Narrowboat beds - what kind of things are good?

[Emerald Fox]

Hi all!

 

As soon-to-be first-time-narrowboat-owners (of one oldish narrowboat) we are wondering what kind of bed we should be looking at. With no experience in this matter all that comes to mind is 1) sofa thingy that turns into a bed, 2) bed that somehow folds up and goes against the wall (sorry, not sure what the nautical term for 'wall' is!).

Are there any links on canalworld.net forums that addresses this issue? Are there any folk here willing to show photos of there beds in open & folded-away positions? Is there a place on the Internet where narrowboat beds can be seen, so as to give us some ideas?

 

Thanks in advance! EF

[nicknorman]

Your choice will depend on two important parameters: How long your boat is, and how tall you are.

 

How long your boat is determines whether it is feasible to have a dedicated space for a bed (ie bedroom). If so, I would strongly recommend having a dedicated bedroom since it saves the hassle of having to make and unmake the bed each day. For such a bedroom it is common to have a fixed bed built into the boat, with storage underneath etc.

If you can't spare the room for a dedicated bedroom there are as you suggest possibilities for freestanding sofa-bed (tend to be rather bulky for a narrowboat), a fold-up bed of sorts (although these also tend to encroach on the relatively narrow space, and don't forget the sloping cabin sides aka tumblehome. A more efficient use of space is likely to be a dinette type setup which can be made up into a bed by dropping the table.

 

 

How tall you are determines whether you can have a bed across the boat, or whether you have to have it running along the boat. A cross-bed takes up less length of boat, but of course blocks travel down the boat when the bed is made up. I am 1.93 metres and a cross bed for me is a complete non-starter!

[kevinl]

Most boats have a fixed bed platform of some sort so it's really just a question of getting a suitably comfy mattress but as boat beds come in odd sizes you may need to have one made there's a link to the thread below where this was discussed. Reading between the lines (so I may be completely wrong) you have an old boat with no bed any you want to knock something up? If that's the case a picture of the space would help with suggestions and some idea of what you(s) think is a suitable size (length and width) of bed. Simplest as you say would be a sofa bed of some but I've never yet found one I could spend more than a couple of nights on, a bit more info would help.

K

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?s=9710bb470703e1da1635955c499f2f1b&showtopic=63064&hl=mattresses

[nbfiresprite]

For beds that fold in to the side the following thread should give a few hint's http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=50928

[FadeToScarlet]

One thing to bear in mind is how many people tend to occupy said bed.

 

Our old boat had a 6' by 4'6" bed that was at gunwale height, and which lifted up during the day on gas struts to reveal a top loading wardrobe.

 

Which was a pain when one person had to get up, and the other wanted to stay in bed- as they either had to get up too, or be folded against the wall, to get clothes out and give the other space to get dressed!

 

 

 

On our new boat, I've made a cross bed, where the bottom third of it folds up during the day. Great because you can put your toes onto the radiator! Still got plenty of storage underneath, too.

 

 

Under construction- the ply piece to the side is the folding piece, which the legs and some additional panelling make it look like a proper bedstead when folded up.

[mattlad]

Anyone ever tried a hammock? They used to be quite popular amongst Navy folk a few years ago, they would obviously have a strong nautical theme!

[sueb]

We went for two single beds, which for us were perfect

[station tug]

we were going to go for bunk beds but the mrs damanded she had the top bunk but with her being 28 stone i didnt think it was going to be such a great idea.

[IanM]

On our new boat, I've made a cross bed, where the bottom third of it folds up during the day. Great because you can put your toes onto the radiator! Still got plenty of storage underneath, too.

 

 

Under construction- the ply piece to the side is the folding piece, which the legs and some additional panelling make it look like a proper bedstead when folded up.

Pretty much what we've got on our boat too.

[Zayna]

We made a fold up bed. We couldn't stand the 4ft wide one, and I hated sleeping against the wall. So we sawed the end off a king size mattress so it would lift up and down in the space, we sewed the thing together at the end.

 

My chap is 6ft tall and manages to sleep better on the boat than he does at home. The bed is counter balanced at one end and simply flips up with the lightest of touches. It rests on a shelf/cupboard thing at the bottom (it's under construction, we've not made our minds up what we're doing with it yet), and the bed rests on a lidded box, we put the pillows in there and there's room for extra bedding. I'll try and attach pictures, I think I've posted about it before...

