The album of Ariel #422

[CapnK]

This will interest Ebb and maybe TonyG, as we've discussed this idea...

Cutting the main bulkhead away to open up the interior.

Well, there is a Bristol 27 on eBay right now where the owner has done that, to a degree. Here's one pic, there are a few more (but no really good ones) in the ad - link follows...

eBay B27

Mike - still thinking about that anchor locker.

[CapnK]

...and here is the latest GIMP revision. Interior sans steps and sink. IIRC, Bill@231's post the other day which commented on placement of the sink off-centerline was grist for thought. I'd been thinking to put the sink off to starboard. Rolling over other possibilties in my mind right now. The large starboard stowage/galley setup I cobbled together as a prototype onboard has been functioning well, not at all intrusive or claustrophobic. Last night I removed the last vestiges of the icebox - the bottom, which had been serving as a shelf there in the corner. Ebb, I climbed into that area and thought about your pilot berth...

This was right before I went onboard a transient's Hinckley Bermuda 40 to help them connect to the marina network. Yowza. 3rd Hinckley I've been on, though I didn't get to sail on this one - what great boats. What HUGE price tags.

[ebb]

That GIMP, what a great fun tool!
I finding it difficult to figure out what's actual or what's virtual.
But since it's a drawing, comments are acceptable, right?
Anyway, the q'berth looks more comfortable now. If it isn't used for bunking, the stowage it represents is more accessable. AND it's still a settee. Tho you may have to sling a back support under the shelf?

Interesting you have brought the bridge deck forward. This would create athwartship stowage if it is designed as a locker with lids in the c'pit seats.
But why not put the breaker and panel 'box' you show into the space above the berth? Design it as a door to provide access behind the displays.
Then that table there might become the chart table, perhaps with a further pull out extension?

I like the 'sparse' ladder for the moment. (Not having kids, I favor three rungs.) Your cabinet placement lends me to see what might happen in 338. One thing I would toy with is to do away with the ladder and somehow design steps in the furniture, either pull-outs or fold-downs. Right? I have to do it because the only standing room inside is with the hatch open! So I would rather have the room to turn around in than the convenience of a stairway. If you have an inboard then this is probably moot.

Had a ladder once in another boat with wide rungs and stiles that was comfortable to climb, yet could be lifted, when below, and set back out of the way. You just pulled it forward again to use. It could also easily be removed to gain access under the cockpit. The legs were in sockets on the sole in climbing position and the top of the stiles were captured in slots in the counter. Didn't get a patent on it. Probably do it again.

Master stateroom double is the V-berth, right? With no pull-out settee in the main?

[CapnK]

But since it's a drawing, comments are acceptable, right?
Anyway, the q'berth looks more comfortable now. If it isn't used for bunking, the stowage it represents is more accessable. AND it's still a settee. Tho you may have to sling a back support under the shelf?

Comments are *always* welcome. The foot area of the q'berth could indeed act as stowage, and I do plan for some seatback storage areas - perhaps a la Frank's #50 Revival...

Interesting you have brought the bridge deck forward. This would create athwartship stowage if it is designed as a locker with lids in the c'pit seats.

I see how you saw that. lol I wasn't planning on bringing that forward, I was pushing the bulkhead *below the level of the current counter* aft. The drawing is too 2-D too show that, I need a shadow there or something.

But why not put the breaker and panel 'box' you show into the space above the berth? Design it as a door to provide access behind the displays.
Then that table there might become the chart table, perhaps with a further pull out extension?

Never got around to removing the panel from the drawing, haven't given a lot of thought as to where to put it just yet. Into that box with the other electronics would be a good spot. Having a pull-out table there is a good idea, and will be filed as a possibility.

Regarding the ladder - I have an idea you might be able to use, I'll do a simple GIMP of it and post it in a few minutes.

Master stateroom double is the V-berth, right? With no pull-out settee in the main?

Well, you got me on that one. All this time everyone has been saying, basically, "What, no double???". As I see no prospects for a First Mate in the foreseeable future, I've been planning on not worrying about having a double very much. But yesterday evening after posting, I had a brainstorm, inspired in part by crawling into the ex-icebox area and imaging your pilot berth. I'll be GIMP'ing it up in order to present it to "The Modifications Committee" here, and see what kind of feedback it generates. It may well solve many of my quandries, and is a far departure from anything I've seen done yet. Not that that is what I am trying to do - I'm just trying to keep thinking "out of the box", hoping that by doing so I may stumble across workable ideas that hadn't come to me any other way.

[CapnK]

OK, here's the folding ladder idea. I thought of this a while back. Basically, one leg would be permanent, affixed between cabin sole and top, the other leg would be hinged on the steps, opening the ladder would fold it down. In the closed position, it would take up minimal space, and could act as a handhold. I've been thinking to orient it so that it was aligned fore and aft (off to one side or the other of the companionway), but an athwartships configuration would work also. The problem with athwartships is that it would either be vertical down from the companionway (not good in a pitching,rocking boat with wet footwear on, I'd imagine), or it would have to be set some distance out from the companionway, into the cabin.

Here's a drawing:

[CapnK]

OK, this is the other idea...

Basically, it is a U shaped platform at the aft end of the cabin, with the cabinetry/stowage forward of the legs of the U on either side. The middle of the U will be where the ladder (a telescoping ladder, as before, *not* the ladder in the above drawing) comes down from the companionway. This space - the middle of the U - would have a drop-in platform/cushion that would make it into a double. The pilot berth would extend aft under one cockpit locker as before.

This balances out the weight of the cabinet stowage, makes the double an athwartships berth, and still provides a pilot berth for at sea, when it would be unlikely that the double would be in use were there ever 2 souls aboard. The legs of the U would make for an athwartships dinette, if a table were implemented.

This idea is still very much in the developmental stage, but I think it might be workable. The drawing below is just to illustrate the concept, and is not at all close to scale.

I'm wondering how structural is the aft bulkhead in it's original position? Could a lower part of it be moved aft 12" or so without affecting the integrity of the hull? I think a double should be 48" wide or so. That puts the forward edges of the U arms 2/3 of the way towards the current forward edge of the berths, leaving only 40" of countertop space for each side. The countertops will have a sink, stove, and icebox opening in them, leaving not a lot of room to spread a chart, or whatever else the flat space might be used for - food prep, etc... Nudging the U berth aft would give a little more room to play with.

Edit: Oops! Uploaded a 1024 wide drawing. Scaled it back...

[CapnK]

Merry Christmas everyone, from Kurt, the CrewDogs, and Katie Marie! (If Christmas isn't your holiday, insert appropriate celebration!)