Extending our bed.

[Nightwatch]

Hello. Those that know me will realise that we don’t rush into things.

 

For the past 15 years we have had a desire to increase the width of our nearly double bed by 9 inches. Presently 3’ 9”. Have spoken to mattress makers and have decided that it is financially doable. 
 

The stumbling block is mattress support. The plan so far is a mattress 3’ 9” and an infil section of 9”. To accommodate said extension we would need to construct a pull out slider from under the mattress, pull the large mattress out and drop the narrow infil down behind under the gunnel.

 

We have wooden slats from our ‘ex’ land based bed that we can utilise. Presently the existing bed base sits on a three large drawer arrangement. The centre one being the dogs sleeping area. So the pull out will have to border these three drawers and making supports. There is a door that swings forward. Whilst the bed is extended the door won’t open. So I have purchased two way hinges so that the door will ‘swing both ways’. I’d have to chop off about 15mm off the width of the door to allow for the pull out to fit behind the open door during normal use.

please see a couple of pictures, not very good, by way of explanation. If anyone can suggest another way please don’t be shy.

[mrsmelly]

For some reason most fixed narrowboat doubles are 4 ft wide, ours is 4ft 4 inches and perfectly easy to walk past and the extra 4 inches is well worth doing, anyone will tell you four inches makes a significant difference ? and we too have drawers  beneath. We have much more space so the doors dont intrude but I reckon just swing the door/s the opposite way and Bobs yer Uncle 

[rusty69]

We have a 4'6" mattress and a sliding door. That may be an option depending on what is behind your door, but probably more work involved than your idea.

 

ETA.It is important that whoever is on the boat is able to access the exits, and not be impeded by the door.

Edited February 3, 2020 by rusty69

[Guest]

Like @mrsmellymy walk-through double is 4ft wide, and my doors a little narrower than yours. To be honest with you I wouldn't bother in your circs. Any joined bed will feel, well, joined and be a blinking nuisance.

 

But, assuming you're bigger/hotter/etc than me and really want the extra space how about picking a standard width of bed (4ft or a touch wider) and just making it fixed bigger with the door always opening the other way? Less faff on a daily basis, no forgetting which way to open your door etc 

 

Edited to add: mattresses are designed to be changed more regularly than once/15yrs - treat yourselves to a nice new, easily replaceable 4'0" or 4'6" one :-) 

Edited February 3, 2020 by TheMenagerieAfloat

[Guest]

Like @mrsmellymy walk-through double is 4ft wide, and my doors a little narrower than yours. To be honest with you I wouldn't bother in your circs. Any joined bed will feel, well, joined and be a blinking nuisance.

 

But, assuming you're bigger/hotter/etc than me and really want the extra space how about picking a standard width of bed (4ft or a touch wider) and just making it fixed bigger with the door always opening the other way? Less faff on a daily basis, no forgetting which way to open your door etc 

 

PS love the dog box. Mine are very unenamoured of their new (highly insulated and memory foam enhanced) saloon based options at present! 

Edited February 3, 2020 by TheMenagerieAfloat

[Nightwatch]

8 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

We have a 4'6" mattress and a sliding door. That may be an option depending on what is behind your door, but probably more work involved than your idea.

 

ETA.It is important that whoever is on the boat is able to access the exits, and not be impeded by the door.

Of course. Hence the two way hinge arrangement. The other side of the door is the dining area with fitted seats. Sliding door not an option. We did consider a concertina door. And immediately de-consider.

Edited February 3, 2020 by Nightwatch

[Galilee]

Surely it would be easier to add a drop leaf with folding legs to the bed, rather than messing around with a slide out.

[Guest]

Just now, Nightwatch said:

Of course. He seems the two way hinge arrangement. The other side of the door is the dining area with fitted seats. Sliding door not an option. We did consider a concertina door. And immediately de-consider.

One thought... Given that the dog is allowed to share anyway do you actually need a door? (I'd be a lousy stalker so have no idea who regularly sleeps on your boat) 

 

A lovely thick hinged door curtain might be an option... Just as warm/quiet and also less faff (keep the door for when you sell the boat). 

[Nightwatch]

The mattress extension of 8” will only encroach into the main sleeping area by approximately 4”. I think the human body, well Mrs Nightwatches body, will not be effected by a ridge that close to the edge.

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Galilee said:

Surely it would be easier to add a drop leaf with folding legs to the bed, rather than messing around with a slide out.

Depends on height (and agility/inclination for day time snoozing) of dog by the looks... 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

The mattress extension of 8” will only encroach into the main sleeping area by approximately 4”. I think the human body, well Mrs Nightwatches body, will not be effected by a ridge that close to the edge.

But if she cuddles you anyway, why bother? Huge amounts of nuisance / expense to extend the life of a well-past-use-by-date non-standard mattress with another non-standard mattress segment.

 

I mean, absolutely understand other ppl have different lifestyles but no way on earth did I consider either a daily-faff bed or keeping anyone else's mattress when buying new boat. Somethings are best replaced regularly (and therefore best bought reasonably economically). 

