Hi Jim: There is no magic bullet on bedding, other than keeping the boat interior dry. Otherwise, we use the same type of sheets, blankets, and bed pads as at home. In the tropics you will want very light blankets.

As far as long-term storage, the best approach is to get a vacuum bagging machine. We use this for all sorts of food stuffs as well as spare parts. Regards – Steve

Hi Craig: The ventilation issue is complex and involves many sea-going trade offs. Vent pressures are very low. – Steve

Hi Dex: There are a lot of trade-offs with insulation including weight, cost of materials, and labor to install. As we are only planning only to cruise during the summer months, we looked at the insulation strictly from the standpoint of condensation.

With condensation there are two factors as you probably know, temperature differential and humidity. We are based on a outside temperature of 22 degrees F/-5.5C inside ambient of 68F/20C, with a humidity of 70%. We can control the humidity, if required, with our dehumidifier to get more of a temperature differential.

Given the insulation value of the Armaflex, assuming no double glazing on the house windows, we expect a heater duty cycle of 50% in the coldest conditions.

Going to thicker insulation would reduce fuel burn and heater duty cycle, but for our purposes, and the expected temperature range (and most of the time the temperature outside would be well above our design point) we think we’re OK.

We prefer not to use blown foams as they tend to absorb moisture over time and have been known to cause problems with aluminum, if they are in direct contact. Regards – Steve

PS-my notes on the R value of Armaflex are not handy right now, but you can get the technical specs from their website.

Hi David: First, the only way to get a handle on this is to spend some time cruising on boats with different headroom levels. An inch one way or the other can make a big difference. I’d suggest going to a fall boat show, tape in hand, and see what feels right and what doesn’t. Then, hitch a ride for a few days or charter with comparable headroom to see how it works.

What we know from our own experience is wearing (or not wearing) shoes makes a big difference, as does individual posture. Most boats have max headroom at the center, and then lose it as you work off center.

You will also want to look at the room in the toilet and bath compartments, bunk size, and saloon and cockpit seat ergonomics. Good Luck – Steve

Hi Alan: Generally speaking, we orient our hatches for best air flow at anchor. You need somewhere for the air to enter and then go back out. Our experience is that the air likes to enter aft, through the companionway hatch (if there is a dodger fitted it works even better) and then exit through a forward hatch which opens facing aft. We usually orient the saloon hatches so they face forward.

There are some drawings and discussion in more detail on this subject on Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia.

Regarding hatch types, we favor the cast Bomars. They don’t have the O-ring leak potential of all the other styles. From experience I can tell you that if they are properly dogged, they will not leak, even under direct wave impact. Steve

Hi Gregory: I have no specific recommendations for the Caribbean for upholstery. However, there are cushion makers on many of the islands. As to foam quality, this is always a potential problem and needs to be researched carefully. There are major trade-offs between comfort, longevity, and cost.

In general we favor the high density, medium to firm foams.

The best bet is to find someone in the area with cushions made by a vendor you are considering–that have a year or more of service. This way you can see how the foam stands up and what the fabrics look like after some real world usage. Good luck – Steve

I am designing a 40′ sailboat, and have been reading Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia. I wish to thank you for the wonderful ideas.

I have a solution to one of the problems you mentioned…You said that when you used Velcro to hold up panels sometimes the Velcro held so well to its partner it pulled off the piece that was glued to the surface.

If you shave off the “hooks” and “loops” around the edge of the pieces of Velcro (about 1/4″ all around) then the “peal load” can’t work on the edges, and the Velcro will stay on when you pull off the panel. If you have skimped on the size of your Velcro, you may need to use larger pieces.

(This assumes that the glue is the correct type for the substrate. Some glues, over time, just slide off.) – Joseph

Hi Carol You’ve got a common problem, and the answer starts with the shape of the box (the top loader is most efficient in terms of limiting heat loss). What we’ve done (and seen on a few boats) is to use stacking containers sometimes with shelves. If you are lucky, you can do this with an array of plastic coated steel mesh containers, usually available in a Target type of store. The open mesh is important for heat transfer and allowing the stored items to breath. Tupperware makes a line of storage devices which allow for longer-term storage (we use them in the fridge on some things and they seem to help). We usually put the long term inventory, which we only need to get into once in a while, in the hardest to reach areas of the fridge. There is a lot more on this subject in Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia. Regards -Steve

Yes – it is on constantly. I have heard both sides of the deteriorization story. But I don’t think we have any rubber in our hoses (all plastic) – so far – five years – it has not been a problem for us. Steve

Sounds like you have yourselves a project. Cork will work fine as long as it is well sealed. But there are lots of other materials which are inherently stable – and might be better – depending on how you intend to use the boat. As far as wall coverings, same issue – bamboo will work, but you have to be careful sealing it. There are many types of striated vinyls with a lovely texture that are impervious to the elements. We’ve had very good success with vinyl wall coverings for many years. Regards – Steve

PS-There’s a lot of data on this subject in our Offshore Cruising Encylopedia.