Pullman Berth w/head in bow

[sddmack]

Just seeing how many cruisers have opinions/experience with the head in the very bow and the pullman berth just aft of the bow. I've seen them on the Beneteau 393, IPs 40 & 420, and I think the Hans Christian 33.

[GreenWave]

My Catalina 470 is like this though second head aft just forward of the aft cabin.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by sddmack

Just seeing how many cruisers have opinions/experience with the head in the very bow and the pullman berth just aft of the bow. I've seen them on the Beneteau 393, IPs 40 & 420, and I think the Hans Christian 33.

Some versions of the Catalina 42, also.
Is there a ? in there?
Opinions? Sure. How would that help you?

[sddmack]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Some versions of the Catalina 42, also.
Is there a ? in there?
Opinions? Sure. How would that help you?

Just wondering how you like it compared to the typical V berth in the smaller/older boats?

[Scaramanga F25]

Pullman berth mean one climbs over the other. Not a problem for deep sleepers that have no responsibility at anchor.

[DMCantor]

We have an Outbound 46 with that layout, and like it a lot. The head/shower in the bow works great at anchor, but isn't good on passage in a seaway. We also have an aft head, and that suffices on passage.



One big advantage of this layout is the very generous storage space in the forward cabin, with two big hanging lockers and multiple drawers.


It took us a little while to figure out the boat yoga for when the person sleeping outboard (me) needs to visit the head. Now, we don't even think about it.


Since the berth is a bit farther aft than in a typical v-berth, it works better for sleeping on passage.

[Tetepare]

A forward head is an efficient use of space that’s otherwise no very useful. And it’s the secondary head, so if the bow is being bounced the aft head is still there. More often than not the fore head is for kids or guests, so freeloaders get what they get.

Pullman- in cooler weather the side toward the hull can be cold. And as noted there is the pee challenge. But you get a large bed and effective use of space.

As always, design is a bunch of trade offs, and usually the wife has veto power, and also decides which side of the Pullman is hers, so to my mind there are more critical ergonomic elements in boat buying.

[srbigham]

I specifically bought a Beneteau Oceanis 400 with that layout. It’s great for the space usage. I’ve used the head underway without problem. The berth is also useful and spacious. Vberths are nothing more than a storage space that have poor sleeping quality at anchor or underway.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by srbigham

I specifically bought a Beneteau Oceanis 400 with that layout. It’s great for the space usage. I’ve used the head underway without problem. The berth is also useful and spacious. Vberths are nothing more than a storage space that have poor sleeping quality at anchor or underway.

Different experiences and view: I prefer a V at anchor. With the hatch open I know, while dead asleep, what the wind and wave are doing. I could pop my head out and see if the idiot was dragging down on us yet, and be back asleep in 15 seconds. A bouncy V puts me deep asleep like nothing else.

[cdcorl]

We have this layout on our 42cc. When we sail alone and stay in the aft cabin, this design makes the berth very useful for storage. When we have folks on board they have never complained.

[Muaddib1116]

It's not a secondary head on all boats. For example, on the Passport 40 it's the only head, which seems problematic to me. If your close hauled for extended periods, it's going to be very difficult and/or very messy to use it.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by DMCantor

We have an Outbound 46 with that layout, and like it a lot. The head/shower in the bow works great at anchor, but isn't good on passage in a seaway.. . .

Indeed. Pity the person that has to clean such a heads after a long passage . . .

[DreaminFred]

Have it on our 40cc. Love it. Way better design than any v berth I’ve ever been in. Long enough for my 6’3” nap. The forward head is mine, while the admiral keeps the en-suite head pristine. All fiberglass furniture in the head, so cleaning is easy.

F

[Na Mara]

Sweden yachts also have this setup as their standard layout. Huntley and Besteaver have the Pullman berth without the head forward. I like the setup best as it lets you have a watertight bulkhead and large focsle while letting the berth be wider and allowing for more stowage in the cabin.

[Bobby Lex]

My Caliber 40 has a head in the bow with the master stateroom aft of that, with a pullman. I love it. Yes, the "outside" partner has to crawl over the inside partner occasionally (remember: everything on a boat is a compromise....). But that downside is offset by:
1. the bed is nearly a rectangle (which I prefer over a triangle-shaped v-berth).
2. it's easier to roll out of a pullman, than it is to crawl into or crawl out of a v-berth).
3. the master stateroom is spacious, with lots of storage.
4. much better ventilation than a v-berth. A typical v-berth has a hatch over the entrance to the stateroom (using the term "stateroom" loosely). But the actual bed/sleeping platform is a couple of feet forward of the hatch. So the airflow from the hatch is typically aft of the sleeping occupants. The actual bed/sleeping space is largely dead air. With our head in the bow, we have 2 hatches in the head (one over the shower, one over the commode), and another large hatch in the master stateroom. So the air flow through the master stateroom is wonderful. There are louvers in the master stateroom door -- so even with the door closed, there is still significant airflow through that space.
5. Lastly, we have an additional head aft -- across from the galley -- which we typcially refer to as the "day head". So in rougher conditions that might make using the forward head a challenge, we can use the aft head.

Everybody has different preferences and sleeping "styles", but for me (and for my wife), we REALLY prefer our pullman design.

Bob