Got a question...

[SabreKai]

For people who have pilot berths above the saloon settees? What clearance do you have between the top of the berth and the overhead of the side deck? Mattress top to overhead distance would be appreciated, as I'm seriously considering putting two into Sabre Dance when I rebuild the interior.

Thanks!

[SkiprJohn]

I haven't installed mine yet but Fred P. Bingham in "Boat Joinery and Cabinetmaking" says they should have vertical clearance a minimum of 22" above the mattress.
Kind regards,

[susanna reiter]

Yah that is an issue..on our 35 foot CA we have pipe berths above the settees....there is really not a lot of clearance for person sleeping on the settee..so that has to be considered if your going to install that type of berthing arrangement . For my husband and I it works fine because I sleep in the starboard pipe berth and he on the port settee..but any more than that and it would not be too comfortable...we tried it and its just too close, for comfort that is....

[svBeBe]

1.5 meter. Our pilot berth slide out over the settee and locks into place. When not in use, it slides back 1/2 underneath the upper cabinets and 1/2 forming a "shelf" behind the settee. The unused lower space thus behind the settee is where the emergency tiller is stored.

This arrangement utilizes about 1.5 meters of the beam width of the saloon.

Judy