# More comfortable sleeping?



## jmcgee (Sep 16, 2007)

Hey Folks,
The v-berth cushions in our Catalina 30 leave a little something to be desired when it comes to a good night's sleep. 

We're going to the Annapolis show in a couple of weeks and we've seen products there before - the "tufted topper", inner spring mattresses, memory foam mattresses and plastic spring systems that are supposed to make your stock cushions feel like a real mattress. 

What's your experience for the best night's sleep? What have you tried/purchased and was it worth the price?

Also any thoughts on a small cabin heaters? We'll be staying on the boat on and off through the end of December.

Thanks,
Jim & Kathy McGee
95 Catalina 30 Goin' Coastal
94 Catalina 22 Island Time
Long Beach Island, NJ


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## erps (Aug 2, 2006)

We had a little kerosene wall mounted stove on a previous boat that took the chill off a 28 footer, but it really didn't get it up to room temperature in the winter time. Before that, I made a little wood stove that burned presto logs that fit in a companion way board. That's when we were really poor. It just barely took the chill off too. You'll want something that's vented outside for moisture control.


As far as mattress comfort, we bought one of those memory foam toppers and cut it to fit the last two boats we've had. Improved our sleep quality immensely, but it may be a little warm if your cruising area is hot.


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## mgmhead (Jan 14, 2007)

Bought the Froli system for our v-birth last year at the Annapolis Boat Show and we love it.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Several folks at my marina have bought memory foam mattress toppers (I believe they are 3 inch) from Wal-Mart and cut them in the shape of their v-berth. Then you put an altered mattress cover or fitted sheet shaped for the v-berth over it. Reports have been favorable and this is a very cheap alternative to buying an expensive new mattress.


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## johnshasteen (Aug 9, 2002)

When we re-did the cushions on Paloma about 8 or 9 years ago, we replaced the vee-birth foam with three layers, 3 inches of closed-cell foam, then 1 inch softer foam and 1 inch of egg shell foam. Reasonable cost and sleeps as well as the expensive boat show mattresses.


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## labatt (Jul 31, 2006)

We went to a local mattress and foam company, bought a sheet of 3" memory foam, and our sleep has never been better. We placed this on top of our normal cushions on our V-Berth. Fairly inexpensive and easy to do. Make sure you get high quality dense foam though... it's more expensive than the cheap stuff, but not overly expensive.


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

From all I've heard, the Froli system is highly recommended, plus memory foam glued to closed-cell and topped with fitted sheets, plus a vent system to keep the sleep breath from turning into rain (I have literally been woken up by drips when we cruise in the colder part of the fall).


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

On the cheap: Go to walmart and get the queen size "memory foam" mattress and cut it to size. It is really 6" of regular foam with 2" memory foam, but all of my guest keep saying it is the best.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

*I'll third..*

I'll third the Wal*Mart memory foam route! Also you NEED a mattress pad!! A can;t stress enough that a good mattress pad is a MUST!! Sheet's alone DO NOT cut it!!

Buy a good quality king size mattress pad, usually queens are not wide enough but do measure, and then template your v-berth and take the template to a seamstress. They will cut and re-sew the mattress pad and a fitted sheet to your v-berth. I think we paid about $35.00 (on sale Bed Bath & beyond) for a very nice quality mattress pad and $20.00 for sewing. We also had her re-cut and sew the fitted sheet, which is a 400 thread count. Pure COMFORT and under $150.00 for all of it..

It's not our home Tempurpedic but damn close. Also the mattress pad naturally breaths and has "loft" so that body moisture can dry off during the day. No more clamy feeling v-berth.

Oh one last thing. Buy some of those ventilation "square shaped tiles" sold at West Marine, cut them to shape and assemble them to fit under your v-berth cusions for even more air circulation!! Sleeping comfort is a MUST!!


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## MIKEMCKEE (Oct 13, 2001)

Jim,
I was able to obtain a set of memory foam toppers from a carpet flooring pad company a few years back to use on my Irwin 37CC. I couldn't have been happier about it. There were about 6 other boat's in the marina that I was able to hook up also, one boat owner had a bad back and he just couldn't go sailing anymore, but after he had the memory foam he was able to take a long awaited trip for a week or so and he didn't have any problems.
The one thing I would make sure of is that the foam topper is a true memory foam and not just a slab of regular foem. I also have a mattress pad to top off the pad's.
To cut the pad, use a really sharp knife, another boat owner tried using large sizzors and the pad had really jagged edges.

Good Luck,

Mike
s/v Blue Bayou


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## lynn1120 (Jan 30, 2008)

*You must have reeaaalllly long legs or a good stool*

I am tall and on our Cat30 V birth I would have to jump up and in--- so I agree that mem foam etc etc is a huge improvement on original cushions but my , the height you would have to leap..an olympic event

-- we also tried a single feather bed-- warm and soft.

use good votive candles-- we ever only needed two in our cat 30 --to keep down condensation that occurs when warm sleepy bodies are exhaling steamy snores into ever colder night air.

Mind you the Cat is pretty good at holding in heat, your deck house is almost 1.75 inches thick, built like a tank-- don't ever think you can drill a hole and install solar fans in just a morning.... we tried LOL


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## Mainepep (May 26, 2007)

*The Froli system is great*

I can't say enough how great the Froli system is. We installed it 3 years ago and we think it is the best upgrade that we've made to the boat. Our 2 week cruises that we take each summer are much more comfortable now.


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## sander06 (Sep 18, 2003)

lynn1120 said:


> don't ever think you can drill a hole and install solar fans in just a morning.... we tried LOL


Have to laugh myself. Having done a multitude of projects on our boat, I now try to budget at least two hours to do the simplest thing imaginable on board. And that doesn't include having the cell phone on speed dial to the nearest hospital.


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## IslandRaider (Oct 6, 2006)

I am currently using a standard 4" foam slab and installed the Frolli system, which did make things better, added some give to the matteress, and elimanated the under matteress moisture problem, however I need to replace the the slab and am also going to install a topper, I should also add that I suffer from scullyosis and I have lived onboard for the last 2 years. The Frolli system has made things a lot better but it is not the final answer in my case.


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## Dcneuro (Nov 4, 2006)

We purchased a novafoam topper from Costco, (essentially an imitation tempurpedic topper, about 2" thick), and cut it to fit right over the existing cushions. I used to get up around 6am because I was so uncomfortable. Now, I sleep easily till 7-8am, and hate getting up because I am so comfortable. Even the wife enjoys sleeping on the boat more now!


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