 

 

[Emerald Fox]

Thanks all for the input. Something we're going to have to think about. I don't have photos of that part of the boat. It's only 40', kitchen at back, then bathroom (shower & loo) then the one space/room before the front doors.

In the sort-of-foldaway-bed-thingy-?futon we slept widthways - not good, too short, toes against wall. I slept (the next trip) lengthwise, better.

I think we'll just have to stand there inside that space and think and gradually look to see what other people have (and nick their ideas). Taken by surprise a bit, didn't think we'd be buying a narrowboat so suddenly!

I'll examine those links, thanks for them!

[nebulae]

We have a 6ft6inx4ft6in double made up permanently. It is tight to get past,but we have got used to it..Loads of storage underneath(our Avon inflateable dingy fits underneath) This system works best if you need a special mattress such as memory foam or orthopaedic.You can go to normal bedding outlet.

[ditchcrawler]

We have a 4ft 6in wide in a boatmans cabin that drops down across the cabin at night and goes back in the bed hole during the day, just like a traditional bed but wider.

[keble]

My thoughts: we have an extending lengthwise double bed. Very comfortable.

But the calorifier is underneath which does mean the bed is quite high. As the years go by it gets more difficult to get in..May need to get a step!

As to cross beds, my concern is this: does a bit of, ahem, nooky set the boat rocking madly?

[system 4-50]

My thoughts: we have an extending lengthwise double bed. Very comfortable.

But the calorifier is underneath which does mean the bed is quite high. As the years go by it gets more difficult to get in..May need to get a step!

As to cross beds, my concern is this: does a bit of, ahem, nooky set the boat rocking madly?

I wish.

[ditchcrawler]

My thoughts: we have an extending lengthwise double bed. Very comfortable.

But the calorifier is underneath which does mean the bed is quite high. As the years go by it gets more difficult to get in..May need to get a step!

As to cross beds, my concern is this: does a bit of, ahem, nooky set the boat rocking madly?

It depends on how well you are ballasted

[Taslim]

If the boat's rockin' dont come knocking we're probably knocking.

 

I'm 6'2" & found that cross bed was ok but I was alone & so knackerd at the end of the day it woud have been easy to sleep on a cloths line.

 

It was easy to set up the bed but being lazy I want a 'full time' bed.

Edited January 25, 2014 by Taslim

[b0atman]

Comfortable is the most important factor .

[Québec]

Québec is also 40', but with a rear bedroom. We inherited a fixed lengthways double, which we could walk past, and - both being short-arses - we converted it into a super kingsize cross-bed by making a demountable platform to cover the gap, and having a decent folding mattress/topper. Takes a minute or so to set up or fold away.

[captain flint]

On 20/01/2014 at 22:23, sueb said:

On 20/01/2014 at 20:49, mattlad said:

Anyone ever tried a hammock? They used to be quite popular amongst Navy folk a few years ago, they would obviously have a strong nautical theme!

 

*Narcothread alert* - sorry!

 

I've slept in one for weeks at a time and can confirm that a good Latin American style* hammock is incredibly comfy. Better than any bed, for me, by far, and I sometimes suffer from back problems. Seems to support you just where you need it. 

 

*think : very wide, no end bar, just rope and fabric, and you sleep diagonally across it, not straight along them, so you lie flat, not curved, and can be on your back, front, side, however really. 

 

I did dream about putting one in my boat... 

 

... But I think you'd need to have your hooks attached to the metal of the cabin top, not just the lining, which I guess would be an arse unless you're starting from scratch... 

 

... Plus, and I think this is the killer, even in a UK heatwave, sleeping in a hammock at night leaves you with a cold arse! You don't realise how much insulation your mattress gives you until you try sleeping outdoors in a hammock on a balmy English night. Your bum is just swinging in the wind, with just a bit of fabric to protect it! 

 

It's absolutely perfect up the Amazon, but it tends to be a bit warmer there... 

 

I do have one, and also two 2cm self inflating sleeping mats that line it pretty well, so I have actually used it in the UK in the summer, and liked it. But even the tiny gap between the two mats tends to mean you've a cold stripe across your hip or behind. 

 

Obviously, inside would be a bit better, but I've only used it at night over here in really hot summer heat waves, and even then it would have been too cold without the mats. 

 

That said, if I was getting a boat fitted from scratch/fully refitted I'd look into hammock fixtures. 

 

Even if it's too cold for night time use, it's ace for general lounging /reading on the day time. Especially if the boat is underway. And they pack away when not in use, obviously.