Sleeping in the foreberth

[SURV69]

In about 20 or so years of sailing, I have NEVER met anyone who sleeps in the forberth with their feet toward the bow ... yet EVERY book and magazine indicates that this is the "proper"(?), way to sleep in the foreberth.


Am I missing something here? As I see it, unless the boat is 40 feet long with a 14' beam and the sailor is young and very agile ... how does one sleep in the foreberth with one's feet toward the bow?

To me, this seems nearly impossible.

[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.

I have to admit though, I don't go around asking my friends about their sleeping arrangements. Perhaps I should... Maybe I'd get invited to more beds .

[Lizzy Belle]

The bow is pointy, so the V-berth is too at the bow. That's where my feet go ...

Also a lot easier to get in and out that way and, not unimportant, there is room to sit up. About half way down, there's my fore deck which turns the rest of the berth into a crawl space, it's so darn low.

If I were to crawl in there with my head to the bow, I think I'd get claustrophobic ... The only time I do that is when making the bed. Which I HATE doing in the V-berth for that very reason - no room to move. Too narrow, too low.

I don't know anyone who sleeps with their head in the little pointy bit of the berth, everybody I know who (sometimes) sleeps in the V-berth has feet at the bow, head facing the stern.

But -- if you're more comfy the other way around, who's going to stop you? There's no V-berth police, as far as I'm aware

[four winds]

Always feet to the bow for me.

Not sure how to consider it nearly impossible, though some minor gymnastics are involved.

[gjordan]

At anchor, feet to the bow. At sea I found having my head towards the bow was a more secure feeling (I dont know why). I only slept forward at sea if I needed to shut a door to get away from crew making noise or lights going on and off. If with just one other person trading watches, I slept in the main cabin. I cant imagine two people sleeping head forward in a V-berth. It is bad enough banging toes together, let alone trading dragon breath all night. _____Grant.

[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?

[robert sailor]

Your missing the fact that everyone in traditional v berths sleep with their feet to the bow. In the newer boats they have the birth pulled back and you can sleep with your head in the bow.

[captain465]

Why not try to do it with a partner in the v berth? I'm sure that you will understand on either of you try to roll over in your sleep!

[boatman61]

You park your butt on the berth facing aft.. swivel and slide a bit.. to get out sit up and swivel.. beats the hell out of shuffling out butt first..

[SURV69]

My foreberth is 7 feet wide at the stern end, but the opening(the floor area), is only a little more than a foot(Bristol 29), so, if I put my head against the side, I would have about 4 feet to turn ...

... probably enough to turn, but the idea of having my head in position to be the first thing to fall(in the case of some sort of disaster), is rather frightening ... I'd rather fall on my feet.

BTW ... I'm single now, but when I was married, we always slept feet to stern ... I've never done it another way.

Maybe I'll give it a try this year ...

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by boatman61

You park your butt on the berth facing aft.. swivel and slide a bit.. to get out sit up and swivel.. beats the hell out of shuffling out butt first..

^ This

Originally Posted by SURV69

but the idea of having my head in position to be the first thing to fall(in the case of some sort of disaster), is rather frightening ...

I'm trying to think of a scenario where this could happen ...

If you're at sea, and sleeping in the V-berth (which you probably wouldn't), and your boat does a bow-over-stern flip, you might end up on the floor. Or in a black-and-blue heap all the way in the pointy end of the bed. Anyway - nothing very pleasant would happen, regardless of starting position

But other then some of the most unlikely scenarios, I find falling out of the cabin bunks a lot easier then falling out of the V-berth. Don't think I've ever managed that ...
I'd probably hit my head on the bulkhead anyway, unless I managed to slide down in the middle of the bed (I sleep on one side of the V).

In case of any (more likely to happen) drama, I'd want room to move (so feet to the bow), be able to get out quick (so feet to the bow) and see what's going on (so feet to the bow).

In a boat like mine, with an actual V-shaped V-berth, I can't think of one reason I'd ever sleep head to bow. Well -- actually, that's not true. Woke up like that once, with a huge hangover. But at least I managed to get into bed, so there's that

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by gjordan

At anchor, feet to the bow. At sea I found having my head towards the bow was a more secure feeling (I dont know why). I only slept forward at sea if I needed to shut a door to get away from crew making noise or lights going on and off. If with just one other person trading watches, I slept in the main cabin. I cant imagine two people sleeping head forward in a V-berth. It is bad enough banging toes together, let alone trading dragon breath all night. _____Grant.

Grant you must be a hell of a sleeper because I find the v berth just about the worst place to sleep while underway unless the seas are small.

[four winds]

I don't know your Bristol's vberth. Can you sit up straight on the aft edge of the berth?

I'm 58 but still reasonably limber. Sometimes I do as Boatman describes. Usually though, to enter.... I step on the entry threshold for the extra height, then put a knee on the edge of the berth. Then lean forward into a slow shoulder roll, tucking my knees in and ending up in a sorta fetal position with my head on the pillow. Picking up the unmade covers and slide my legs under and I'm in.

On exit, the reverse, bring my legs up and roll upright placing a knee on the edge. Lean out on one knee while reaching for the threshold with the other foot. Then step out of the berth.

Sounds harder than it is.

Edit, I single hand, so never have gotten into the v while underway.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Grant you must be a hell of a sleeper because I find the v berth just about the worst place to sleep while underway unless the seas are small.

Damn right it is.. lee salon berth or quarter berth.. and if I've just come off the midnight to 4am watch.. I'm away in no time.. crew noise no problem.. change in boat noise however and I'm on deck..

[Strait Shooter]

I'm one of those sideways sleepers, it's just me and I built a step so I can step up, kneel on, and roll right into my nest.