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The purpose is to share succinct posts about lessons learned, or things we use or do that work [or don't...] that are common to most of us boaters.
The goal is to garner feedback from those of you having first-hand experience with a different approach/ solution/ product/ or additional useful information to share...
We never assume what we are sharing is the ideal or only; it just seems to best suit our needs [and/or habits and/or budget] from our experiences thus far...
Note: The blog post which follows [Originally posted 5-Mar-2016] — having been reviewed and updated— has been inducted into Tidbits since it qualifies, but was published ~3 years before we initiated the Tidbit series...
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Since most of my experience is boating in cooler climates, [ignoring one multi-year coconut-milk-run...] I am sometimes asked about special considerations and adaptations I found useful over time.
In this post I'll discuss my take on bedding [sheets and blankets if you like] and ways of reducing/preventing condensation under and around mattresses.
I will use the term mattress to mean whatever substrate you choose to sleep upon. This includes custom innerspring mattresses, foam pads, seat cushions, camping mattresses and pads, sacks of rice, etc. Basically, whatever you prefer...I [now we...] have been making our boat beds a bit differently for the last few decades. (Those of you in warmer climes may wish to experiment with non-fleece variations of what I am about to describe...)
I always hated the fitted sheet wrestling match [as does Donna...] so I experimented on myself one winter 30+ years ago and made a fleece bedroll the shape of the V-Berth on my 37 ft Valiant Esprit at that time. [I'm positive I'm not the first, and I'll bet there are even better ideas out there, but this works great for me, now us...]
Wonderful! I had one item to wash, and making the bed was as easy as standing at the head of the berth and unrolling the fleece on top [with a flourish if anyone is watching...]
The bedroll facilitated easy access to the stowage below the berth as I had no fitted sheets to wrestle with. And it cost [much] less than a set of custom fitted sheets- which are only part of a solution anyway...
My original bedroll design was more complicated than it needed to be [as I am wont to do...] But hey, it was the middle of winter and I needed another project...
It had the full length matching two-way zippers that met in the middle of the bottom, so the top and bottom could be separated [each half then became a single person bed roll] and one of both sides of the bottom could be unzipped for ventilation for a hot footed sleeper...
I eliminated the zippers in subsequent models [which typically failed after a few years, and weren't all that comfortable to lay upon if the bedroll shifted around while sleeping...
The new models were sew together across the bottom and up the sides to about knee level. [Don't go higher otherwise it is more like exiting a sleeping bag instead of a bed- especially if the berth orientation requires you to enter/exit toward the foot or side of the berth vs. crawling out head first...]
This modified design is ideal for us; easy to get out of if you have to exit the foot of the berth as we do, and no tangling or burrito effect...
Other variations over time included using a heavy [thicker] fleece on one side [e.g., 300 weight— which is what I recommend if you like a cool sleeping area but a single 'blanket'...] and a lighter fleeced on the other. [e.g., 200] This way I could flip the bedroll over to accommodate seasonal temperature changes...
I learned to always use high quality Polar Fleece. [e.g., Polartec] It doesn't pill-up [becoming coarse in texture and uncomfortable to sleep on...] like the cheap stuff does.
It had the full length matching two-way zippers that met in the middle of the bottom, so the top and bottom could be separated [each half then became a single person bed roll] and one of both sides of the bottom could be unzipped for ventilation for a hot footed sleeper...
I eliminated the zippers in subsequent models [which typically failed after a few years, and weren't all that comfortable to lay upon if the bedroll shifted around while sleeping...
The new models were sew together across the bottom and up the sides to about knee level. [Don't go higher otherwise it is more like exiting a sleeping bag instead of a bed- especially if the berth orientation requires you to enter/exit toward the foot or side of the berth vs. crawling out head first...]
This modified design is ideal for us; easy to get out of if you have to exit the foot of the berth as we do, and no tangling or burrito effect...
Other variations over time included using a heavy [thicker] fleece on one side [e.g., 300 weight— which is what I recommend if you like a cool sleeping area but a single 'blanket'...] and a lighter fleeced on the other. [e.g., 200] This way I could flip the bedroll over to accommodate seasonal temperature changes...
I learned to always use high quality Polar Fleece. [e.g., Polartec] It doesn't pill-up [becoming coarse in texture and uncomfortable to sleep on...] like the cheap stuff does.
Research your fleece choices and shop carefully... [Today we purchase high quality PolarTec fleece online from Seattle Fabrics... I'm sure there are other good sources of high quality fleece as well...]
Fast forward to our current boat with a custom shaped, quasi-queen sized mattress. It has a cloth hinge down the middle so the mattress folds in half lengthwise. This is handy for getting it into the boat through our companionway in the first place.
Folding the mattress in half also allows for reasonably easy access to the storage and steering systems underneath the berth. And the emergency tiller arm [which extends through to the aft deck] can be installed and used with the mattress folded in half...
At sea, a lee cloth can be attached to the hinge to split the berth in two— making two pilot berths when needed...
Folding the mattress in half also allows for reasonably easy access to the storage and steering systems underneath the berth. And the emergency tiller arm [which extends through to the aft deck] can be installed and used with the mattress folded in half...
At sea, a lee cloth can be attached to the hinge to split the berth in two— making two pilot berths when needed...
The bedroll eliminates the need to remake the berth whenever we fold the mattress over to access stowage beneath the berth. [Which isn't really that often, however the convenience is not to be overrated...] I think two seperate mattresses would also work well if they were covered by a single foam topper of choice to prevent us from feeling the joint in the middle...
