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Making Floorboards That Can Be Raised for a Sleeping Deck


PadrePoint

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I built a Core Sound 15 last year (Norma T) but didn’t receive sails until late September. I only sailed a handful of times before putting it into winter storage. I had thought of this sailboat only in terms of plopping it into water from a boat landing for some day sailing. 
 

But, both of my sons have expressed to me their interest in camping on a sailboat. Never having considered that, it has at least caught my attention. I’ve begun learning about “dinghy cruising” (mostly along the lines of Roger Barnes and the Off Center Harbor website.  (Things like the Everglades Challenge?  Nope... way too much for me.)  But, maybe the Norma T could be used for some overnights around Wisconsin. Maybe even I would try camping on it as well as making the option available to my boys. 

 

I think a first step to manage is to create a means for comfortable sleeping.  My ideas thus far include:

 

1. Finish installing the step in the forward thwart to hold the mizzen mast, getting it “out of the way” of the cockpit area for camping. Besides, the forward step might be useful in a too strong wind, only use the morning zen sail. (CS15 sails have a single reef each.)  This task is easy. 

 

2. Use the cockpit area for sleeping. I note that a lot of folks sleep on the floor of their boat, or on floorboards above the sole that help things from getting wet.  A simple sounding alternative, but... eehh... I don’t know ‘bout that approach for me.  The feet/legs would be quite a ways under the narrow thwart with a mast tube in the middle, and water on the floor as a reality. 
 

3. Use the cockpit seats for sleeping.  Without modification to the seat width... it’s rather narrow. I won’t like it sufficiently.  
 

4. Use the cockpit seat area from transom to over the mizzen thwart and add a horizontal surface inside that area (raised floorboards?) for a side to side “deck”.  That would provide enough flat space for my small two person tent (I bought it to use with my motorcycle.) I think this fourth approach best, if I can come up with an effective solution for raised floorboard.  If I sleep in my freestanding tent on this kind of deck, I don’t need to also provide a “boom” canopy tent. (Ok, I might even play with THAT idea as well, just to see if I could make a tent supported by a horizontal mizzen mast or by the sprits)

 

So... Would anyone offer any photos or descriptions of their sleeping setup in an open boat like CS15, particularly how raised floorboards are managed?

 

I am trying to avoid installing permanent rails along the inside of the cockpit as side supports for floorboards (although that might be the smartest option.)  I’m intrigued by one guy’s four X-shaped supports that quickly assemble to put under his raised floorboards (each support is made from two pieces that cross with slots to fit together — hope my description makes sense.)  I suspect this is more or less what is referred to as “egg carton” supports. 

 

I know that Don (Thrillsbe) is working on this for his own cruising endeavors... I’ll be interested to see his solutions. 

 

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My floorboard project got poked down the priority list for a little while.  I have time now for that, and will share my progress with you soon, Ted.  But I’ve found that a two person tent is too large for my Bay River Skiff 15.  A one person tent is the most she will handle.  0B9E4322-245C-4280-946F-87F6929900F5.thumb.jpeg.68c291fbbbfe5c8145aae77645bfb050.jpeg
I found that the end-entry tents always had the door at the wider end.  With the door facing aft, I would sleep with my head facing aft, my feet would be higher than my head.  This is uncomfortable.  That meant placing the door forward on my boat. In a storm, this would allow the rain to drench my living space, every time I opened the door.  I needed to have a side entry tent.

 

Finally, check out Roger Barnes’ YouTube videos.  (Apparently, the word “homely” has a slightly different meaning in the UK.)


His book is also full of suggestions.  His first tent was made from a blue poly tarp, and he used it for several years.  Details are in his book.  (Available on Amazon, of course.)

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Here’s the direction I’m headed in.  The floorboards are just as wide as the hole, measuring crossways.  That means there’ll be no support on the sides, so I made an egg crate structure for support.  Fore and aft, they’re longer than the distance between the seats, so there will be an overlap.  Securing is the next frontier.  But I’ve got a plan.

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Don,

That is right along the lines that my brain has been going to. My boat is still in storage but I’ll be getting it soon. 
Thank you for showing your approach. 
The idea of doing some overnight sailing has  taken hold of my imagination. I joined into the Dinghy Cruising Association in England (Roger Barnes) to gain access to their journals and forum (great reading... and LOTS of it to explore.)  I couldn’t find anything yet about methods to make a sleeping platform. 
BTW, I purchased Roger Barnes’ book as a gift to my son, who plans to build a Phoenix 3 sailboat. I thought that the proper “dad” thing to do was to read the book first to make sure it was appropriate reading material for my son. ?

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Yeah, the Phoenix 3, built from plans, will no doubt be a much more ambitious and challenging build than was my CS15 full kit. 

Then again, the guy is loving building his canoes out of tongue and groove cedar strips that he cuts and shapes from cast-off eight foot 1x6 cedar boards. Aaiieee.  ?

 

He just told me tonight that he’s thinking a LOT about how he can hardly wait to start building his Phoenix 3... even as he’s placing his initial strips into his current build, a 17 foot canoe.  Yup, I think he’s got the “bug” even worse than me ?.  (I bought him Phoenix 3 PDF plans as a birthday present a couple months ago... kind of “my fault.”)  

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Actually, my son set his mind toward building the Phoenix 3 before I’d even heard of B&B Yachts. And, it was his interest in this sailing/cruising boat that even got me looking around last year at sailboat options, causing me to stumble onto B&B’s website and falling for the Core Sound 15... after also stumbling upon Alan’s CS15 YouTube video series. 

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G’day,

I camped out on my new CS17 on the weekend.

 This is my set up. I made a small floorboard for the front area of the cockpit, that can also be used to fill in from the centre board case platform back to the mizzen mast thwart. Rails glued to the seat uprights support the floorboard (which I understand you would rather not use).

My swag (bed roll) just fits in under the canvas dodger. I think I will make up a awning to cover the rest of the cockpit to provide more shelter. 

Hope this helps

 

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Gira Gira,

I think your photos show a great setup and a nice weekend voyage.  Thank you. 
And, congratulations on having a new CS17. 
 

My CS15 has just over 5 feet in front of the mizzen mast (I’m 6’ 5”.)  If I come up with a system for the aft cockpit area I would feel comfortable in the horizontal position for sleeping. 
 

Rails would be the easiest solution and I’d be open to that, but I’m still kicking around some ideas. I’ll get my boat out of winter storage early next week so I can soon get more serious about the task.  Right now, ironically, I’ve begun fashioning floorboards for the ski boat I’m building. 

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