 

I regularly used to sleep on the last 4" of old bed as only place to squeeze around the filth mutts etc... :-) 

 

[Nightwatch]

Drop leaf not an option for us. Leg storage. Drawer opening. Our passageway is wider than the norm. So with the bed extended passage is still easily ‘passaged’.

2 minutes ago, TheMenagerieAfloat said:

But if she cuddles you anyway, why bother? Huge amounts of nuisance / expense to extend the life of a well-past-use-by-date non-standard mattress with another non-standard mattress segment.

 

I mean, absolutely understand other ppl have different lifestyles but no way on earth did I consider either a daily-faff bed or keeping anyone else's mattress when buying new boat. Somethings are best replaced regularly (and therefore best bought reasonably economically). 

 

I regularly used to sleep on the last 4" of old bed as only place to squeeze around the filth mutts etc... ?

 

Our bed base is only 3’9” wide. Yes we could buy a bog standard 4’ mattress. But it would hang over the side.

[Nightwatch]

What I forgot to ask. Has anyone got a drawing of a suitable method of how to construct the slide out bit? Under the mattress bit.

[stagedamager]

I could draw one for you.....

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Nightwatch said:

Drop leaf not an option for us. Leg storage. Drawer opening. Our passageway is wider than the norm. So with the bed extended passage is still easily ‘passaged’.

Our bed base is only 3’9” wide. Yes we could buy a bog standard 4’ mattress. But it would hang over the side.

I meant do a permanent (not fold/slide  away)  extension and get a whole new mattress instead of segments. Not levitate it!

[Nightwatch]

1 hour ago, TheMenagerieAfloat said:

I meant do a permanent (not fold/slide  away)  extension and get a whole new mattress instead of segments. Not levitate it!

Sorry my comment was a little harsh. Rereading it I can now see what you meant.

2 hours ago, stagedamager said:

I could draw one for you.....

You’re too busy surely.?

Edited February 3, 2020 by Nightwatch

[Guest]

21 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Sorry my comment was a little harsh. Rereading it I can now see what you meant.

Not at all. You're gearing yourself up for a 15yr old 'to do list' task and I'm being unsupportive with no knowledge of how your evenings usually pan out and what you're likely to be doing in your extra 4" of walkway space in the daytime :-) 

[stagedamager]

3 hours ago, Nightwatch said:

 

You’re too busy surely.?

I can always make time for you, I don't fly to Australia till Thursday......?

[Nightwatch]

Didn’t know you were going to Aus. Can I come along too. I like Australia. I’ll PM you tomorrow if that’s okay with you!

[stagedamager]

Of course!!

[doratheexplorer]

16 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

For some reason most fixed narrowboat doubles are 4 ft wide, ours is 4ft 4 inches and perfectly easy to walk past and the extra 4 inches is well worth doing, anyone will tell you four inches makes a significant difference ? and we too have drawers  beneath. We have much more space so the doors dont intrude but I reckon just swing the door/s the opposite way and Bobs yer Uncle 

I've never understood the 4' thing either.  That's not really wide enough to be called a double.  My bed is 4'6" wide and is perfectly fine to walk past.  The bed is a proper size and I get the added benefit that I can buy a mattress from any bed shop, fitted sheets fit properly etc.  I often look at boats for sale out of curiousity and see really high spec boats with well thought out layouts, but with a 4' bed - and think to myself "that's the first thing I'd change"

[mrsmelly]

39 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

I've never understood the 4' thing either.  That's not really wide enough to be called a double.  My bed is 4'6" wide and is perfectly fine to walk past.  The bed is a proper size and I get the added benefit that I can buy a mattress from any bed shop, fitted sheets fit properly etc.  I often look at boats for sale out of curiousity and see really high spec boats with well thought out layouts, but with a 4' bed - and think to myself "that's the first thing I'd change"

True. My Hudson was four feet on a boat of that spec, bloomin bonkers. This boat was built by a boatyard owner for his own use as a liveaboard and to be fair 4ft 4 inches is way better than four feet even if not full size. My mattress did cost me 800 quid though although I bought a good one I still have to have one made rather than a bog standard size.

[doratheexplorer]

15 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

True. My Hudson was four feet on a boat of that spec, bloomin bonkers. This boat was built by a boatyard owner for his own use as a liveaboard and to be fair 4ft 4 inches is way better than four feet even if not full size. My mattress did cost me 800 quid though although I bought a good one I still have to have one made rather than a bog standard size.

6 inches is better than 4 inches ?

[Nightwatch]

I wouldn’t know!

[Guest]

4 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

6 inches is better than 4 inches ?

But if you're sleeping 2' away neither is much use!

 

Reminds me of a sailing holiday I went on with a group of friends - the set up was really designed for kids so there were (slightly short?) bunks but we'd arranged to have just a couple in each little dormitory room. Come the morning after the first night there there were a few whinges about lack of space and so forth. Self and partner had slept just fine as sufficiently tired so kept rather quiet. It gradually became apparent that every single other couple had used a bunk each... and then we kept even quieter.

 

Ofc some of them are still together so there might be something in it - but 4' is luxury to some of us!