Headroom on Liveaboards

[van Aller]

I own a 1985 Pearson 34 and I am 6'1" tall. I find there is plenty of headroom in the center of the cabin but not quite in the captain's berth forward. On the other hand, there is plenty of room for me to stretch out while sleeping. By the way, that is the reason I bought the Pearson 34, the headroom. The reason I'm keeping her; the headroom and the fact that she rode out hurricane Katrina's eyewall without a scratch moored across a bayou behind our camp in Pearlington, MS. Some people still can't believe it.......including me!

[oceansoul63]

I'm 6'2" when I'm not slouching. I have no problems standing in my Bristol 34, as I'm usually barefoot or wearing fairly low deck shoes. When I stand up perfectly straight, I feel my hair hitting the cabin top, but not my head.

[emagin]

Originally Posted by John Drake

The Wauquiez Pretorian 35 and Wauquiez Hood 38 both have 6'4" headroom throughout the entire boat. Vee berths on both boats are very large and spacious.

I am 6"2 and just walked both these boats last week.
I can confirm the Hood 38 has 6'3 to 6'4 headroom and it felt palatial for a 38
I cannot say the same for the 35. My head was hitting cabin top in various places, especially as I moved forward of center cabin.
I was wearing normal shoes that probably have 1" sole.

[jm21]

I am only 6' and never really had a problem with standing or sleeping headroom, but on some boats with showers (which would be important for me if I was living on a boat) the head/shower is in a relatively low headroom area. Having enough headroom to be able to stand up in the shower and shampoo would be a big plus foir me.

[barnakiel]

My boat is some 2 inches short of my requirements. Never an issue out at sea. Some issue in port. Still, in retrospective, I would shop for something with not much but say like 1 inch gap.

b.

[Pelagic]

I think headroom is also a function of local perception by the builder or designer.

My Dutch built boat has lots of headroom…never measured because it was never an issue for my “Vertically Challenged” friends

[Solitude]

I tend to stand with my feet slightly apart onboard and just brush the top slightly. Although I always bang my head on one of th overhead lights while cooking.

[Not Sure]

Originally Posted by Gallivanters

my Sailing Mentor said "Kirk, It's hard to get a pretty girl to lay down in a boat that she cannot stand up in

Well then, leave the 'pretty girls' alone. They're usually spoiled anyways. And if you must, when they say 'your place or mine', choose theirs.

[BIG JOE]

Well I got you all beat I'm 6'7" and I'm so tall I don't even have a boat LOL. Seriously though, if you find out bluewater let me know. By the way you can handle a 44 all you have to do is rigg it for your comfort configuration hell its only another 10'.

[Pblais]

I'm only 5-6, but over the years I've almost always had very tall friends in the 6-8 range. They suffered. So long as the bunk is big enough you can deal with it. If you don't fir in the bunk don't buy the boat! It would also help if the bimini could be tall enough too. Standing to steer can be a requirement when it's rocking and rolling. I find that when it's really bad, standing is the only way to go - even more so in the dark.

The only other serious issue is the boom - one in the head and you're dead is a good rule of thumb. On my boat, even I can't stand on the bridge deck.

Head room matters but not so much down below as the above. In Amercian quality boats Valiant does pretty well on head room.

[speciald@ocens.]

I walked into the aft cabin of the big Jeneau at the show wearing a baseball cap and took the skin off the top of my head. I'm 5'10". I also liked the springy floor boards that flexed under my 190 pounds.

[moonrsn]

I have an old 'Islander 37'. I'm 6'6" tall and can stand up in most of the boat.

[stillbuilding]

Being 6'2" and having lived on a few yachts and now living in Hong Kong where I follow suit and repeatedly knock my head I do think it important that a liveable yacht has headroom in the commonly-used areas. Can probably get away with much less in a sleeping cabin or shower which is less used but saloon, galley and day-use areas MUST have full headroom. Many yachts have this easily. If you are taller then get a yacht to suit.

[idpnd]

I've seen Tayana-types at 36' with amazing headroom, these traditional long-keelers have a particularly low floor level; I'm 6'2" and there's still plenty of space above

[pacmaann2]

My 1974 Columbia 34 mkII has 7' of headroom in the salon which slopes down to 6'4 in the forward cabin. Definitely the biggest boat for cabin space I have seen in a boat this size. My 6'2 father has no problem in the salon the forward cabin is a little tighter, but the head i believe is taller than 6'4, I don't notice as I have plenty of room everywhere at 5'10