We keep a few fleece blankets on hand if we need them, and of course we have super cold weather sleeping bags on board. [And a 4 season tent I can use as the dog house... All are in a supplemental ditch bag in case we ever have to abandon ship close to shore. Remember we are exploring the Alaskan coastlines these days...]
Other considerations:
Since Denali Rose spoils us with a small front-loading combination washer/dryer, we have made some micro-fleece sheet liners that fit inside the fleece bedroll so we can wash those easily on the boat.
The one piece queen size fleece bedrolls are just a tad too big for our 1.8 cu ft washer... A two piece bedroll (with zippers on the sides and bottom) may work better for us now so we could wash the fleece halves separately onboard... [The liners save us having to wash the fleece bedrolls very often...]
What about condensation under the mattresses and cushions on a boat?
How do we avoid this?
We have found it is very desirable to cover all often used mattresses with a totally encasing hypoallergenic, water resistant, breathable [i.e., not plastic or rubber...] cover. It keeps the mattress clean and helps keep moisture from reaching the mattress.
But a mattress cover alone is not enough. It won't stop condensation from occuring... [It does help keep the mattress clean and dry, however...]
If you don't provide for constant air circulation [which also creates a thermal break between the warm and cool surfaces] under all mattresses/ seat cushions that are in use in cool climates, you will induce condensation where they touch cold surfaces. Portions of the mattress/ cushions will get wet underneath— and on the sides where they contact the hull— eventuallly leading to mold and mildew... [Not to mention a damp, smelly, unhealthy bed...]
How do we avoid this?
We have found it is very desirable to cover all often used mattresses with a totally encasing hypoallergenic, water resistant, breathable [i.e., not plastic or rubber...] cover. It keeps the mattress clean and helps keep moisture from reaching the mattress.
But a mattress cover alone is not enough. It won't stop condensation from occuring... [It does help keep the mattress clean and dry, however...]
To help prevent condensation from occurring under mattresses and cushions we use Hypervent.
I personally used it on my last 3 boats in cooler climates [occasionally living aboard in -20°F temps and colder during some winters...] for the last 30+ years or so. It is still a very good value for the price, and light [albeit bulky] to ship...
Since Hypervent is waterproof, if it ever needs cleaning just take it outside and hose it off...
I personally used it on my last 3 boats in cooler climates [occasionally living aboard in -20°F temps and colder during some winters...] for the last 30+ years or so. It is still a very good value for the price, and light [albeit bulky] to ship...
Since Hypervent is waterproof, if it ever needs cleaning just take it outside and hose it off...
One Hypervent trick [more ideas here...] I discovered over time is to also extend it up the side(s) and end(s) of the mattress [just to the top of the mattress... this stuff is stiff and scratchy...] anywhere the mattress is against the hull, bulkhead, furniture, etc. This greatly improves airflow, and keeps the mattress/foam pads from sliding around.
The Froli sleep system appears to be another very viable option for providing air circulation [and user adjustable mattress comfort] but we haven't tried it yet. It reportedly works well, and has the added advantage of letting you individually customize your mattress comfort levels by zone. It is also the most expensive of the lot.
Dri-Dek and the like also work to some extent, but these wet floor tiles are not as thick as the above solutions, so air flow is diminished. Therefore this approach is not as effective as the thicker Hypervent... [From personal experience long ago...]
Other boaters have reported having some success reducing condensation under their mattresses with parallel wood slats and/or drilling a series of holes [e.g., 1"+ diameter] in the platform supporting the mattress. Neither of these solutions allow for 100% air flow, however, and only the slats would create a partial thermal break between the slats...
Some who live at the dock in winter [i.e., have shorepower] report using undermattress electric heating pads with good success.
And speaking of shore power, don't forget to run a dehumidifier. [Or those of you in warmer climates, run your air conditioning. We find our A/C works well for us to quickly dry out the boat in summer...] Either will really help keep everything dry...
Other boaters have reported having some success reducing condensation under their mattresses with parallel wood slats and/or drilling a series of holes [e.g., 1"+ diameter] in the platform supporting the mattress. Neither of these solutions allow for 100% air flow, however, and only the slats would create a partial thermal break between the slats...
Some who live at the dock in winter [i.e., have shorepower] report using undermattress electric heating pads with good success.
And speaking of shore power, don't forget to run a dehumidifier. [Or those of you in warmer climates, run your air conditioning. We find our A/C works well for us to quickly dry out the boat in summer...] Either will really help keep everything dry...
Do you have proven bedding options you prefer, or other ways of preventing condensation under the mattress in cool climates?
Please share in a comment!
Additional Resources:
- Boat Galley Article about boat bedding [16-Jan-2016]
- Living on a boat in cold weather [blog post]
That reminds me of our zipped sleeping bags aboard our Cal 34, Moonrise. We got the ones that could zip together and then I didn't have to worry about sheets in the Vberth. It was too much for me even then!
ReplyDeleteThat is an excellent analogy... And I agree, unless we are in a tent in cold Wx, our sleeping bags are way too much...
ReplyDeleteThanks for yet more info. Defender shipped us a massive roll of hydrovent to the Marshall Islands so most the bunks are sorted now.
ReplyDeleteWe will look to pick up a dehumidifier like yours before we settle into a marina somewhere next winter.
Cheers,
Max