?

Everytime you step on board you are on 'holiday' for gawds sake!

Who are you talking to?

My duvet certainly isn't uncomfortable, quite the reverse, that was my point.

Pete

 

[rickym]

my point too! don't be uncomfortable

 

[Quidi Vidi]

Well call me impulsive but i have just ordered two supersize sleeping bags which can be zipped together if needs be to make a 6ft wide double.........and what was SWMBO's 1st question?
What colour are they?

 

[maxi77]

I must admit that we are confirmed duvet converts but that is perhaps in part to having spent months at a time in the same sleeping bag in one of Her Majesty's sleek black messengers of death.

 

[VicS]

Well call me impulsive but i have just ordered two supersize sleeping bags which can be zipped together if needs be to make a 6ft wide double.........and what was SWMBO's 1st question?
What colour are they?

Well what colour are they?

6ft wide! I thought the idea was to sleep together, not on opposite sides of the boat!

 

[ditchcrawler]

My wife said she could cut pieces off my boat duvet to make it fit,but in the end it was left oversize and I can wrap a bit round if I need to.

 

[Quidi Vidi]

Ah! VicS, you spotted my deliberate ploy, hope she doesn't.
I'm ashamed to say they are Burgundy and Cream, i thought it best to get a colour scheme she would like in the interest of harmony and my peace of mind! You see the boats topsides are Burgundy and she likes that colour.
Maxi77 I too spent some time hot bunking in the late 70's, my pit was a plank of wood on the torpedo racks as i was a fore endy. I can still remember the elephants footprints, cheese hush and sh*t on a raft that the chefs used to knock up, happy days! So you can imagine that my idea of luxury is slightly different to SWMBO's, a sleeping bag that someone else hasn't just crawled out of is my idea of luxury.

 

[maxi77]

Ah! VicS, you spotted my deliberate ploy, hope she doesn't.
I'm ashamed to say they are Burgundy and Cream, i thought it best to get a colour scheme she would like in the interest of harmony and my peace of mind! You see the boats topsides are Burgundy and she likes that colour.
Maxi77 I too spent some time hot bunking in the late 70's, my pit was a plank of wood on the torpedo racks as i was a fore endy. I can still remember the elephants footprints, cheese hush and sh*t on a raft that the chefs used to knock up, happy days! So you can imagine that my idea of luxury is slightly different to SWMBO's, a sleeping bag that someone else hasn't just crawled out of is my idea of luxury.

My first berth was cuddled up against a Mk20 in the aft ends of an A boat when I was on Officers Training Class. Did time on P and unconverted O boats and suspect the fore ends may have been more spacious than the wardroon though perhaps cooler.