Vee Berth Extension

[Starscream]

After first seeing a V-berth extension on Chinook's great-loop a few years ago, and a few posts on this board, I've decided that the time is right to add the mod to Bear Hunt. Our boys are getting bigger and the three of them in the V-berth and lowered dinette just won't cut it anymore. The plan is for the adults to take over the extended V-berth, and the three boys can fight it out over who gets the back-middle.

I saw a post on this site where the modder added storage underneath and a slide-out drawer in the small space created over the existing setee, and I am trying to copy that. I think I will extend the removable back-rest of the forward dinette seat to create a new place to sit, since eating space is at a premium.

I built a mockup out of 1/2" plywood, and will transfer the pattern to 1/2" HDPE once I am satisfied with it. It's not perfect yet: the drawer slot has to be embiggened, and the support tab at the lower left of the photo was cut a bit short. The plan is to put in a 12" stainless piano-hinge where the two top-pieces meet, so that the area can be used for storage. It's really, really hard to get the right angles. Finishing will have to be with caulking and maybe some of those white-plastic wall corner protectors to make it look a little better. I'm going to have to find someone with the right tool to round the edges of the two top pieces for me.

The main problem is that I'm not a craftsman. I'm sure there are special techniques and tools to get everything just right, I just don't know what I don't know. Comments and advice would be much appreciated.

[Jimmyt]

That's looking pretty good! You can use smaller pieces and hot glue to refine your patterns. Even posterboard or cardboard hot glued to your pattern can be used to refine your fit.



That's a significant increase in the v-berth area. Should be nice. What are your plans for extending, or replacing the cushion/mattress?

If you're planning on a drawer over the bench seat area, you may want to re-think it. You will have to cut out the majority of the structure to get a decent drawer in. I'd probably put a center spine between the top pieces and use two piano hinges to hinge both halves of the top deck. That way, you can still get storage on the port side without having to work a drawer in. If you don't want the port side to open at the hull end, just put a spine in and move that hinge out to the hull end. You could make a removable tray that fits in there if you wanted. You can probably get more usable storage that way than with a drawer.

[Starscream]

Thanks Jimmy, good advice. I was thinking about two opening top pieces instead of the drawer. I just liked the drawer idea, and I've never built a drawer so I thought I'd give it a shot. It's not a done deal. It's just that if I have the mattress sized to cover the top of the extension, I was thinking it might be easier access to just flip up the seat cushion and open the drawer rather than move the mattress. Still a lot of thinking to do.

For the V-berth, I'm thinking about the Walmart mattress, possibly covered in a sunbrella fabric and waterproofed. I saw it in stock the other day at about $220 but I hesitated. Shoulda picked it up.

I have to re-do all the cushions anyway, they are original and 18 years old. Probably moldy inside. I'm getting half-decent at sewing, so I think the cushions will be an enjoyable winter project.

[Jimmyt]

You're right on the access issue. I can't judge how much meat you have to work with to get the drawer in. But, if you want to build a drawer, go for it! I build them the quick way. You lose about 1/2" of depth, but it's pretty strong.

Dado the sides, cut a slot for the bottom to fit in (sides, front and back), glue and brad the sides to the front and back. Bottom panel floats freely in the slot. You could glue the bottom panel in probably if it's all plywood, but classically the bottoms aren't glued in. You can make all of the parts on a table saw easily. If you make them with a hand circular saw, it will be a little slower, but still easy enough.



If you have a straight edge you can use for a fence to saw against it will make your cuts easier. I've got the one harbor freight sells, but you can source them from a lot of places.

https://www.harborfreight.com/50-inch-c ... 66581.html

Re-covering cushions will be a great winter project. I've been wanting a heavy duty sewing machine for quite awhile. I'll be looking forward to seeing your cushion project!

[chipveres]

The Admiral says that you can get a foam mattress from Amazon or Walmart and cut it to shape with an electric carving knife. Just make sure there is no metal in it.

Chip
s/v Sand Dollar

[Starscream]

Made the cuts today, using 1/2" HDPE sheet. All the parts fit on one 24x36 HDPE. I bought a 1/2" and a 1/4" and made the first run out of 1/2". Feels strong.

I decided to go with two flip-up top-lids, mounted on piano hinges on the farthest-forward edges. I also decided to overhang the lids just a bit, to help with the aesthetics. This way, I don't need little reinforcement pieces, it's just the three big slabs and done.

Cuts aren't perfect. I knew they wouldn't be, using a jigsaw. But caulking and trim will hide the shoddy work. Still need to sand some of the cuts straight in the photo below. The pieces aren't attached, they're just sitting in approximate place:



The templates:


And I think we will go with this from Walmart. The current mattresses are 3" memory foam and we end up sinking in to the fiberglass. This one is 2" of memory foam and two inches of regular foam and I'm hoping it will be more comfortable.

