Head first or feet first

[phillippeterson]

Hello,

If the master bed is aligned fore and aft, would you prefer your head or your feet towards the bow?

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. p. Somewhat depends on the geometry of the berth. Lockers, shelves (overhead) etc., may determine head or feet first. In most boats we've slept on feet, forward worked and was preferred.

 

[psneeld]

Smaller vessels where I can see a lot of the vessel and keep the door open....if aft feet to bow, if bow, feet towards the stern so I can see most of the vessel interior. If I can't, I probable wouldn't care.

 

[jleonard]

We did head towards the bow cause we had a trunk cabin style aft berth. Banged my knees and feet a few times but not my head.

 

[High Wire]

We do feet towards the bow which felt natural for us. Several years later we found an old brochure for the Monk that shows pillows forward. You pay your money and make your own choice.

 

[psneeld]

We did head towards the bow cause we had a trunk cabin style aft berth. Banged my knees and feet a few times but not my head.

Jay if your head was as thick as mine....bumping your head versus your feet would be a good thing...I have a hard head and tender toes.

 

[oscar]

Try both. Pick one, or change every wednesday.

 

[SteveK]

Head goes to the end where the light switch is located above the pillow.

 

[ScottC]

Head goes to the end where the light switch is located above the pillow.

+1

 

[jleonard]

Jay if your head was as thick as mine....bumping your head versus your feet would be a good thing...I have a hard head and tender toes.

Lol

 

[Hippocampus]

Depends also upon if you’re underway. Then which ever is closest to center of motion. Preferred berth and mode of reclining depends on whichever gives you the best sleep. Now a days beyond the light switch given the predominance of pads and personal electronics at rest wherever the sockets are counts as well.

 

[Alaskaflyer]

For a v-berth, it depends on whose head I would be sleeping next to

 

[MYTraveler]

My last boat's master was in the bow, with bed arranged so feet face aft. My current boat's master is arranged feet facing bow. Feet facing bow feels more natural to me.

 

[Comodave]

We have done both, depending on the particular boats layout.

 

[Harry47]

Head and shoulders are wider than feet and ankles ?

 

[timb7734]

Tried both ways, then got rid of any boat without a center island. When you are over 45 and have to get up at night a V berth is just a pain.

 

[ProMaritime]

How close to the bow? I don't allow anyone to sleep underway forward of amid ship.

 

[psneeld]

Why no forwatd sleeping?

 

[jbloyd]

For a v-berth, it depends on whose head I would be sleeping next to

Or, whose feet would be next to your head. :lol:

 

[oscar]

No one has the right answer.... which is: "Whatever way she gets in....."

 

[Simi 60]

Whatever works on the night.

Ours is a full size walk around king so essentially a square.
Depending on sea state/roll depends which way.
Last two nights were athwart ships.
New anchorage today so hopefully, tonight will be fore and aft, head to bow.

 

[Peter B]

Whatever works on the night.

Ours is a full size walk around king so essentially a square.
Depending on sea state/roll depends which way.
Last two nights were athwart ships.
New anchorage today so hopefully, tonight will be fore and aft, head to bow.

Simi, you just raised an issue I have often thought about. Why is it that in boats large enough to have a midships master stateroom, more designs don't place the bed athwart ships..? As surely, as you say, it is better if there's any roll, for the body to be aligned with the roll direction, rather than across it, resulting in a side to side roll effect..?
Yet few vessel manufacturers tend to do this, other than if requested as a customised modification.

 

[kierasdady]

Heads up!

First of all, let me say that I hate V-berths. To the point where I took mine & covered that useless little notch-step, turned the berth athwartship & made the peak into storage. Absolutely love it.


The reason? (Along with not being able to sleep close together.) If I sleep feet first there's plenty of room for shoulders & the feet are in the narrow pointy end & our heads are out from under the foredeck. However, since the nose is normally into the swells, the feet go up, the head drops and you feel like it's pumping your dinner right up your throat. Always feels head-down. In the stern, no biggy.

If facing forward in a V-berth, it's a head whacker, hard to get in, & shy on shoulder space. But given the two, I'd still do head forward over feet forward.
So for me, mid or stern master & athwartship is always preferred. Sleep like a rock.

 

[Csellars]

Always feet first! Probably from my days racing sailboats to Hawaii. The thought of surfing down a wave at 25kts in the middle of the night and hitting a partially submerged container and stopping. I'll take my chances with my feet first.

 

[Conrad]

Simi, you just raised an issue I have often thought about. Why is it that in boats large enough to have a midships master stateroom, more designs don't place the bed athwart ships..? As surely, as you say, it is better if there's any roll, for the body to be aligned with the roll direction, rather than across it, resulting in a side to side roll effect..?
Yet few vessel manufacturers tend to do this, other than if requested as a customised modification.

Friends have an athwartships berth and it can be annoying if the boat has any list that puts their head lower than their feet.

 

[Simi 60]

Friends have an athwartships berth and it can be annoying if the boat has any list that puts their head lower than their feet.

Change ends, simple?
Better yet, sort out the list.

 

[wkearney99]

If you have enough headroom to sit up, then head-toward-bow. That and if there's a bulkhead it'll help keep the pillows from sliding off.

But for boats with stepped/sloped ceiling over the berth, it might be better to sleep feet-forward, again hoping there's a locker or other headboard sort of arrangement to help keep the pillows in place.

Edit: and this is assuming sleeping while stationary. While underway, well, it'd depend on conditions and valid points are made regarding impact and wave action.

 

[psneeld]

I am still wondering about a few posts back why a captain would not allow sleeping forward of amidships underway?

Anyone have a guess?

 

[Alaskaflyer]

I'm guessing because of the chance of levitating. There's underway, and then underway. I think he boats off Hawaii, so I can kind of see his point.

Plenty of folks on passage won't rest in the forward berths.

 

[Frosty]

I am still wondering about a few posts back why a captain would not allow sleeping forward of amidships underway?

Anyone have a guess?

I'm curious too!

We always slept on the saloon settees while underway because the motion in the forepeak (where the berth was) was just too much. It was also much stuffier (dorades were aft of that area).

But that's completely different than "not allowed." Anyone was welcome to try sleeping up there if they wanted to (I had one friend who loved it ).