C26 - how do you use the aft part of the cabin?

[Guillaume C.]

The space in the Vberth and main cabin is well used, but then there's this big room under the cockpit that is not very well used I think. So how do you use it, and plan to?

I want to keep at least a single berth, or a small two-place. But it wont be used very frequently so some storage have to go there. I am thinking about either some solid separation, that would add some strenght at the same time. Or putting fittings to hold some lugage on both side by strap or bungee cord, this would provide more flexibility and is easier to do.

So if you have a good setup or ideas, please share!

[EmergencyExit]

I thought I had replied to this earlier but didn't see it yet, so again -

We are setting our stern berth up as the primary sleep area, bunking crosswise. The ladder is removable, and we think sleeping head to starboard side back there makes it easier to "roll out" of the bunk as opposed to crawling out of the vberth esp if you sleep feet to bow.

With nearly 8 feet of beam there is plenty of leg room, and the distance from the ladder to the rudder post is at least as large as a double. You probably could just lay one piece foam mattress back there sideways

Behind the rudder post is storage.

[keysskipper]

some sailors refer to that bunk as the "coffin" we carry extra tanks of fresh water directly under cockpit floor 70 gals use the rest for storage with the coffin on the starboard side. Keysskipper

[Guillaume C.]

Did you made special arrangement for storage space or just throw the stuff there?

[EmergencyExit]

KS, I can see where anybody crawling over behind the galley and ladder and sleeping longwise would say that !

I was lying down cross beam back there installing a throttle for the outboard when I noticed how comfy it was stretching out that way, thats where I decided to modify the stern bunk for crossbeam berthing. Let the feet point towards that dark area behind the galley. You can "push up" against the starboard hull and sit up as well.

Guillaume, I'm adding a reach-thru bulkhead frame just behind the rudder post to contain any items stored back there. Not a lot of room tho.

[SN691]

I like the idea of sleeping head to starboard in the rear berth. EE, how did you fix the ladder to be removable. I thank I will would do the same. I am 6 feet tall and my wife is 5'2" so that would work great.

[EmergencyExit]

I just substituted clevis pins with a clip for the bolts/nuts that were fastening the ladder top to the angle bracket. I did open the holes up a touch so the pins slid in easier.

[Windward]

On Windward, the ladder does contribute some bracing to the cockpit sole, so in my case any sort of pivot would still need to provide some structural support.

I slept athwartships for a while, but couldn't get used to the lack of should, hip and knee room when I'd roll over. I've ended up using the starboard as a fairly roomy but traditional quarter berth, and use the rest for storage. I use cheap little carabiners to reeve light line between the cockpit sole and the aft platform to minimize gear shifting under sail.

I think the best solution would be to convert the space behind the galley into a large, well-sealed, cockpit-accessible locker. Fenders, boat hook, bucket, transient lines, swim mask, bagged trash, even wet sails and foulies, could all go in there pretty conveniently.

I'd actually prefer to move the galley to starboard, since Windward also has a natural list to starboard. That way the port berth could be out of the main traffic pattern, and the current cockpit locker would have little impact on usable quarterberth space. If I had a fixed keel boat, I'd definitely move galley starboard and convert the port settee to a pull out double.

Of course, I'd end up working on my boat more than sailing it, a mistake I make all too frequently.

Fair Winds,

Jeff