[Inquisitor]

I'm doing something similar for an M and was still debating about how to mattress the thing. I would like to hear your feedback once you've tried it. Unfortunately, down here in the deep south, air circulation is far more important and from what I've been told the memory foam mattresses don't do that very well. They suck you in and cocoon you. I'm sure that's the best thing up there in the artic north. (Anything north of the mason-dixon is the artic north and our thin blood freezes)

Great project though!

[Jimmyt]

Made the cuts today, using 1/2" HDPE sheet. All the parts fit on one 24x36 HDPE. I bought a 1/2" and a 1/4" and made the first run out of 1/2". Feels strong.

I decided to go with two flip-up top-lids, mounted on piano hinges on the farthest-forward edges. I also decided to overhang the lids just a bit, to help with the aesthetics. This way, I don't need little reinforcement pieces, it's just the three big slabs and done.

Cuts aren't perfect. I knew they wouldn't be, using a jigsaw. But caulking and trim will hide the shoddy work. Still need to sand some of the cuts straight in the photo below. The pieces aren't attached, they're just sitting in approximate place:

That's looking good! Nothing shoddy about that. Keep the pics coming!

[Starscream]

The vertical plate is now screwed into place, using stainless wood screws from the bilges through the fiberglass into the HDPE. I pre-drilled pilot holes into the HDPE. Of course, on one of the holes the bit broke off in the HDPE so that hole couldn't be used and had to drill a new one.

The top plates are not yet permanently attached. I added a 3/4 x 3/4 strip of HDPE at the back of the top plates to accommodate the hole location on the stainless piano hinges. JB Weld is a pretty good product, but I threw a couple of screws in there too.



Hinge installation. Now, getting the top plates mounted at just the right height is gonna be tricky. I bought some vinyl angles, the kind that one normally uses to protect wall corners from chips, planning to use them as finishing strips to hide my jig-saw cuts, but I think I'm going to have to come up with a better idea. Maybe just some straight black plastic strips--there's almost no wood anywhere on the boat so I don't think I'll go that way.



My garage is no longer an easy place to work; full of boat canvas and cushions, and of course the cars are in for the winter.

[Jimmyt]

Looking good!

[Starscream]

Well, that's it...basically done the hard stuff. All screwed in place, and operable. Not perfect but like I said, I'm no craftsman and hey, it's a 26X.

Not entirely happy with the cuts, but I have the whole winter to ponder whether I should take out the lids and re-do them so that the gap is even.

The trim in the photo is just sitting in place, not attached. I think I'm gonna simply use white bathroom silicone to caulk the gaps.

I put a separator in between the deep and the shallow bins. I'll line the shallow one with anti-skid and that will probably become my tool bin.

Oh, and I'm going to add cords that limit the opening to about 120 degrees, and possibly a little prop-open thingy, yet to be conceived. The positioning of the hinges and the curviness of the boat surfaces puts a little stress on the hinges when they are 180 degrees open.

Overall, I really like it. Now, for the cusions and mattress.

[DownSouth]

Looks pretty good to me! I am about to replicate your efforts though thick plastic is harder to find here so I may just use plywood.

DownSouth

[Inquisitor]

I second that... you've done a fantastic job. There isn't a damn strait line or consistent curve no matter which way you try to section a boat... waterline, station or buttock. As storage goes, I wouldn't think you'd access those in front anyway. You might never see that gap under the mattress again. Just fill it up with the extra life preservers and spare parts.

[Starscream]

Thanks guys. Appreciate the complements.

Who knew HDPE would be so hard to source in Oz? Plywood coated with a quality primer and paint should work just fine.

Storage is a huge issue for us. We travel en famille with 5 on board most of the time. Places for clothes and laundry and food and games is always at an absolute premium. The V-berth extension storage bin takes the place where the laundry basket usually goes, so I'm not winning any space there. I'm actually thinking of splitting the mattress into three pieces, one for the V-berth, one for the galley seat, and one for the extension. That way we can still access the forward bilge storage.



Food and clothes and gear for these three packs every last cranny. They just won't stop growing and Bear Hunt is bursting at the seams.

BTW that's our chip quota for a week!

[Starscream]

My extension project is almost done. I have to add some silicone and/or trim pieces, and also some latches to keep the two bins closed when heeling, and clean up the sharpie marks and fiberglass dust.

So far I really like it. The gas struts are necessary to keep fingers safe, and convenient for loading the bins.



The port bench seat is now just a very big one-person seat. I'm going to add a flip-up table/armrest for the person who sits there (me), that will be mounted into the now-unused portion of the seat-back above the extended mattress. I bought two 10" flip-up supports, but they should have been 8".

Never been on my boat in January. It's cold. And dark under the tarp.