The V-Berth Problem

[c_amos]

Having spent hundreds of nights aboard Faith, lived aboard her and cruised with her I still find myself unclear on the best way to use the V-berth.

I gave up trying to sleep there long ago. I do not recall if it was the narrow bunk, or if it was the fact that my feet were higher then my head... but I do recall that it did not work out. Sleeping in the Saloon with the boards across the middle gives the Ariel a berth that is the envy of a much larger boat.

Of course there is the head. Great place, right in the center... lots of clearance, and good seating. I am in the process of changing over to a composting head, but it will go pretty much were the original one was.

When cruising, the V-berth bunks were the garage, the closet, the workshop, and the overflow pantry. All of these things were done adequately, none done particularly well.

Eric kept racks for water bottles in the V-Berth on Starcrest.

Kurt is building a higher berth, with stowage under it on Katie Marie.

I see Tony has what look like drawers under the bunk, I really like that but after hours of contemplation I have decided it is beyond my skill level to make drawers that use the space, and open well.

We replaced the foam with some puzzle piece pad that works reasonably well. I have cut access holes in the bunk tops, and put net across the openings. This allows maximum loading of the space, but getting to anything requires removing everything from above.... (box of food, several bags of tools and clothes). Less then ideal.

Of course, all the bags - o - stuff have to be tied down, and which ever bag you want is going to be tied down under the others.

I was thinking of building low cabinets with lids, but can't come up with a design I like.

Anyone have any ideas>>?

Thanks,

[carl291]

How about building a simple shelf about the width and length of the bunks at the height of your tallest storage containers.
This way your uniform storage containers fit on the bunk and your oddball sized gear go on the top shelf. To access storage below the bunk you move one storage bin and start digging below for that elusive item.

[Tony G]

I like Carl's idea. That shelf affords the oportunity to add tie-downs(or tie ins really)along the edge that would hold the bins in place underway instead of relying on a fiddle. Added bonus for you, because Rose keeps track of the location of stores you'll know which bin to pull out to get to the top-loading storage you need.

Honestly, my pullouts are pretty shallow in an effort to keep them stout. Most of 113's v-berth storage on the starboard side will be top-loading lockers behind said pullouts. The port side was going to be built-ins but I'm really liking Carls idea. Maybe a blend of both. There are so many sizes of totes and bins available now days. They really do make good sense. Hmmm... You know, I can't say I really like sleeping in the v-berth either, Craig. And I haven't found a place for a binch vice yet. Now see what you've started?;)

[ebb]

Craig,
Baldwin in his Triton raised the V-berth.
There isn't much raising you can do in an Ariel and still keep it a surface to sleep on, humans need a surprising amount of room above them to be comfortable.
The V-berth is pretty defined by the deck.
Sitting room is found only in the center of the space really.
And I think standing (with the hatch open) is important.
So is exiting through the hatch, so some non-ladder way of climbing out and in has to be planned when remodeling.

I think much storage room is lost with carpentry. Especially drawers and heavy traditional doors. You'll probably have top loading bins on either side of the composter, mostly because pull out drawers can't happen there. Aft of the throne, shelves and lockers can be put in.

If you are seriously not going to use the forward space for sleeping then you have the V-berth side of the main bulkhead to build into bins and shelves. You probably have a good idea of what you want. You can begin by defining the space you want closed with a partial bulkhead. I am absolutely convinced that you can do this with meranti Hydrotec plywood.
Consider 1/4" material! Really. If you glue and screw a nice light frame together with 3/4" cleat and face with 1/4" ply and use 1/4" for short span shelving you can have a very light and very strong storage system.

Build the main cabinet box then stack shelving and dividers on shelves inside.
Egg crate system very strong.

You can face the vertical front with a number radius corner cutouts in a single piece of ply. You can leave cutouts open, have lids on hinges or held shut with cam latches or turn catches, or even have sliders on double inside tracks.
If you leave them open, your access cutout can be above the shelf level acting as a fiddle, or simply add battens or bungy.

Meranti is very flat (never warped) and smooth. It's nice enough for varnish and easy to prime and paint. It cost about the same as exterior fir but is real beautiful material and a pleasure to work.
I use certain Bosch metal cutting blades for Meranti in the hand-held jigsaw.



Soft stowage like hammocks might be a good idea above the V-berths.

[c_amos]

Carl,

How about building a simple shelf about the width and length of the bunks at the height of your tallest storage containers.....

That was kind of where I had originally planned to go, only I was going to enclose the front of the shelf and make a door to get to the shelf. That way the stores are accesed from the top, since I know from expereince that whatever you want for dinner will be at the very back of the shelf... and eventually that stranded can of pear halves will ferment and explode in the dark corner you forgot.... (ask me how I know). :p

I like your idea of a shelf, it is simple and effective. I might ponder this in conjunction with Ebb's idea. Might be the combination is just the ticket.

Tony,

The bench vice will sit on top of the bread maker, as soon as I figure out where the dishwasher and the trash compactor go..... :)

Ebb,

I had not even considered building a cabinet. I will have to go back to the drawing board and see what makes sense. I really like the idea of light material, save the weight for the stores.... http://pearsonariel.org/discussion/images/icons/icon14.gif

[Hull376]

This is sorta on topic for v berth storage options. One thing I recently did was to begin storing my small 5,000 BTU air conditioner in the V berth by having it protrude a little bit into the chain locker after mounting it on the fore bulkhead cut-out. I've used a cruisair hatch mounted air conditioner in the past, but it suffered from three problems:
1. Not much air conditioning ---- for the price or the btu rating.
2. Heavy. Hard to get it on the bow.
3. Storage. It doesn't fit easily down the comp. No where to put it but on the sole. And in Texas, leaving it behind at the dock when cruising is not an option except for maybe 4 months of the year. Wind scoops are really mosquito and humidity scoops where I live.

So I have a small $100 unit from the home store that cools well. Its lite. Drawback is it has to be put in place where hatch boards go--- some inconvenience if U want to go below and back on deck a lot. Nothin is perfect. I found that it stores easily by mounting it on two oak 1x2's which are screwed (and removable) into the cut-out to the chain locker. One of the 1x2's crosses the cutout towards the bottom, and is the "catch" for the unit similar to a window sill. The second board is mounted about 12" higher up in the cut-out (longer board to go across) and it fits into the metal "L" bracket on the top of the air conditioner just like the window is closed into this bracket with normal mounting. The air conditioner is now "caught" and can't move around at all. My anchor is stored on the bow pulpit, so only chain and nylon rode in the locker with a clear shot down the hawse pipe-- no interference from the conditioner.

I thought I'd mention this as you'all debate storage ideas in the V berth. Of course, some of you have no need for air conditioners on Ariels. But then we have all winter to sail and U don't!:p