Aft Berth

[sailortjk1]

My wife and I play the "Who's sleeping on the inside, so i don't get an elbow in the face or a knee to the grion everytime you have to get up," game. Our aft is big, but you have to crawl in and out of it and the person on the inside or furthest aft, is always crawling over the other to get out.
Plenty of room to sit up and read, but no room from about the waist down as it tucks under the cockpit.
A centerline Queen would be a welcome addition to our next boat.
I am finding that around 42', aft cockpit, they start to become available either in the aft or the forward cabin, it doesn't matter to me, I just want both people to have access from each side of the berth.
Remeber, I am speaking from a Costal Cruiser view point.

[sailingdog]

SailorTjk1-

You might want to look at a small catamaran... Many have a centerline queen berth with the ability to get out of it on either side...so no elbows neccesary.

[sailortjk1]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

SailorTjk1-

You might want to look at a small catamaran... Many have a centerline queen berth with the ability to get out of it on either side...so no elbows neccesary.

I would be interested.
Only problem I see is that Cats are not that popular on the Great Lakes.
In fact they are few and far between.
The Marinas around here are not equipped to and don't know how to handle them. I'm sure my homeport would find me a spot to berth one, but when cruising it might become a hassle.

Now Chuckles Gemini might work with a 14' beam!
The Gunboat is a different story.!

[Sasha_V]

Originally Posted by tdw

Aft cabin centreline beds in an aft cockpit boat are for me a disaster on a sub 40'er. That is on every boat I've seen. Look great on the plans but the reality is that you are lying in bed with the cockpit floor right over the top of you. In a lot of them you can barely roll over let alone try and get down and dirty. As for sitting up in bed to read, forget it.

Based purely on my observations, maybe there are exceptions to the rule.

Ah, you've been on an Endeavour 30 then, I see, Mr Wombat!




Nice boat, but it is so not worth cluttering up the middel of the salon floor with an engine box, in order to foster and promote concussion and abstinence in the "queen size" berth beneath the cockpit floor...
(And there is a good chance of having somone step on your head as they go to climb the companionway steps in the dead of night).



Sasha

[chucklesR]

Did I hear someone say 'catamaran'?
lemme see - Great Lakes - according to the list at my Gemini owners website there are over 200 currently in the g'lakes area.
Of course you have to give up on the centerline aft idea, we have a queen sized bed (not coffin) forward, and another in the salon - with two doubles aft.

[sailingdog]

There are quite a few small catamarans that would work for you, including the Gemini. If you're anchoring out or on a mooring, then the fact that you've got a 14-18' beam is pretty much moot. If you're looking for slips only...then the beam is more of an issue.

I've been on a Gunboat 48... very pretty...damned expensive.

Originally Posted by sailortjk1

I would be interested.
Only problem I see is that Cats are not that popular on the Great Lakes.
In fact they are few and far between.
The Marinas around here are not equipped to and don't know how to handle them. I'm sure my homeport would find me a spot to berth one, but when cruising it might become a hassle.

Now Chuckles Gemini might work with a 14' beam!
The Gunboat is a different story.!

[sailortjk1]

Like I said, not many Cats on the Great Lakes. 200 might sound like a lot but is in fact a very small pecentage concidering the Hundreds of Thousands of boats out there.

[chucklesR]

oh, and at 14 ft, no one (per the members website) has ever had to pay for a double slip - or a premium on the haulouts - we don't tell the marina's we are a catamaran, we tell them 34x14 with 2ft draft.

[sailortjk1]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

There are quite a few small catamarans that would work for you, including the Gemini. If you're anchoring out or on a mooring, then the fact that you've got a 14-18' beam is pretty much moot. If you're looking for slips only...then the beam is more of an issue.

I've been on a Gunboat 48... very pretty...damned expensive.

They have always been a consideration for me.
Mooring balls are also on the decline by me. (Don't know about the other areas).

[sailortjk1]

Originally Posted by chucklesR

oh, and at 14 ft, no one (per the members website) has ever had to pay for a double slip - or a premium on the haulouts - we don't tell the marina's we are a catamaran, we tell them 34x14 with 2ft draft.

Ok, I will consider one for our next boat(Which the way things are going right now could be several years out)

Chuckles,
How do they handle nasty choppy waters?
I would be a little leary with the bridge deck slamming into GL's choppy 6-8' very steep waves.