A Head Thread

[s/v Beth]

When I hear such swearing i2f I usually turn up the VHF.

[imagine2frolic]

I was in touch with my sensitive side at the moment. I really wanted to ask if the door was okay.........i2f

[Amgine]

::laugh:: Imagine2Frolic: you had both I and my partner chuckling out loud! Except that it was *me* who ended up with my head in the hanging locker across.

The boat I've been doodling on is Ted Brewer's Jason, a 34'6" hull.

Actually, a big part of my dislike for vee-berths is, for us, they've always ended up being storage space and otherwise useless. Where we've sailed a boat big enough to have one, usually about 36', the forward head is always cramped, and then there's some obscenely wide berth tapering to a foot-war point that requires a step ladder to get into, is too short to sit upright in and is unusable except at anchor. After a night or two, we end up sleeping anywhere but in the vee.

Right now I have a Cape Dory 25D, with the forepeak given over to a largish head and a saloon with two full-length berths, as well as a quarterberth. In heavy weather upwind there is a bit of free fall, but no wet tail so far; perhaps it's due to having only an 18.5' waterline. If I had pressure water the head has a teak grate sole and a sump, so I could rig the compartment as a shower. But I don't have either pressure or hot water, so in port I hang a solar shower from the jib halyard and through the forehatch, although without the sump rigged with a pump it just drains into the bilge.

[Curmudgeon]

I love my head in the forepeak. My Lavac is mounted on the port side facing starboard, with a large single berth opposite. It's under the doghouse with full standing headroom, plus you can open the hatch. I do have hot/cold water with a shower grate, sump and electric pump.

Unless I have multiple guests the forward bunk is used for storage. I deploy the bunk's leecloth to keep everything dry when showering. There is also tons of counter space behind the toilet and sink plus plenty of hooks to hang stuff. This is a far better arrangement than the typical sailboat head, with hardly enough room to get your butt through the door.

You can't see the toilet or sink in this picture, but you can see the bunk and shower grate.