EBB's PHOTO GALLERY THREAD

[CapnK]

Ebb - She's looking spectacular.

Q: Where are you sleeping at? Waaay earlier in the thread, you had an area to starboard, partly tucked under the cockpit seat, that was to function as a quarter berth - and which isn't shown in the latest photos - is that your slumber spot?

And after the past couple weeks, I have to tell you - it takes more than a candle! An oil-filled, radiator style heater is sufficient, however, for when temps get as low as down into the 20's. ;D

[ebb]

Hey Kurt, good to see you again.

Around the aisle at dinette seat and V-berth level is now rimmed with a brown snake of continuous mahogany cleat that will hold the usual filler boards that make berths out of seats. Cleats are 1/2" lower than surfaces to take the filler boards. I'm thinking, without testing yet, that cushions can be kept in their place with velcro without added fiddles.

At the moment it looks like the dinette will convert to the main single berth. The table will hinge up easily to be out of the way and three boards in a canvas sleeve can be pulled across the foot well. They will FOLD and house in the narrow space under the center side locker visible in starboard interior fotos. Not made yet.
The width of the sleeping area at the dinette seats will be tight for a big frame like mine - alterations are always possible. I'll have a canvas preventer on the open side. - which could add a couple more inches width.

The V-berth 'aisle' has the composter toilet. It will have a cushioned lid over head necessities at the forward bulkhead, And the cushioned back of the easy chair will be removable and used to top the wider half of the space up to the break. The whole V-berth aisle IS the head and we'll have a privacy curtain. That's the easy part.
The widest part of the aisle back to the galley is difficult at the moment to figure how to support boards to make the double wide option. But I restrained the builtins to one main sleeping level based on the V-berth height. Frame pieces to suspend the boards, the boards themselves and where to store them, and the configuration of the pads/cushions that will have to puzzle-piece together for sleeping on.... will just have to work themselves out! Are there any sea-specific upholstery gods to appeal to?

The head will be accessible by lifting the top(s) off.
The optional wall to wall double berthing will end at the galley at an awkward angle. But it will leave good standing access in the galley - and for climbing out and in the companionway.

The quarter berth, not lined yet with insulation and fabric cover is too small and too tight for me. You'll see in earlier fotos that it had to be stepped DOWN from the dinette seat level even to make partial knee bending possible.
It will be great for storage tho.
Maybe not great - as I still intend to seal off the starboard seat locker, leave the lid openable in the cockpit for a shallow tray. That means sail bags in the stern of the q-berth will disappear for years.
Access to the back from the interior will be a royal head banger!

[CapnK]

Access to the head, while the bed is made up, is something I have considered much.

Compromise, compromise, compromise. One day, it'll get Perfect. Har.

I did a visual, to see what it would look like, posted below. Your choice of fabric color will likely be much better.

[ebb]

Kurt, THAT'S fantastic - how you do that?

So, from what Kurt has there, we can see how the double wide will work by extending a line down from the angled arm of the chair, thereby filling in that whole area, including the chair seat at the 'arms'. It would leave leg dangling room at the gallery to get up, dress, make tea, or climb out to the stern rail.

I guess if two were sleeping there, one would poke the other and get them to curl up while that mid cushion up front was removed for access to the composter.
It's a bit of a trip to imagine how this actually would work!

If it was a marina situation, I'd probably have a portapotti in the cockpit.

OR
The cockpit can be converted to a double under the stars or under a bimini and the whole downstairs left in its normal state for whatever ablutions are required in privacy.


That would be preferable.
So at some point, and with some hopeful expectation, energy will be spent on getting that right.
The bimini option - with side curtains - adds a huge THREE-SEASON ROOM to an Ariel or Commander. And should be seriously considered in any small cruising boat remodel.
This versatility will also work for a couple with kid(s).

[CapnK]

Ebb - I'm using GIMP for the imagery. As to the 'how', it isn't really hard, with a couple lil tricks, and a good image manipulation application:

1) Opened your/a photo image in GIMP. Added a transparent "Layer" on top of the image, and a second plain white Layer behind/below it. You can turn the visibility of any particular Layer on or off, whenever you want.

2) So the top Layer, imagine it as a sheet of clear acetate to draw on, with your photo as guidance. I drew on the outlines, and once I had them done,

3) I turned off visibility of that middle, photo Layer. That leaves just the clear top layer with some colored lines, showing against the white bottom Layer (...the only point in having the bottom, plain white Layer is to make it very easy to see the top Layer lines, when I have the photo 'invisible'). The colored lines have defined the 'cushion' shapes against the white background below.

4) Then, still on the top Layer, I selected the shapes inside the lines, and filled them in with color.

5) and, last - made your photo Layer visible again before saving. That's all it takes!

So, if I got it right with the extra area, your salon-as-a-bed will look like this, then:

[Tony G]

The bimini option - with side curtains - adds a huge THREE-SEASON ROOM to an Ariel or Commander. And should be seriously considered in any small cruising boat remodel.

You got that right, brother. With limited cabin space allready allocated to pulling double (if not triple) duty, any cockpit that allows you to fully recline has to be seriously considered as a berth. Undoubtedly it is an added expense to make a convertible cockpit that needs to be weighed against the benefits in some sort of cost/benefit ratio. Factor into that equation how frequently one may actually use it... But then, seriously, how cost effective is this 'boat stuff' when viewed with a strict monetary perspective? As far as I'm concerned, it is the easiest way to make a split-level home out of a Commander or Ariel.

A big berth below for those rainy days or when you just wanna hang out seems like a real winner also. I keep thinking 'where are we going to store all these pillows?', but where there is a will there is a way.

[ebb]

apropos GIMP, Kurt, my daughter explained it to me.
She said I'd never be able to do it.
I think it'll be like tyrying to fly an airplane.


Hey Tony,
About that cockpit well conversion to sleeping
Wonder if aye will care what any cos'facta ratio was
when I'm flat on my back in the Tropics looking up at the stars.

I'll make some cockpit gratings strong enuf to span the well at seat level -
bring those electric BLUE KURT CUSHIONS up from below - and retrieve that last can of ginger ale from the cooler.....
and 'Here's To Ya!' the whole damn universe.

I SWEAR, that's all I want!
EVER
__________________________________________________ _____________________________________
check out www.youtube.com The Seventh Skol
great animation
__________________________________________________ _____________________________________
I know why they are laffing in picture 354...
He's just hit his head AGAIN on the cabin rail while leaning back!

[Tony G]

Wonder if aye will care what any cos'facta ratio was
when I'm flat on my back in the Tropics looking up at the stars.

Zactly!!! I sat on an old rickety dock every night while down in Belize just amazed by all of the stars dipping to the horizon while everyone else sat at a bar just like they did Stateside. It was never more clear that this boat is a portal to real life rather than some machine or posession as many unfortunate people view them. I like to think you can either live on a boat or live with it. I prefer the latter.

I was thinking the same thing with the flooring grate resting on small risers in the footwell during the day and on cleats at night. It can't just be pretty-it's gotta pull double duty too. Wanna put a canvas liner in the footwell to have a bath every now and then too. What do you think about that?