E27 berths

Considering an E27 as first keelboat. Was looking at larger boats, but found an E27 in amazing shape at a great price. My biggest concern is the berths compared to a larger boat. Can anyone comment on sleeping arrangements and relative comfort sleeping in your E27? I found the main salon berths to be pretty narrow to lie on. Can 2 adults sleep in the V-berth? Have you made any alterations to increase the size of the starboard berth at night for sleeping?

I'm 6' 2" and my bride is 5' and we sleep in the vee. While not exactly roomy, it's comfortable for us and the elbow bumps, head banging makes for giggles.

Starboard side berth

I've always preferred the starboard side berth on my E-27. You can widen the berth by adding a foot-wide strip with 90-degree angle brackets that fit into a custom-made strip that goes along the wood already there. Then you need a cushion strip that's a foot-wide, too. That stuff will store under the cockpit floor, inside. It doesn't need to be up during the day. I always thought the starboard berth was too narrow, but being able to get on deck in a hurry was always a consideration. You know, repelling boarders, checking the wake, stuff like that.

I am 6' and have slept in every berth on my e27. the salon berths are narrow but workable. The aft quarter is nice for one person (wide enough and long enough for me) but it is a little harder to get into and out of. I can sleep comfortably in the v but it would not be shareable with another tall person.
I am in the process of making a removable platform to bridge the gap between the salon berths to make an approx. 7' by 4' big berth. Someone on this site posted a similar project using the table itself as the platform. I like having the table hinged so I can store it or use it easily, so I am going to be using two pieces of plywood to make my platform.

Empirical Data needed

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?7721-Actual-Berth-Size&referrerid=28

This existing thread is in dire need of more information/material.

How's about you E-27 owners getting out your tape measures and providing some input?

Extra Points: If you d/l the interior view from an on-line brochure, you can use any basic draw application to add some numbers and arrows to the drawing, for added emphasis.
Or.... just scan and save an interior sketch with your measurements drawn in.
Then attach that as a .jpg to your post here.
Or... shoot a digital picture of the bunk area and then use the Text Box in your photo app to add notes about the measurements. Then do a Save-As and post the .JPG here.

Thanks!!

Loren

Pictures of table/berth conversion

AleksT said:

Someone on this site posted a similar project using the table itself as the platform. I like having the table hinged so I can store it or use it easily, so I am going to be using two pieces of plywood to make my platform.

Click to expand...

Here is the link to the album showing what AleksT mentioned. Not mine, but an ingenious solution!

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/album.php?albumid=103

I am personally 5'-6" so I have no issues. I can't slam dunk a basketball, but I can sleep just about anywhere!

Making the berth wide enough to sleep on.

All, I recall a project on my former boat, an E25+ wherein I added width to the starboard settee sufficient to allow comfortable sleeping. It involved adding a piece of 3/4" plywood over the existing structure straight on the inboard side and curved to match the hull on the outboard side. It could be easily pulled out (toward the center line of the boat) in seconds and locked in place to make up the berth. The rear cushion was used to fill the gap and the two cushions made for a very nice and comfortable berth. I made up the difference of the two elevations of the plywood by use of some 1/2" closed cell foam that stowed under the seat cushion when not in use. After making a paper template of how the wood would be cut, it all came together pretty easily. Details: I match drilled the sliding piece in the stowed position and used 1/4" pins to hold it in place. Those same holes kept it in the slid out position as well. The original teak fiddle was removed and attached to the edge of the plywood and slid out with it. When stowed, it still functioned to keep the cushion in place. I added a 1" X 1" teak cleat to the bulkhead for the plywood to slide on and act as a support at that end. I bought a short table leg at Home Depot that threaded into a T-nut installed from the top, down at the aft corner of the sliding piece when deployed. The berth proved to be very comfortable especially after adding a large piece of 1/4" closed cell foam to the vertical on the starboard side which solved the problem of ones shoulder and side getting cold from contact. All in all it was a pretty straightforward modification that greatly added to sleeping comfort and was totally hidden from view behind and beneath the cushions when stowed for the day. Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey, CA

Thank you all for the great responses! You have all convinced me that the berthing doesn't need to be an issue, and for the money I will save, I will have extra $$ to use for the berthing project and even some electronic upgrades. I know the PO and boat very well and have sailed on several times and know that it is in great condition, but was only concerned about size..