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Old 28-10-2016, 14:49   #16
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Re: Centerline or athwartship - does it matter?

A mono I delivered down the aussie coast had a athawtships double in the aft cabin. It was supprisingly good in light to moderate rolling, and better (I felt) than a longitudinal bunk in light rolling.

But it was horrible when the boat was heeled past 10 degrees or so, and you ended up sliding one way or the other.

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Old 28-10-2016, 14:54   #17
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Re: Centerline or athwartship - does it matter?

i have a cat. he likes to sleep under my pulman style bed in my formosa. nice n warm when he waits for his breakfast.
i have had pilot berths transverse berths pullman berths and vee berths. and quarterberths
i prefer pullman
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Old 28-10-2016, 15:02   #18
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Re: Centerline or athwartship - does it matter?

I am usually in the minority, and this time is no different. I find a bunk athwartships to be the only decent option in a heavy rolling situation. Having to pack yourself into place with cushions and bolsters and leecloths is all very well in cool climates, but in the tropics it sucks. I designed my 'thwartships bunk so I could always have my head on the high side, and there is no way to slide off the ends. The only excuse for fore-and-aft berths is if there's no room for a decent bed. In which case, your boat is too small or it was poorly designed. Which is the case with most boats these days.
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Old 28-10-2016, 15:14   #19
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Re: Centerline or athwartship - does it matter?

Fore and aft berths without doubt..

I don't see why you have to crawl over your partner they can be easily arranged so that you get in from one end; no crawling over involved (unless you want to ). Of course at sea if you are sailing as a couple there will be no crawling over anyway !
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Old 28-10-2016, 15:19   #20
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Re: Centerline or athwartship - does it matter?

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Originally Posted by liveaboard60 View Post
I would like some input from those who have spent a lot of time on their boats.. Up to this point I have been a staunch believer in centerline berths.. To me, there are few things more soothing than to be rocked (side to side) to sleep.. And I sleep best on my boat.. All of the boats on which I have spent any time sleeping have had centerline berths..

However I see so many very nice boats with athwart ship berths.. I don't like these for 2 reasons.. 1) most are set up so you have to crawl over your partner to get into bed.. 2) I would think the rocking motion of the boat would cause the body to rock head to toe (vs side to side), and thus be more prone to a queasy stomach.

While point 1 can be lived with, point 2 gives me pause for concern. I wish I could spend a couple nights on a boat with athwart ship berth to really see if it would be a problem or is it just some prejudice in my head..

So I must turn to the collective wisdom of the list for experiences.. While I realize this isn't cut and dry and is bad to one isn't bad to another, but please reply with tales of your own.. Thanks mucho in advance.. flk k
Moored or anchored there isn't much difference unless you're dealing with a "blow" in which case a fore'n aft "sea berth" will be preferred to an "in port" berth as one's body can more easily deal with pitching than rollng, which tends to more exaggerated, at least on a mono, in crappy weather.

On our yacht we have a very nice, queen sized, Pullman in the forward or "master" (or on our boat "mistress" as my --much--better half calls it) cabin. While a Pullman style berth may necessitate the need for certain athletic abilities for mid-night nature calls, what works for us seems to involve Ms. Priss tapping me on the shoulder at 0'dark:30 at which point I sit up, usually without wakening much, if at all, while she exits and then later, repeats the exercise when she returns. Frankly, I often don't recall her excursions although she claims I am/was very accommodating. (On the other hand, even a 4' 9"--although she claims 5'--100 lb waif coming down on you with an ill-placed elbow or knee while you're sleeping will definitely get your attention!)

On passages--for us usually not involving more than one or two nights at sea--we sail "watch-on-watch" and so share or "hot bunk" the most comfortable leeward sea berth which are fore'n aft and are, of course, fitted with lee-cloths as are all the berths on the yacht. Frankly, I cannot imagine sleeping athwart ship with the yacht under way, even in a modest seaway. Half the time one would be trying to sleep whilst "standing on one's head" which isn't restful to say the least.

FWIW...
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Old 28-10-2016, 16:46   #21
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Re: Centerline or athwartship - does it matter?

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I am usually in the minority, and this time is no different. I find a bunk athwartships to be the only decent option in a heavy rolling situation. Having to pack yourself into place with cushions and bolsters and leecloths is all very well in cool climates, but in the tropics it sucks. I designed my 'thwartships bunk so I could always have my head on the high side, and there is no way to slide off the ends. . . .
I actually agree. At sea, sailing upwind, or when there is much rolling, I personally prefer athwartship with feet down. For me, it's MUCH more comfortable.

