# which direction do you sleep on your V-berth?



## rmeador (Jan 16, 2010)

Head towards the bow, or feet towards the bow? It had never occurred to me that there was any way other than feet-to-the-bow, and that seems to be the way that is shown in all the layout diagrams of every boat I've ever looked at (they usually indicate the berths with pictures of pillows). But last night I was at a liveaboard party at my marina, and two separate couples told me they sleep with their heads to the bow. My girlfriend and I gave it a brief try, but didn't sleep all night in that orientation. It was pretty comfortable, perhaps even more comfortable than feet to the bow, but we hit our heads a lot (the cabin trunk gets rather low at the point of the V) and it's colder way out at the bow. So what do you do?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

In a v-berth, you would probably want to sleep feet towards the bow, for two reasons. First, the headroom issue you found out about... and the width of the v-berth doesn't really allow two people's shoulders to fit well, where two people's feet would fit far better. 

Also, having your head closer to the center of the boat means that your head will move less, since the bow and stern will lift and fall in heavier seas and the center of the boat will move far less.

In the main cabin, using the settee berths, the choice is less clear cut generally. However, some boats, like mine, will have a wider end to the settee, so that end is generally where you'd want to put your head, since your shoulders take up far more room than your feet do, as I pointed out previously. 

In an aft cabin, you may want to have feet towards the stern because of the boat's motion. But, if the berth is such that you can only enter from the cabin side, having your head aft means you'll keep the berth cleaner.


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## RocketScience (Sep 8, 2008)

Feet to bow is more comfortable for the reasons SD states, but is a PITA to climb in and out of, especially when trying not to disturb the person next to you when doing so. Additionally, feet to bow has also always felt "weird" to me, and therefore, because of these reasons, we usually just sleep on the dinette.


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## FishSticks (Nov 16, 2007)

I prefer to keep my feet at the leakiest end. This tends to vary with the season and the sea state.


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## KiteRider (Jul 13, 2010)

Head towards bow, but in fairness it's not really a true V, there's a good bit of width to it forward.

In a true V berth we'd sleep the other way.


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## JKCatalina310 (Nov 18, 2010)

My wife hated climbing into the v-birth in our C&C. That is why the Catalina 310 was tops on her list when it came time for a new boat. It has a center line, walk around queen birth.

Can't wait for spring, we bought the boat in December so we haven't had a chance to sail it yet.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

FishSticks said:


> I prefer to keep my feet at the leakiest end. This tends to vary with the season and the sea state.


Very wise... but I prefer boats that don't leak over the berth...


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## centaursailor (Nov 7, 2010)

Prefere to sleep in the cabin but on the v berth on my 26fter the feet are up against the chain locker,so no real choice.
Happy sailing


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## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

It depends on what kinda trouble I got into during the day, usually feet toward the bow, but if I piss her off, it don't matter, the dock box is uncomfortable no matter which end you point your feet


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

poopdeckpappy said:


> It depends on what kinda trouble I got into during the day, usually feet toward the bow, but if I piss her off, it don't matter, the dock box is uncomfortable no matter which end you point your feet


Must be a really large dockbox if you can fit in it.


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## chrisncate (Jan 29, 2010)

I like the V berth "feet at the bow", however we sleep in the salon 99% of the time. 

Im having new cushions made right now in fact, and we are making a "middle" piece (a platform) that will stow behind the port side settee back, and snap into place over the cabin sole utilizing the settee back as a bottom rest. 

In essence, we will have a queen sized bed in the main salon of our Alberg 30. I like to stretch out...


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## brak (Jan 5, 2007)

Depends on a boat. On my previous boat I slept head to the bow. It was more comfortable to get in and out, warmer, less light (no hatch above my head) etc. 

Also, I prefer my head to be above feet - if the bed is not perfectly level, sleeping head down is not a great way to rest. On most boats bow is slightly higher when in the water and beds are inclined towards the stern ever so slightly. This is more useful in a slip, of course - but even at anchor bow will be slightly up on average more often.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Sleeping head down is a really bad idea...especially if you suffer from acid reflux... head up is much better.


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## MJBrown (Apr 1, 2009)

We sleep feet towards the bow for a variety of reasons. Too narrow at bow to fit upper torso/head, easier to exit at 3:00 for a pee run plus the hatch is over the aft portion of the berth and it provides better air flow. All those are good reasons but the best of all is being out on the hook and able to look up at the stars through the hatch as I nod off to sleep. Simply awesome.


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## nickmerc (Nov 2, 2008)

I am too tall for my V berth. I put my 16 month old in there so she can't fall off a settee. She sleeps in every possible orientation imaginable and makes as much noise as possible while changing positions. The best part is sleeps better on the boat than she does on land.
________
black Webcam


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

If I have a choice I'd sleep head forward. Reality is I am finding it increasingly difficult doing the v-berth shuffle. Old fartdom is a bugger. 

Next boat a v-berth that is wide enough to sleep head forward is a must have feature. Aft cabin is of course an alternative but I'd prefer aft cockpit. 

Most aft cockpit aft cabins are too claustrophobic for me though CD's Catalinas not bad I must admit.


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## flyingwelshman (Aug 5, 2007)

I sleep head forward. For some reason it just seems like a better fit.










Why'd you ask?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

You wouldn't be named Zippy by any chance???



flyingwelshman said:


> I sleep head forward. For some reason it just seems like a better fit.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## jackytdunaway (Sep 11, 2006)

If my am by myself head to the bow. With the wife feet to the bow


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## Sequitur (Feb 13, 2007)

Sequitur's master suite is in the bows, and the queen-sized berth has a bit of a V-shape to it, so I suppose it qualifies as a V-berth. 










