Forums, Everything Else, Sleeping aboard

nardus at 07/06/2010 09:45:15
Hello,

Whe recently bought an `77 Contessa 32. She in good shape and whe are the second owner.
She`s called Quintessens and her homeport always haven been in the Nederlands.
We are a family with 2 kids with are 4 months and 3 years old. The oldest sleeps in the forecabin and the little baby sleeps in an hammock mounted om the ceiling.
I sleep with my wive in de saloon with the table down. Not mutch space there. So I wonder how you all sleep together in this little boat ?

moongirl at 07/06/2010 13:49:26
Seems that you have everything organised already.
The challenge might come later as the Children get older!
I believe that the CO32 is comfortable for 4 and any more it is a bit crowded.
I usually sleep (in Port) in the quarter berth where there is plenty of room even if it is a bit difficult to get in and out. Under way the Saloon berths are very comfortable when fitted with lee cloths and the sails stowed forward – I have found that the double is actually quite comfortable if you wedge yourself in anongside the sails.
Regards

George Isted at 07/06/2010 14:53:13

George Isted at 07/06/2010 17:36:21
A further message from Liz Wisdish of Star-Ven who are away cruising their Contessa (with Children)………

As George said you sound very well sorted we also sail with 2 children age 5yrs and 5months at present the eldest sleeps up forward and the little one in a carry cot on the stbd bunk behind a leecloth. We both sleep in the double. Plenty of room! At times the baby sits in a inflatable “on the go booster seat” from “first years” in the cockpit and this attaches via a strap round a winch to prevent it moving.Hope this helps any queries please contact us. We also own a Dutch Contessa but in Scotland now!Best wishesLiz

nardus at 10/06/2010 13:34:52
Thanx for your replies.
Good idea when the little one starts moving arround to put her in the carry cot behind the leecloth on stbd !

davidmacdonald at 13/06/2010 21:56:14
We only have three of us to fit in, but have used netting to close off the port saloon double (with table dropped) to create a ‘play pen’. Works well under way, but as she sleeps in the fore cabin overnight it does have to be dismantled each night and reassembled each evening.

Carolus at 20/09/2010 11:25:28
Here was the solution for more sleeping space on our CO32.

Drop the table down.

Using teak half-rounds: Bolt a long strip of teak half-round, along the full length of the starboard settee upright teak trim. Bolt another shorter teak half-round along the teak upright trim at the forward end of the dinette berth. Bolt another teak half-round on the aft end of the dinette teak upright trim.

I then used sheets of 10mm plywood. One large sheet rested on a few inches on both port teak half-rounds, forward and aft of the table and of course along most of the length of the starboard teak half-round.

I used two smaller sheets, one on the remaining port aft half-round and across to the remaining starboard half-round; the other smaller sheet was across the port forward half-round and across to the starboard half-round. You may need to cut a slot for the mast.

A foam cushion was cut to fill the space on top of the table top and flush with the normal cushions and another longer foam piece flush-filled the gap across between the dinette and starboard settee.

Result was a queen-size bed! We slept across from starboard to port. Total time to take up an down was 5 minutes. We stored the foam at the foot of the quarter berth and the sheets in the cockpit locker.

Cheers!

QueenB at 17/10/2010 21:17:53
On Queen B We have a similar solution to Carolus for a Queen sized double bed which is bigger than our bed at home. We open up the table and turn it to reach across the cabin. With slighly larger beading , rectangular section about one inch wide, the table can be made to reach both sides. A smalller square bead on top of the rectanular section stops the table sliding off. With the table opened there is much less plywood to buy, on strip about six inches wide, aft of the table, stows in the unused quarter berth and one recangular piece to bridge the gap from the after port seat across to the starboard side is small enough to stow under one of the cushions when not in use. By using the navigators cushion and turning the aft of the two starboatrd settee cushions across the bunk we can make it all fit togehther into a rectangular bunk without buying any more foam. Its quite a luxury having sucah a bg bunk. If its calm we sleep across the boat but if its rolly we sleep fore and aft. It has quite transformed the boat.