I have reached an age where I find it past difficult to use the v berth. Things no longer bend as in days of yore. That is when I discovered that the storage rack above the side berths are so low they inhibit rolling over. My shoulders or hips are blocked. No jokes about gerth or weight as that is not a problem, if it were the whole boat would be too small. So, I took out the rack on the port side and found the result to be roomy and comfortable. What puzzles me is that the builders would not have noticed the lack of clearance. The racks are too small to put anything useful in them anyway.
What year is your 23? I sleep on the side bunks and have no problem at all with space. I sail a 1983 but I once took a look at JT's 1983- quite different.
I've not slept in the v-berth as I'm usually anchored and there's more movement up there. The sides are closer to the middle of the boat and thus less movement in waves and wind. Better sleep. Plus I get to look at the stars out of the open hatch!
bob23
I don't think anyone can sleep in a Vee birth with a compression post in the way. I just use it for storage...truth be known the Vee birth is usually empty on the CP-19..
Sleeping well in the quarter birth...but have always considered a port/starboard, 1-1/2 wide birth starting at the compression post [ almost ] and heading astern. A picture of this kind of set-up is in Handbook of Trailer Sailing by Robert Burgess on page 65.
skip.
My wife and I sleep in the v birth. Ask Mike Greene.
The V in a 23 is quite roomeee! Hey, that rhymes!
bob23
I have only slept in the vee berth. On the last B.E.E.R cruise there was plenty of room for both Admiral Sheri and myself for four nights. Took a regular queen sheet set and sewed up some fitted sheets for that berth. The side berths are too narrow, I think, because of the built in cabinetry. I've considered tearing it out, but it was too nicely done to destroy.
Mine is a 1981 CP-23. I had the same problem with the racks above the the side berths. I removed both racks this summer and now the boat feels much bigger. Much more room for sleeping and lounging. I also like the v-berth in the 23. I find both to be very comfortable at dock. I'm sure if I was anchored out I would find the v-berth less comfortable.
Chris
well, this past season was our first with Adagio ( 1982 23) , and i did not know that the v berth was too small to sleep in.. so not only did we use it to sleep in, but.... well, as the kids would say.. TMI just to keep this in perspective, however, this is the same guy who, 20 years ago, took his wife and 3 and 5 year old on a 7 week cross country camping trip in a subaru station wagon .. the v berth is just about as big as that car! :)
the weekend that the kids were with us, they took over the v berth , and we slept on the bunks in the main cabin.. we did experience a bit of difficulty with the shelves , and i can see how their removal would make that a better option - and they really are not all that functional. and, we also took our sleeping bags out and slept in the cockpit one night.. that was a neat experience. our boat was at the dock, so the v berth turned out to be quite comfortable.. i can see how that might be different at anchor, however. i hope that we get to try out the option of being at anchor next summer! jt
With the cabinets on the 23/3 the quarter berths are just too narrow for my shoulders. V berth is a couple of inches too short (I'm 6' 5") but I can more or less fit if I'm under the side deck.
We had four sleeping on the boat this summer which worked but was crowded. Next summer I might try sleeping in the cockpit by filling in the foot well and putting an air mattress on top. Would probably be very comfortable, esp. if I make a boom tent.
Shawn
I'm a short little guy, 5' 7"(ok, maybe not so little) so the side berths are fine. Sure, a bit narrow but very much ok. I would never rip out the storage cabinets. I fit alot of stuff in there. A while back, I did away with those awkward removable panels and installed sliding translucent fiberglass doors on hardwood frames. Much more functional.
bob23
At anchor it is best to sleep in the because you can hear if the anchor is dragging.
In my case, anchors. I like to deploy two anchors if I'm gonna be there for a while. Reduces swing and a little extra insurance. In any case, after I set the first one, I back down with the motor to make sure it's set. Don't want to worry about dragging anchors when I'm supposed to be counting sheep.
bob23
Bob,
Sheep and sailing just don't mix.
tg
The Admiral and I always use the V berth, but I agree that for someone over 6' tall it is too short to be comfortable. We modified the starboard berth with a drop-in galley that doubles as a 26" extension to the V berth. This change in addition to a 2" memory foam pad have made the V berth a comfy spot for about 30 nights this summer.
(http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt211/greene2108/1988%20Com-Pac%2019/DSC02736.jpg)
(http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt211/greene2108/1988%20Com-Pac%2019/DSC02741.jpg)
Pics show the galley surface without the 26" x 26" foam pad which we just store up in the V berth during the day.
Sure has made cooking and sleeping a much more enjoyable experience for us.
Mike and B
ANY PHOTOS OF THE PROJECT?
I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT LEAVING THE SHELF AND JUST REMOVING THE SLIDING PANELS BELOW IT TO GAIN A FEW INCHES OF WIDTH.
PERHAPS MAKING THE SHELF HALF IT'S PRESENT WIDTH WOULD ALSO HELP.
LON
PRUDENCE CP23
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Quote from: jcatkeson on October 21, 2011, 04:14:46 PM
I have reached an age where I find it past difficult to use the v berth. Things no longer bend as in days of yore. That is when I discovered that the storage rack above the side berths are so low they inhibit rolling over. My shoulders or hips are blocked. No jokes about gerth or weight as that is not a problem, if it were the whole boat would be too small. So, I took out the rack on the port side and found the result to be roomy and comfortable. What puzzles me is that the builders would not have noticed the lack of clearance. The racks are too small to put anything useful in them anyway.
We used to sleep in the V berth all the time - But then some huge power boat dragged and crashed into HideAways port side very late one night. Fortunately we were sleeping in the cockpit at the time - No way, no how will we ever sleep in a V berth again. So what to do.
Don't know what happened there - it just posted -- Another beer please. Anyway we tried putting plywood between the settees. This put our body mass over the center line and it felt like we were sleeping down hill. So then we put the two jib sail bags at our head pushing our body mass closer the the center. After awhile though it was just too much work to rearrange the boat each night.
Since HideAway is hull #2 it has no cabinetry period. This makes for very large comfortable settee berths. Just add an air mattress and a sleeping bag and you re set. A flat top cooler makes a handy table for stuff. The V berth has been converted to storage of sails, water, food,tools etc. I added a sink and vanity so now it is what it should be-- A head with storage. Besides sleeping on the head has never been appealing and heaven help you if someone needed to use the head at night, not to mention some big nasty power boat dragging anchor.
There are some pictures of this on my blog "Compac 23 V Berth Conversion" http://svhideaway.blogspot.com/2011/05/compac-23-v-berth-conversion.html
My CP 23 does not have sliding panels of any sort and the racks are so small as to preclude storing anything larger than a whistle. Obviously there are different configurations among the boats from year to year. As for the V berth, those who find it comfortable might reconsider when they reach 80 plus. Fine to sleep in once in but at 80 plus, it is not easy to get into the area. Do appreciate the responses.