Convert V-berth into island bed

[PhilPB]

New project. Thinking about converting our V-berth into a single island bed. Has anyone here done that before? I will be doing the work myself. The current configuration of the cabin contains 2 hanging lockers which will give me an additional 18" in length. I know this is just creating a new project but since I need to create a new mattress system I thought it might be a nice change.

 

[SIBERNUT]

How wide? Measure 60" wide, & see how far back in the hull you have to be to get that. Then measure at least 72" aft from that.

 

[Comodave]

If you can fit it in you will love it.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

Just remember, it will never be a walk around.

pete

 

[mvweebles]

OP's avatar shows a Mainship 34 sedan. Quick google shows the attached floorplan. Challenge is getting shoulder/head room at the bow, especially given the boat appears to have a bit of flare. Might need to raise the platform up a bit (but need to make sure you don't whack your head). Also be careful with measurements - V-berths gain a lot of length by bein on an angle - straight-line fore/aft length may only be 72-inches but being on an angle gives 78-inches (made-up numbers). With an island, you lose the benefit of the angled bed.

I can tell you from experience this is the type of project that ends up with a lot of scope-creep. Flooring and walls need to be redone. Cabinetry work can be fairly extensive. There may be some tabbing into fiberglass too. If not done to a reasonably high standard, can easily erode value.

Peter

 

[BruceK]

I had a 34ft boat with a V berth, I can`t imagine how I could have converted it to even a semi walk around island. But you say you are aiming for a single,not a double, so it might be possible. I don`t want to pry but are you sure you want a single bed? Maybe it`s not what you meant.

Our previous IG36 had an overhead bulkhead, meaning head whacks until you got used to it. The Integrity is better in that and so many ways, but it`s still a semi walkaround/side access double.
The shoulder space issue may be overcome by sleeping head aft feet fwd. It would improve things for us,except I don`t like the idea for reasons I can`t establish.

 

[Comodave]

I would make a mockup to see how big a berth would fit before I started demo. Just to make sure it might work.

 

[Delta Riverat]

I would leave it alone and research new mattresses for the existing layout.

Bow berths work best with V berths unless you have a big boat. Mine's not big enough.

Think about changing sheets and and such...

 

[SteveK]

My previous boat, a Grand Bank 36 V berth had comfortable singles. No way could that be converted to a double, single or otherwise walk around. The ends of the V berth butt into the closet and head walls. Anything down the middle and access to the head is lost.
Getting in would be stepping on the mattress after first step down.

 

[ranger58sb]

New project. Thinking about converting our V-berth into a single island bed. Has anyone here done that before? I will be doing the work myself. The current configuration of the cabin contains 2 hanging lockers which will give me an additional 18" in length. I know this is just creating a new project but since I need to create a new mattress system I thought it might be a nice change.

We would have liked an island bed in our Mainship III -- but never could see enough space in there to make it work. Or to make it worth trying.

So we just used the V-berth insert. Instant "queen" bed.

-Chris

 

[Gdavid]

On some Mainship MKI, I believe the first couple years had a double berth was offset to one side and a second single bunk was above it going down the other side of the hull. I can't find a picture of one right now and I've never seen one in person. It creates a one sided "walk around" of sorts, the sleeper on the outboard side would have to climb in first or the inboard sleeper would have to get up to let them out.

There have been a early mainship owners who have reconfigured the cabin pretty radically, one posted pictures pretty recently on the mainship facebook group. Looked like a ton of work and I don't know if I would like it personnaly. I think they moved the galley up to the salon area and stretched the stateroom aft, even with this, the head would limit how far you could extend aft.

The newer boats that are much wider relative to the length are really at an advantage for an "island berth", then again the difference in cost is about $100k so I can live with the v-berth. Another possibility may be finding a pullout for the salon that you could live with. Remaking the bed can get tedious, but some are easier to use than others. I have been on the lookout for a better solution to our futon.

 

[mvweebles]

On some Mainship MKI, I believe the first couple years had a double berth was offset to one side and a second single bunk was above it going down the other side of the hull. I can't find a picture of one right now and I've never seen one in person. It creates a one sided "walk around" of sorts, the sleeper on the outboard side would have to climb in first or the inboard sleeper would have to get up to let them out.

There have been a early mainship owners who have reconfigured the cabin pretty radically, one posted pictures pretty recently on the mainship facebook group. Looked like a ton of work and I don't know if I would like it personnaly. I think they moved the galley up to the salon area and stretched the stateroom aft, even with this, the head would limit how far you could extend aft.

The newer boats that are much wider relative to the length are really at an advantage for an "island berth", then again the difference in cost is about $100k so I can live with the v-berth. Another possibility may be finding a pullout for the salon that you could live with. Remaking the bed can get tedious, but some are easier to use than others. I have been on the lookout for a better solution to our futon.

Here is the layout from the earlier models.

Interestingly, we went the other direction (sorta) in recent refit of our Willard 36. Head was in the bow (shower stall was in aft port side of lower stateroom area); with a full-size pullman berth to starboard. It was always tight for us --- age hasn't improved our agility. Add-in need to pee means one of us crawls over the other. So we reconfigured the stateroom into a very generous v-berth with 34" wide bunks and moved the head to the forward starboard side. Added benefits are better ventilation for sleeping in the Florida warmth, at least when at anchor. On the negative side, making the bed is a PITA.

Peter

 

[jleonard]

On some Mainship MKI, I believe the first couple years had a double berth was offset to one side and a second single bunk was above it going down the other side of the hull. I can't find a picture of one right now and I've never seen one in person. It creates a one sided "walk around" of sorts, the sleeper on the outboard side would have to climb in first or the inboard sleeper would have to get up to let them out.

There have been a early mainship owners who have reconfigured the cabin pretty radically, one posted pictures pretty recently on the mainship facebook group. Looked like a ton of work and I don't know if I would like it personnaly. I think they moved the galley up to the salon area and stretched the stateroom aft, even with this, the head would limit how far you could extend aft.

The newer boats that are much wider relative to the length are really at an advantage for an "island berth", then again the difference in cost is about $100k so I can live with the v-berth. Another possibility may be finding a pullout for the salon that you could live with. Remaking the bed can get tedious, but some are easier to use than others. I have been on the lookout for a better solution to our futon.

I had one of those with the upper bunk on the Port side. It was good storage for clothes.
But I did see one that was modded with a single bed on the Port side. The upper was removed. There was lots of walk around space on the starboard side. The he bed looked to be a double size or at least close to that.