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Pegasus LOG

FOC'SLE
(OK, Vberth)

As Pegasus will be used primarily for Delta, Bay and coastal cruising for 1 or 2 adults we prefer to utilize the v-berth as the primary sleeping area while using the main cabin strictly as a saloon and galley.  The saloon settee berths will be used as sea berth during rare over night sails and guest berths if necessary.

The Triton's foc'sle has the potential for comfortable sleeping accommodations (at least for those of us under six feet) but does require some alterations.  Also, stowage access can be improved significantly.

The most common modification to small boat v-berths is to transform the entire area into a queen size bed.  Its a simple alteration but makes it kind of difficult to exit the bed (at least for us old people ;-)  We elected to enlarge the existing berths.

By giving up the nifty little seat between the two berths we comfortably increased v-berth width by 5 inches (I think you could go up to 7 or 8 inches if desired) and still be able to swing into and out of the berths. And, we (or anyone else for that matter)   would have little reason to sit in the foc'sle of a 28 foot boat.

 I elected not to remove the original berth bulkheads in their entirety. My reasoning was they were connected to a critical bulkhead which provides primary support to the mast and rigging. I clamped the new bulkheads in place and made some final adjustments.  Once satisfied with size and style, stowage was made more accessible by the adding cutouts for drawers and doors.  This eliminated the need to hold up berth foam and hatch cover while retrieving a sock. Our experience has indicated that if stowage is difficult to access, it won't be used and the boat becomes cluttered resulting in less than desirable cruising and safety conditions (a place for everything and everything in it place when sailing.)
The entire mockup was then covered with a satin white formica (no more painting) and secured with glass tape and resin. Cut outs were made to the original bulkheads to allow the drawers to extend all the way to the hull.  Jo had requested a specific area be set aside for footwear (shower shoes, extra shoes, etc). An area that kept them off the sole and out of the way but easy to reach. I used doors for this and elected not to provide access beyond the original bulkheads to ensure a separation between seldom used bulk stowage (accessed from the top) and daily stowage accessed through drawers and doors.

Two "his and her" drawers were installed at the forward end of the bulkhead for toiletry items and personal odds and ends.

Early in the planning phase, I had decided to do all interior wood work in birch using original teak trim that was saved only where appropriate. Teak has become outrageously expensive and mahogany is following closely behind while most neighborhood lumber yards carry bulk birch for a reasonable price.
Triton's have another neat idea that I refer to as reservoirs as they are shelves store water. There is one located over each berth (v-berth and saloon).  Closer inspection of these "reservoirs" showed signs of dry rot so they definitely had to go. I removed the starboard shelf from the hull and bulkhead by hand - no pry bar required. The glass to wood bond was very weak due to what appeared to be  insufficient resin saturation into the wood (A common problem I've been told during the learning years of GRP).  I built a small shelf with a low fiddle (and a drain hole) to hold glasses, books, etc  and placed it between the chain plate structure and the primary bulkhead.
  For the ceiling, I departed from tradition and covered it with a polypropylene material.  My reasoning was simple.  Installing a wood ceiling would look nice but take too much time (as much as I enjoy projects, I enjoy sailing more).  The poly would provide insulation sufficient to reduce  condensation in our local climate.  Another big plus for poly is when you roll over in the night, its warm and fuzzy against your butt, not cold and clammy like wood.  The material used is 100% polypropylene, 1/8 inch thick, will not rot, mildew, fade or sag like vinyl liners.  Having had to remove carpet and its glue from other boats we've owned, I recommend being very stingy with adhesive - you won't be walking on this material, just snuggling up to it.

Probably the messiest task in the forward cabin was removing 3 layers of flaking paint applied by a PO in addition to the original Zolotone which also flakes but looks more like a fine sand.  I prefer to limit painting interior surfaces as much as possible and I am not a big fan of formica that tries to look like wood.  If you want the warmth of wood, then use wood.  If not, install a satin finished formica and your maintenance is reduced to near zero.

The bulkhead separating the head was covered with beaded maple stained translucent white so the wood grain would show - I'm not pleased with the results so it is on the "do-over" list.