Sleeping in the foreberth

[Ribbit]

I've been scratching my head, and I don't think I have ever slept in a V berth.

Under way it was always the quarterberth, and at anchor close to the mast in the salon (or if really nice, sometimes in the cockpit).

As it seems maximising boat movement on one of those pressure point mattresses is going to be very good for me, from now on it looks like it'll be the V berth.

I do think that for comfort glugging La Bomba's and reading, feet towards the bow will probably work best.

Given I will usually try anything at least twice (second time to make sure something really was a bad idea), I'll give it a go the other way round.

But I'd better not spill my La Bomba.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by jkindredpdx

gotta say the only times that I slept head to bow in my v-berth was when so drunk I simply crawled in a collapsed.

Yeah... uhh? Is there some other way? Besides, with all the collisions and head banging, it is better to be well sedated.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by SteveSails

Over the years of reading this forum I have received advice on which boat to buy, one hull or two, anchors, firearms, culture, retirement, repairs, finances, science and engineering, marital relationships, origin and fate of the universe... and now how to crawl into bed. The depth and breadth of knowledge here is truly amazing.

Totally agree, but this has to be one of the strangest topics I've ever come across here!

You mean that V shaped cabin way in the pointy end can be used for sleeping? It never occurred to me to try to sleep there since that place is my storage space for a hundred miscellaneous objects.

Seriously, I remember sleeping in the forward vee-berth of a Formosa 51 on a 23 day passage San Diego to Marquesas. We had great sailing and the forward berth area sounded like we were inside a huge waterfall, making sleep nearly impossible until total exhaustion set in, about day 3.

[Smokeys Kitchen]

Originally Posted by SURV69

I've asked a number of people ... not a lot, but at least 5 or so ... and the only one that didn't sleep with the head to the bow, slept sideways in the V-berth.

SO ... how does one ... ... ... I'm sitting here knocking my brain out and I don't see how on earth, especially in a smaller boat ... someone can get into the V-berth with the feet toward the bow.

With the head to the bow, when I get up, I scrunch toward the stern and put my feet down ... the opposite of getting into the V-berth.

If someone sleeps with the feet to the bow, what do you do ... get into the berth, then lay down and turn? ... I can't imagine.

When you get up, you must have to turn a 180 degree, otherwise ... what ... you don't stand on you head when you get up ... so either you turn 180 and/or have handhold to ensure you don't land on your head?

I'm having a hard time imagining the procedure ... maybe if I was still 20 years old, I could understand it better, but it seems more natural to sleep in bed the way you fall into the bed and better to fall out of the bed with the feet going first.

WHAT am I missing here?

I'm 64 and married. We sleep with our feet to the bow and on many occasions I've sent my wife into laughter while figuring out the best maneuver for getting into the berth for the night. Feet forward works best for us - more head room - but there's really no need for elaboration here on CF on the specific manuvering; I think this is a family friendly forum.

[unclemack]

Vee | Define Vee at Dictionary.com

Apologies to all those confused by the unfamiliar word.

vee
[vee]
Spell Syllables
Examples Word Origin
adjective
1.
shaped like the letter V: a vee neckline.
noun
2.
anything shaped like or suggesting a V .

Please address further complaints to fcyew.com

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by Smokeys Kitchen

I'm 64 and married. We sleep with our feet to the bow and on many occasions I've sent my wife into laughter while figuring out the best maneuver for getting into the berth for the night. Feet forward works best for us - more head room - but there's really no need for elaboration here on CF on the specific manuvering; I think this is a family friendly forum.

I often wonder how did it happen that the very thing which makes a family possible got the rap of being family unfriendly?

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by mawtty

In my 27 foot sloop I always have my head to the bow, especially when sailing, because as the boat heels my feet are below my head. I roll to the lee side of course. I can't imagine sleeping otherwise.

^ second to that, thou seaworthy boats have leeboards (or cloths) on the v-berth too so it's feet to bow on the weather side. Never found it difficult to sleep in a v-berth but sometimes a bit of a challence to get dressed in the bow cabin.
That of course with the assumption the boat is sound and the berths are proper berths.

BR Teddy

[Martkimwat]

I always sleep feet first to the bow, cannot imagine doing it any other way, that being said, I have sept with my feet to the bow in the stern quarter berth just because it is easier to get into that way (and back out) on most boats, particularly smaller boats the headroom right up at the bow is insufficient and having to get up in a hurry in the middle of the night for whatever reason could result in a sore head or even concussion!

[malbert73]

We always sleep feet to bow. We tried head to bow for 1 night recently on a charter on a Bavaria 46 with island queen, and found it to be too stuffy as hatch was closer to aft end of berth. So we quickly changed to head aft and slept much better.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Not sure if you're just having us on here ... I've never NOT slept with my feet to bow while sleeping in my various V-berths (from 22' to my current 37'). I've never heard of anyone who does it the other way ... makes no sense from a space standpoint.

Feet to the bow +1

Except when my kids were little...they liked it cozy.

[sailorchic34]

Gee here I've been sleeping head to the bow for 9 years now. Though there is plenty of head room to sit up with head towards the bow on the rose, due to rising shear at the bow. Its a narrow 44" wide berth and not a full V. Other bit is part head (behind bulkhead) and part storage. So turning around would be a just a bit tight.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by hamburking

Feet to the bow +1

Except when my kids were little...they liked it cozy.

Looks like my kids! In fact my son has the same spiderman pajamas!

[Blue Stocking]

In an active physical relationship. the " Chain Locker Crawl " can be interesting.

[robert sailor]

People that can actually do two up with their heads in the bow of a typical v berth must be midgets or pigmies or maybe a little shorter or maybe siamese twins. How does such a goofy topic last this long, oh I guess I shouldn't have posted.

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

People that can actually do two up with their heads in the bow of a typical v berth must be midgets or pigmies or maybe a little shorter or maybe Siamese twins. How does such a goofy topic last this long, oh I guess I shouldn't have posted.

Not all boats have a typical Vberth. Mine is more a 44" wide pullman or a wide quarter berth. There is no V in my forward berth. The other 1/2 of the V, is storage and part of the head space. BTW I'm 5'-10". So as with most things there is no hard and fast rules.....