But as Uncivilized said, it's purely a matter of personal preference.

If you're sleeping two-up, then you can't beat an island queen bunk (but who sleeps two-up at sea?). An island queen is fine at sea for one person if it is comprised of two single mattresses with a lee cloth in the middle. Aft master cabins of Moodys and Oysters are like this.

Halberg Rassey and some Swan aft masters have a double bunk on one side of the cabin and a single on the other, with bolsters. You can sleep two-up in the double at sea, or one of you in whichever of the bunks is on the lee side, at sea. The other of you presumably either on watch or in a sea berth elsewhere on the boat. This also seems to me like a good arrangement, although I haven't actually slept in such a cabin.

On my boat, all 7 of the dedicated berths are fore and aft, but there is one place in the salon where it's possible to sleep athwartship at sea. This is the most popular sea berth underway when the boat is heeling.

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Old 28-10-2016, 17:06   #22
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Re: Centerline or athwartship - does it matter?

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...

However I see so many very nice boats with athwart ship berths.. I don't like these for 2 reasons.. 1) most are set up so you have to crawl over your partner to get into bed. ...
That's the best part. As in crawling over one's love.
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Old 28-10-2016, 17:15   #23
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Re: Centerline or athwartship - does it matter?

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One of the offshore tugs I worked on a number of years ago had athwartships berths. I hated them, miserable for sleeping in. It was a brief fad back in the 70's I have not see any workboats built that way since. I much prefer berths oriented fore and aft.

When I was in the navy and served on a number of ships all with centre line berths. Taken many cruises all with centre line.
My own vessel is centre line.
I have delivered some with athwartship and don't like it. If you have a large berth you can sleep either way and see what is best for you.
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Old 30-10-2016, 15:51   #24
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Re: Centerline or athwartship - does it matter?

My catamaran has double berths both athwartships and inline. In rough weather or at anchor either option is comfortable and cosy.

I'm the one who gets up more often, so the girlfriend takes the inside. Being climbed over in the middle of the night is ok by me.
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Old 30-10-2016, 15:59   #25
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Re: Centerline or athwartship - does it matter?

Our boat has a giant "U" shaped sleeping arrangement in the deck house. This means you can move to the angle most suited to the conditions. I find myself athwartships in light conditions, but when the boat starts to heel a lot, I eventually feel as though I am standing on the cabin side, at which point I give up and move to the fore and aft position.
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Old 30-10-2016, 20:05   #26
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Re: Centerline or athwartship - does it matter?

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My catamaran has double berths both athwartships and inline. In rough weather or at anchor either option is comfortable and cosy.

I'm the one who gets up more often, so the girlfriend takes the inside. Being climbed over in the middle of the night is ok by me.
Cats sail much flatter than monos.
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Old 31-10-2016, 00:50   #27
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Re: Centerline or athwartship - does it matter?

A note on terminology.

A centerline bunk is one which is arranged along the centerline of the vessel.

Not all fore and aft bunks are centerline bunks, and certainly almost none at all on ships.
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Old 31-10-2016, 05:26   #28
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Re: Centerline or athwartship - does it matter?

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Yes crawling over your partner is very nice then first time or two.. But 2 to 3 times a night, every night is a bit "much"
The way that I would put it is, crawling over your partner can be quite pleasant when you both want it, and you are doing it because you want it. When you are doing it only because you have to get out of bed, and there is no other way, it is a monstrous pain in the backside!
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Old 31-10-2016, 12:47   #29
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Re: Centerline or athwartship - does it matter?

Let me weigh in with a vote for fore and aft berth, with lee board or cloth, parallel to the centre line of the vessel. I think they are easier on my back, as well as not liking the head higher than the feet, and sliding downhill. There should also be enough overhead clearance to sit up in a berth.

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Old 31-10-2016, 14:43   #30
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Re: Centerline or athwartship - does it matter?

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My wife and I are both of a "certain age" wherein we tend to get up multiple times during the night. As such, for us, having to crawl over one another is simply not acceptable.
Climbing over placing hands and feet carefully to cause least disturbance is very good for the health - like Tai Chi.

I'm sure these exercises plus daytime climbing in and out of boat have been beneficial to our health. 5 years after leaving the house we are more flexible rather than less flexible as would have been expected had we been house dwellers.
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