Making Beds on Boats

[SueH]

A very emotive topic in our house.

 

It is always a struggle to make up the bed on MS as you fight with the mattress to get it up far enough to get the sheets in place.  You need seven hands!

 

I was wondering.  Is there such a thing as a mattress that effectively is in two parts with a padded bit across the middle, whereby it can be 'folded' in two to enable easy to fit sheets but you won't be able to feel the join?

 

Also - why aren't the mattresses on slats to enable them to breath thus helping keep condensation down?

 

SueH

[Mowjo]

Don't know about a folding mattress but I see no reason why you couldn't convert one if it's the foam type, as for slats I'll be converting my to slats soon, I have the ply boards under mine and at the end of last season when I lifted it to air it was soaking underneath, I believe Jill posted a way to do it with added pictures, mines easy to do on the Hampton 25,,

 

Frank,,,

[diesel falcon]

Ever tried putting a double duvet cover on in a sports cruiser??..........................neither have I !!!, Sue,s department  

[SueH]

Well ......................

 

That's why we take Sleeping Bags and only use sheets to put them on.

 

If putting the sheet on is bad I hate to think how bad putting a quilt cover on would be.

 

SueH :River Police

[Mowjo]

Judi does it all the time Sue, there's a lot of swearing though, she always takes two sets and when we go home she makes it up so its ready for next time, the only thing is she no longer uses fitted sheets just normal ones, she says they are easier,

 

Frank,,,,

[MauriceMynah]

Let sleeping bags lie. That's what I say.

[ranworthbreeze]

When we purchased our new mattress for the start of the 2013 season we also put a layer of Drymesh under the mattress. We got ours from Jeckelles.

 

Regards

Alan 

[VetChugger]

Sheet sleeping bags help and save a lot of grief either under a duvet or with a sleeping bag!

[mbird]

We have the dry mesh under our mattress too, though I'm not convinced it actually does any good. Our mattress is in the forward cabin and a really odd shape. We had some fitted sheets made to the shape of the mattress by Shipshape Bedding which does help a bit but it's still a real pain to make. You could have a new mattress made in two section that zip together so they "hinge" but that's not going to be cheap! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Oddfellow]

Converting to slats is far from a simple affair generally as the vast majority of vessels have the supports positioned for a bit of 12mm ply wood. Try making slats that thin and see how long it is before you're sleeping in the drawers under the berth!

 

Retrofitting may not be simiple in most cases. Many vessles have vented ply wood (large holes drilled in) though and this is probably a sensible solution if you have damp problems and solid ply. Remember that if you're going to drill holes in the ply that it will split and splinter when your boring bit comes though, so only drill so that the pilot pierces and then complete the hole from the opposite side to reduce splintering.

 

Sand the edge of each hole (top and bottom) and apply some varnish or paint to both sides of the board.

[Hockham Admiral]

Andy's comments made interesting and informative reading and if we do go down that route I'll follow his advice.

 

On Friday Girl the side decks overhang both beds and it's getting the fitted sheets in the two corners under that overhang which can be difficult. To start with I file my fingernails down as far as I can! (I can't remember how many torn or broken ones I've had doing these covers  :naughty: ).

 

Then I pull up the corner (top or bottom in both cases) until it's at 90degs to the bed and fit the cover over that corner. The outside two aren't then a problem...       

 

p.s. And Sue, just as at home, we have two single duvets and a twin-control electric blanket so that Mary-Jane can enjoy her version of required/desired heat and I mine! 

Edited February 15, 2014 by Hockham Admiral
added p.s.

[SueH]

Hello John & Mary Jane

 

Sounds like the same problem as we have on MS for the sheets.  We take a heated blanket up each time we go as well, but only have one controller.  We use sleeping bags.  The sheets are to cover the 'warmship'.

 

Jayne is chock a block for each trip up, at least she's a big vehicle.

 

The things we do for comfort!

 

SueH

[Mowjo]

Geeze! I never though you lot were such a bunch of Woose's electric blankets, next thing you'll all want diesel heating on your boats, ,

 

Frank,,,,

[diesel falcon]

Geeze! I never though you lot were such a bunch of Woose's electric blankets, next thing you'll all want diesel heating on your boats, ,

 

Frank,,,,

got diesel and gas heating!!!

[SueH]

Yes I must admit to being a woose!

 

Getting off the subject a bit, are there problems with having gas heating on boats nowadays, with all the new rules and regulations.

 

I remember of the older hire boats years ago they had the old catalytic heaters that were renowned for condensation, but hopefully technology has improved a bit since then.

