[northwestsailor]

Has anyone converted the quarter berth to a cockpit-accessible lazarette? Or to any use other than sleeping or I-don't-know-where-else-to-put-it storage?

None of the 28-foot candidates for a boat that we've looked at have as much cockpit-accessible storage as we'd like ---for outboard gas tank, dinghy outboard motor, Honda 2000EUi generator, fenders, dock lines, etc. We DON'T need more than the V-berth or saloon berths for sleeping and we would love to make the quarter berth into a truly useful storage area.

Has anyone turned the quarter berth into a lazarette that is shut off from the cabin? Into a wet locker? Or a porta-potty place?

Thanks for your consideration!

 

[baboon]

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/good-old-boat/32459-goodbye-bed-hello-storage.html

 

[Barquito]

That is the article I was thinking of, too. Who would really want to sleep 6 on a 28 foot boat anyway?

 

[Alex W]

A good chunk of what you described there is no safe to store inside the boat. We keep our dinghy outboard and fuel tank on the back rail of the boat, where any gas vapors will not end up in the bilge. This is the shelf that I built on my stern pulpit that holds propane and gasoline:

My Pearson 28-2 has a huge cockpit locker, at most I've stored 8 fenders, two folding bicycles, snorkeling gear for two, a spare anchor and rode, the emergency tiller, docking lines, and various small items in. That much stuff makes it hard to get items out, but it always has enough room for the basics.

I primarily use the V-berth for sail storage and we sleep in the double sized quarterberth. We we have guests we'll clean out the V-berth to have two double berths.

 

[Barquito]

Agree about the danger of storing gasoline below deck. However, you could partition off part and install a perminant tank. Vent the tank to the outside (just like inboard sailboats). A large tank would be better on centerline, of course.

 

[Alex W]

Properly creating an externally vented cockpit locker is not a minor project. It's possible (it's just fiberglass after all) but it would be an extensive retrofit on most boats.

There are also many boats that don't have quarterberths and which have two cockpit lockers instead. A common model in your target size range in the northwest is the Yankee 30. The C&C 30 also has two cockpit lockers and no quarterberth.

 

[capecodda]

Yes. Don't put gas, propane, in the wrong place.

That said we agree that quarter berths are the default storage location on many boats. We believe this so much that we built a selfish 2 person boat. The quarter berth location has tools, spairs, wet locker, and a removable panel so you can actually service the engine, transmission and stuffing box.

This is not a configuration that sells boats at boat shows, but it is a configuration that is practical and works IMHO.

 

[tdw]

Admittedly I've never had to face horrid conditions at sea but from what experience I have with nasty weather I think quarter berths are overrated. My preference is a saloon berth with a decent lea cloth or even cushions on the sole. This is presuming a short handed crew (I'm really thinking a couple). I guess with a larger crew bodies strewn about the saloon would be inconvenient to say the least but midships is still for me the most comfortable place to kip when it gets a bit lumpy.

On our current 42'er this is not really an issue cos we have quarter cabin to port and huge cockpit locker to starboard but even so we've rarely if ever used the quarter berth at sea. On my old 28'er a couple of boats back I'd have gladly sacrificed the quarter berth for storage.

 

[Alex W]

The quarterberth on our 28' boat has a wider foot area than any V-berth that I've seen. The cushions have close to the same size as a queen mattress. This makes the quarter berth considerably more comfortable for two people even just for coastal cruising. The V-berth is also right under the forward hatch, which makes it the ideal area for sail storage. Since our boat also has a large deep cockpit locker opposite the quarterberth I don't feel like we are giving up a lot with this design.

I'd sleep in the main cabin on the settee if trying to sleep while sailing on an overnight trip, but for coastal cruising I prefer to leave sitting areas for sitting and sleeping areas for lying down.

 

[christian.hess]

a neat setup Ive seen on some smaller boats is to make the quarterberth into an actuall workshop with direct access to the cockpit...

ive also seen it done on boats(bigger) where the cockpit sole opens up with a very strong watertight hatch and under is the workspace too...

cant remember what boat or book it was in but making a second hatch or lazarette opening and having a workbench area under with access to the engine and tools and all equipment ready to use is a great idea in my book.

I currently dont have my quarterberth with its cushion either, its full of old rigging , the folded up dinghy and other things...there is a nice acces panel to the strut, prop shaft and stuffing box...even the gas tank...

regarding fumes from gas, and propane Ive always been a fan of strapping those things out back on a wooden base and simply vent to the atmosphere...you can also cover them with fabric or whatnot

btw I cruised on a boat that stored 2 emergency diesel containers about 10 galons each in each querterberth behind an access panel that vented directly up...however it did smell quite a bit in rough weather...

fwiw

 

[newhaul]

Yes it can be done. What boat are you considering I would need to know that to give you any assistance in doing the conversion.

 

[tdw]

Alex,
I prefer our v-berth cos it has more headroom but I take your point. For single night coastal you can get some rest pretty much anywhere. I've slept quite soundly at sea in a v-berth surrounded by sail bags. Its only for multiple nights at sea that you need real comfort. IMO.

Because we almost always are just a couple its no problem for one of us to sleep on settee. The other is invariably in the cockpit and can still use galley if required.

 

[kentobin]

From Quarterberth to Cockpit Locker
James Baldwin describes converting a quarterberth to a cockpit locker on a Columbia 8.7
Atom Voyages - Columbia 8.7 Cockpit Locker from Quarterberth Conversion

 

[northwestsailor]

Wonderful! That is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks so much to both of you.

 

[northwestsailor]

Yes it can be done. What boat are you considering I would need to know that to give you any assistance in doing the conversion.

We haven't fixed on a particular boat yet but are looking at O'Day 27s, Catalina 27s, and a variety of 28-footers. 28 feet is our limit for a variety of reasons that will interest no one on this thread.

We do, of course, expect that the conversion will be a big undertaking if we don't already have a cockpit locker over the quarter berth. But as someone once said (I think it was Rat)
"... there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing... about in boats - or with boats. In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, "

 

[Alex W]

We haven't fixed on a particular boat yet but are looking at O'Day 27s, Catalina 27s, and a variety of 28-footers. 28 feet is our limit for a variety of reasons that will interest no one on this thread.

Doesn't the Catalina 27 also have a big deep cockpit locker? I had a Catalina 25 and it's lazarette was huge for a boat that size, though the hatch was small. A Catalina 27 made after the mid 80s likely even has a good externally vented locker for the outboard.

Have you tried looking at any of the more modern designs (European designs after the early 80s, US designs after the mid 80s)? They generally carry their beam farther aft and will be the models that have larger double quarterberths along with bigger cockpit lockers. Beneteau First 285, my Pearson 28-2, various models by Jeanneau, Catalina 28 (not sure on locker size) are all examples of this design that fit your length requirement.