We much prefer sleeping with our heads toward the bows, where we have about 1.5 metres of shoulder room.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

We tried sleeping head to bow once but simply not enough shoulder room or for that matter , ventilation. Reality is that our saloon berths are a more comfortable option than our v-berth but even an old fart like me likes the odd cuddle.

By choice I'd go the Sequitor arrangement.


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## RXBOT (Sep 7, 2007)

The trouble with feet to the bow is getting out of the berth. V berth is best for the kids or single adult. I prefer the quarter berth port or starboard (feet to stern obviously) even if whole v berth is available.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

When I was sleeping on my Catalina 27 I stayed out of the vee berth--just not the place for an old man that don't have many bendable body parts. For me, the dinette was the only option. Since then, I purchased a 33 Morgan OI, which I'm still working on to get it ready for spring. The dinette converts to a queen-size bed, which I think that even my wife will enjoy (fingers crossed). The vee berth appears to be an easy in and out as well. After nearly a half-century of marriage I suspect she'll be getting the queen-size, while this old codger will be relegated to the vee or quarter berth.

Cheers,

Gary


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## richeperkin (Sep 26, 2010)

I'll let you know on Wednesday. . .spending my first night aboard Tuesday night. Although at 23' I might just sleep outside.


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## LarryandSusanMacDonald (Apr 3, 2005)

On our Morgan Out Island 41, we always sleep in the stern cabin (the after berth?) Head to starboard and feet to port (by default). When the fuel tank is full and we're low on water, all the blood gravitates to our heads. 

We have found that in the forward cabin at anchor when the wind pipes up it can be pretty bouncy - while in the back it's fairly calm. Our front cabin has the usual split V with an upper and lower berth. We're old but we still like to sleep together. So the v-berth becomes storage.


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## remetau (Jan 27, 2009)

We have a pullman berth instead of a vee. We sleep with our feet aft in the pullman.


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## RonRelyea (Nov 18, 2009)

*all of the above*

I've got a queen sized memory foam mattress in the aft berth that is real comfortable, but being docked on the river, if the wind picks up from the wrong direction, the wave slap is like having your head inside a bass drum.

In the vee ... I'm usually head to the bow to keep the bean uphill ... but wish I could do feet to bow for the shoulder room ... maybe if I dumped all my diesel I'd level out, or would going with an all chain rode help ?


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## QuickMick (Oct 15, 2009)

head toward bow, cause i get let my feet dangle out a bit if i want and the ac unit is at the bow, though im typically a fetal man. never tried the other way, but maybe i will! in the salon (as sd mentioned) due to the angle feet to bow is more comfy, but i like the other way to gaze out of the companionway and up the hatch--never really bother to convert the dinette... lest there is company--special company in the vee, plain guests ill convert it for if i like them a lot, else just the settee. quarter b always head to bow or it feels like a coffin and is a pita to climb around.


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## sailortjk1 (Dec 20, 2005)

Feet in the bow is more comfortable on our boat but the problem is that our pillows have nothing to keep them in place and they fall off the berth to the floor. It drives me crazy. We sleep in the aft cabin.


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## CaptainForce (Jan 1, 2006)

LarryandSusanMacDonald said:


> On our Morgan Out Island 41, we always sleep in the stern cabin (the after berth?) Head to starboard and feet to port (by default). When the fuel tank is full and we're low on water, all the blood gravitates to our heads.
> 
> We have found that in the forward cabin at anchor when the wind pipes up it can be pretty bouncy - while in the back it's fairly calm. Our front cabin has the usual split V with an upper and lower berth. We're old but we still like to sleep together. So the v-berth becomes storage.


Interesting....On our Morgan Out Island 41 we always sleep in the forward cabin. We have a large berth forward and not the "bunks". Even though our two children grew and left home years ago, we never moved aft to what was their cabin. We leave the aft cabin for guests while cruising. 'different strokes", Aythya crew


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## omaho5 (Jun 5, 2008)

A quarter berth boy, here.


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## rmeador (Jan 16, 2010)

My gf and I tried sleeping head-to-bow last night (she convinced me). It was an interesting experience. It was notably cooler in the bow, so my exposed head got a little cold, but the extra leg room was great, especially being able to hang my feet out a bit when I slept on the exact centerline instead of angled to one side. Our perception of sleeping this way is probably colored by the fact that we also bought a heated blanket last night (highly recommended!). Despite this, we were both pretty on the fence about it and perhaps leaning slightly towards going to back to feet-to-bow. Which, as my poll indicates (thanks, respondents!), is the vastly preferred orientation.


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## T34C (Sep 14, 2006)

We tend to put the kids in the forward cabin. That way they can go to bed and we can stay in the ****-pit without bothering them. Since our V is mostly divided into 2 separate singles it probably doesn't make a big difference which way you sleep, but everyone tends to go feet forward.


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## kwaltersmi (Aug 14, 2006)

We are "feet to the bow" sailors. Our vee berth has plenty of length but would provide a challenging shoulder width if we slept with our heads toward the bow.

Truth be told, we do as T34C suggests above about 50% of the time and end up sleeping on the salon settees.


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## Sandflea (Aug 19, 2009)

sailortjk1 said:


> Feet in the bow is more comfortable on our boat but the problem is that our pillows have nothing to keep them in place and they fall off the berth to the floor. It drives me crazy. We sleep in the aft cabin.


I alleviated the disappearing pillow act by sewing my pillow case via a 2-3 inch para cord to a fitted sheet that I put over the cushions before slumber. The short cord allows me some nuzzle room with the pillow while keeping it in place if my head comes off it for whatever reason. Not pretty but practical.


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## DrB (Mar 29, 2007)

I sleep in the salon on the double berth. I am big gou and the v-berth is a little tight for me.


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