My first post

[thegreatescape]

Greetings everyone.

This is my first post so I thought I would say hello. I've been sailing since 1979. Although I didn't really learn how to sail until the mid-80's as I was born in '74. Started out with the sacrificial P.O.S. 25 foot boat, spent most of my youth through college on a 36' Heritage West Indies and now sail a 1999 Catalina 36' MKII.

Right now my father owns the Catalina and I am not in the market for a boat of my own. He's my sailing buddy and lives close by. Still, I keep looking at other boats and what I would get if I only won the lottery or didn't have a wife and all the house bills etc.

Since I do look at boats that I want from time to time, I have a few ideas of what I would like. Granted, I can always get a carpenter to modify something provided that the weight is still centered correctly, but I really like the forward cabin that you see on some boats (that is not a V berth). I've only seen this on a Hans Christian. I'm assuming that this configuration is available on other yachts as well.

Any suggestions? (and no, I'm not looking for a stand alone v-berth room bed that one would fall out of in a second if on an overnight tack - e.g. some of the newer swans and malos).

[labatt]

Welcome! I know there's a version of the Passport 40 that has a pullman berth in a forward "cabin". The primary head is then in the V. Here's a link to an example... http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi..._id=20264&url=

[Parley]

Another example is the boat Bob Perry designed for the owner of Islander Yachts: The Islander Freeport 36. Awesome layout for a cruising couple.

I have not personally seen one so I do not know how they are layed out, but there is also a 41' "Freeport". Since the layout was the big feature of the 36, I assume the 41 is similar.

[thegreatescape]

Pullman berths. Forgot the term until after I posted. Thats exactly what I am seeking. Having rolled off of a side berth while on a tack in the middle of the night, I've decided that a bit of confinement on a blue water cruiser is a really good thing.

Granted, I can always get a boat and modify the interior, since I am not a boat builder it seems like a better choice to have someone with the requisite knowledge actually design such a layout.

Any other suggestions?

[Faster]

Today's typical production boats are not so easily modified, the construction methods involving liners and enforcement grids often preclude major changes to the layout.

BTW, the Catalina 42 also came with a pullman/fwd head arrangement, and several other designs offer semi-pullman berths in the forward cabin along one side of the hull, but not technically a true "V" berth.

[pigslo]

This has GOT to be the guy who's dad owned my boat first. I will say no more to protect your privacy.

[sailingdog]

Which boat was yours? The 25' POS or the 36' Heritiage West Indies??