Larry W4CSC wrote in his simulated living aboard
piece

Boats don't have room for "beds", as such. Fold your Sealy Posturepedic up
against a wall, it won't fit on a boat. Go to a hobby fabric store and buy
a foam pad 5' 10" long and 4' wide AND NO MORE THAN 3" THICK. Cut it into
a triangle so the little end is only 12" wide. This simulates the foam pad
in the V-berth up in the pointy bow of the sailboat. Bring in the kitchen
table from the kitchen you're not allowed to use. Put the pad UNDER the
table, on the floor, so you can simulate the 3' of headroom over the pad.
Block off both long sides of the pad, and the pointy end so you have to
climb aboard the V-berth from the wide end where your pillows will be. The
hull blocks off the sides of a V-berth and you have to climb up over the
end of it through a narrow opening (hatch to main cabin) on a boat. You'll
climb over your mate's head to go to the potty in the night. No fun for
either party. Test her mettle and resolve by getting up this way right
after you go to bed at night. snip.... You need to find out how
much climbing over her she will tolerate BEFORE you're stuck with a big
boat and big marina bills and she refuses to sleep aboard it any more.....

I have never quite understood sleeping with my feet at the pointy end.
The first time I ever slept aboard a boat it was a charter, and we
were in the V-berth. I looked at it and instantly decided to sleep
with my head at the pointy end, and moved the pillows to that end.
It's not THAT narrow that both Bob and I can't both fit our heads
there. I'd rather have my head near his than my feet near his feet
or my head at his feet which would be completely unsatisfactory.

This has the advantage that we can crawl in AND back out (without
turning around) and it doesn't disturb the other person. It's MUCH
better than an athwart berth in that respect. Also, I can get one
foot outside of the covers - I can't sleep if I can't get my feet out
from under the sheet. The only disadvantage I can see is that the
reading light on the bulkhead is now at my feet. If I want to read, I
just take my pillow down there and sit at the 'foot'.

On our boat, we have a hatch that is right over the V-berth and if we
leave it open at night and it rains, it rains on your face and alerts
you to get up and close the hatches. Also I can exit the V-berth
through this hatch to look at the sunrise without traipsing through
the main cabin or waking Bob up.

Why don't other people do this?


grandma Rosalie