 

SueH

[diesel falcon]

No problems sue, the burner unit is like a diesel one , it,s roomsealed, which means the air for burning is draw from outside, and exhusts outside, the room is heated by a heatexchanger in the unit

[Mowjo]

I've been into looking at heating for my Daughters boat, the Propex gas one seems good as does the usual Ebbers, but the Ebbers are around twice the price, I like the idea you can have a separate fuel tank of just run it from your normal tank, I'm not sure I like having more Gas pipes on a boat, more joints and more chances of leaks, the problem is everyone you talk to swears by the type of heating they have, I have heard that the Propex still gives a bit of condensation out, I have Ebber on my boat, I like it but I'm too tight to fit one of those timers so it comes on in the morning, I think I've only had it on three times in the two years I've had this boat, apart from a quick test every month or two, I find them very noisy and Bl***y annoying if your moored next to someone running theirs all night, I don't know if the Propex are as noisy but it seems there are pro's and con's to each type,,,

 

Frank,,,,

[Oddfellow]

The Propex heaters will burn gas pretty quickly and are subject to more regulations on installation due to the gas. They are a lot cheaper to buy though and aren't as noisy. Also, the Propex units aren't prone to coking up and require less servicing.

 

So, like many things, pros and cons and you'll have to weigh up the benefits of either.

 

Back to bedding, what about a Diesel Blanket?

[Hockham Admiral]

Geeze! I never though you lot were such a bunch of Woose's electric blankets, next thing you'll all want diesel heating on your boats, ,

 

Frank,,,,

You forgot the electric fan-heater, Frank!  :naughty:

[Hockham Admiral]

. Also, the Propex units aren't prone to coking up and require less servicing.

 

So, like many things, pros and cons and you'll have to weigh up the benefits of either.

I thought that with the new low-sulphur red diesel, that was a thing of the past (relatively), Andy?

[mbird]

I've been into looking at heating for my Daughters boat, the Propex gas one seems good as does the usual Ebbers, but the Ebbers are around twice the price, I like the idea you can have a separate fuel tank of just run it from your normal tank, I'm not sure I like having more Gas pipes on a boat, more joints and more chances of leaks, the problem is everyone you talk to swears by the type of heating they have, I have heard that the Propex still gives a bit of condensation out, I have Ebber on my boat, I like it but I'm too tight to fit one of those timers so it comes on in the morning, I think I've only had it on three times in the two years I've had this boat, apart from a quick test every month or two, I find them very noisy and Bl***y annoying if your moored next to someone running theirs all night, I don't know if the Propex are as noisy but it seems there are pro's and con's to each type,,,

 

Frank,,,,

Hi Frank

 

I've had both Propex and Ebby (current boat has Ebby) and I do prefer the Ebby. The Propex units are about half the price to buy but then cost a lot more to run as they get through gas rather quickly. The D4 Ebby we have at the moment isn't much noisier than the last Propex we had since we fitted a combustion air intake silencer. Before we fitted that it sounded like a jet engine! It takes a little longer to heat up but is more efficient on fuel and an absolute doddle to service yourself. We've not had any coking problems as long as it is serviced each year and run at full blast most of the time. Running it at lower settings is what can cause coking problems. Better to leave it on full and then turn it off when it gets too warm!

[Mowjo]

OK Alan! time for me to Fess up, I have Ebber heating, an electric fan heater for when we stay in the yard or manage to get on electric, I bought an oil filled rad from Aldi a few weeks ago, and Judi has a hot water bottle, It's a mixed bag because I don't really feel the cold but Judi does, I only really use the Ebber to check it now and then, the so called silent electric fan heater is far from that, so if your watching the TV or listening to the radio you have to put it at the far end of the boat, the new rad is good and silent but takes a while to heat the boat up, it doesn't make the boat too hot just enough to take the chill off and that's all I need, all I do now is put the Rad on, and stick the fan heater on for five minutes to take the edge off,

 

MBird, I'm not sure but I think the Ebber on my boat has one of those silencer things, mine seems a lot quieter than most, some I've moored next to sound like jet engines, fine during the day but a lot of hirers seem to have them full on all night, I only ever have mine full on because I think I did read somewhere that's the best thing, I did a rough comparision on cost and running cost on the Ebber and Propex and although initially the cost of the Ebber is double, when you work out the cost of running them the Ebber works out much cheaper, so if your someone that uses the heating a lot like my son-in-law and daughter it wouldn't take long to make up the initial difference in cost and once that's done the running cost of the Ebbers is pretty cheap,  so it looks like we will be going the Ebber route,,

 

Frank,,,,

[SueH]

Going from beds to heating and all of us agreeing that comfort is everything!

 

We fitted a propex heater in a 20ft narrow canal cruiser years ago and it was very efficient in such a small area, but am not sure how it would perform on the wider broads boats.

 

SueH

[Mowjo]

Ok back to Beds! Decided I'm converting the back bunk from ply to slats, been out today bought 14 x 2m of 1.3/4 x 1/2 in , all nicely sanded now, bit of advice though! don't do it in the house unless you want to upset the wife like I did, the fact I told her it was for her bed so stop moaning didn't help, anyway  it's a little job I will be doing the weekend after next, If I remember I'll take the Tablet and do a before and after picture and post it, just for Sue,,,

 

Frank,,,,

[SueH]

Sounds good.  I can commiserate with your wife though, sawdust is a pain to hoover and as for the dust from sanding down ...............!

 

SueH