What design features make life aboard comfortable & practical for females?

Depends a lot on your set up.
If you have a decent genset, and the fuel supply to support it (40ft.....) the a front-loading washer/dryer could be the go. They tend to use less water than a top loader and are more space efficient too.
With a little thought I would think that you could set up some sort of drying cupbd. Other than that, you have to do what everyone else does - hang it out for the world to see...

 

I don't mind having it shown, who cares if you want your washing dry. The problem is not having the salty air making your clothes unbearable. When sailing on a boat the salt air makes your hair feel funny which I don't mind, but I gather that will happen to your clothes when hung out as well and that I would mind.

That is another thing to consider carefully, room for a dryer/washer and the neccessary fuel and water or dedicating space to a drying cupboard. I haven't seen many drying cupboards so cannot imagine very well what they look like.
What is the experience with these two alternatives?
I presume that you Will, will have the washer/dryer as an advantage of having a motor boat. Are they special marine types or do you just use a normal one.

 

We do have a front-loader as I described on our 48 footer. In the 4 yrs we've owned the boat we've used it once (to see if it worked!). We never had anything other than outside on our 36 footer that we had for 30 yrs (and still have). It's just the regular house-hold variety.
It depends how your boat is set up - and you have to make this decision pretty early on in the design process, because it effects a lot of other things (like fuel and water capacity). There are essentially two basic camps. One that operates using domestic appliances - washers, heaters, cookers etc. that rely on being either plugges in to shore power, run off an inverter with a big battery bank, or a genset. This system is far more commonly seen on powerboats than sailboats.
The other camp (and the one I generally prefer incidentally) is the 'low consumption' camp. This is pretty self explanatory and is definitely the norm for sailboats. The thought of a washer-dryer in this set up would send the die-hard energy conservationists amongst us into a spin! (excuse the pun )

 

I got why this boat desing forum is so big. Seriously thinking about boats is great fun and addictive and far more interesting than thinking about a house. I do enjoy your open answers, knowledge and willingness to follow me in my all over the way thinking. I so do appreciate this chance to really indulge in looking what is important to me and how I can have the things I would like to have and then get your input. In the pub talking about boats is not the same!
As I said before I am slowly absorbing all the information and I get to see that my original interest in a pilot house is waning, because I think a raised saloon will give me the best of both worlds. I can see outside, have a steering station up front of the saloon and more living space.
I understand that on a sailing boat you don't want things sticking out too mcuh and a raised saloon can still have a good view from a good size window.
Now I started to realise that I can have a lot of light and air through hatches. I can imagine a raised saloon with a big hatch in the ceiling that opens up and let air and light in when in calm weather and when in port. I have seen pictures of a German boat with a big hatch in the saloon ceiling through which he could stand and steer with his feet when seeing where you were going in ports was important.
Now I do see boats with a lot of hatches, but where is the concern for those? Can they not be washed away, break open by waves and how watertight are they?
So my question is, what is the difference in safety and strength between big hatches and windows and are hatches preferred above windows to let light and air in?

 

Now about energy. Could alternative energy such as wind generators or solar panels provide me with lots of energy for a watermaker (I do love the idea of enough water) and/or washer/dryer. That would save having big fuel tanks.
How much alternative stuff is available for boats. I mentioned composting toilets, how much is the boating world into alternative energy to bypass the fuel carrying and water carrying problems and space that requires?
Smaller tanks would mean more room for.......

 

Solar takes up huge amounts of area , & unfortunatly the really powerfull solar cant be walked on.
Wind works but is usually noisy , and may vibrate the boat , as well as hack off the neighbors.

The usual methods of least effort cruising is to bring LESS , not more , although once you get over 75ft or so ,its not that important.

Remember for each toy you drag aboard the space for YOU decreases , especially when you consider the extra tools for repair , fuel, std items like filters & belts and everything you will need to fix the stuff. Things like water makers really are a pain as they have to be serviced when NOT in use.

My advice would be a robust battery bank , a Trace 2440 inverter and a diesel genset with an extra 300A bus 24v Alternator belted on.You can run the house loads as you charge the bat set rapidly.

Onboard gen sets are known as NOISEMAKERS , for a good reason .

FAST FRED

 

You don't need a block and tackle, pulleys and ropes to lift the bed. You can get hydraulic lifters that are activated simply by pulling up on the bed, or by a switch. They are used a lot on engine hatches for power boats, and I have them under the bed in my motor home, where my wife keeps all her romance novels and shoes. She's a little thing and without the hydraulic assist she couldn't lift this bed in million years. But with it she just pulls up and the thing just rises up.

 

Jack

Whilst in some ways I agree with you on the hammocks, yes you do need to know what your doing to sling one properly in other ways you seem a bit out of kinter with the things - probably never used one in a longterm situation. the main problem really on a small boat is that you need some ten feet or more (3 metres) of lengthwise space, on a small boat this would only be available in the passageways. But having used them for some six years on a regular basis both at sea and alongside the wall given a choice (for single sleeping) I'd go with the hammock anyday - plus if space is short when you strike the hammock you have lots of other room. And so to tables, why not sling your table top from the deckhead using two slings at each end, gimballed at sea, easily moved when not needed (haul it up to the deckhead) and the set up for use in harbour etc - it's een done before, again on larger ships of the sailing type but with the required manpower damn useful!

 

Why get wet?

Wilma and anyone who is interested....

I just started the following thread. It dovetails nicely with discussions here about sprung mattresses, island berths and covered steering positions. To have all of these luxury features on a <=40-footer, the boat would need a special design. For example, as one design option, it would need ample headroom under the cockpit floor for an island berth with thick sprung mattress.

But then, a full-height pilothouse becomes too high. So, here is where my thread might have some relevance....

http://boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?p=105711#post105711

If interested, please let me know what you think. Discuss it here, there or anywhere

 

The only thing a hammock is good for is a body bag for the occupant should he pass away. In this scenario and Im sure weve all see Far side of the world with Russel crow. you stitch them up in the hammock not forgetting of course to pass the last stitch through the nose, then slip em over the side before breakfast.

 

Jesus....I would always prefer a mattress instead of a hammock, but you have a strong way of saying so.

 

a bigger wheel would be better to keep your hands on,and would be a bit more sensitive,giving more stering capability.

also,is it poss to use cork as floatation inside a frame?

 

tillers 'n' dodgers

Since the autopilot was always 'on', I hardly ever sat behind the wheel and attentively steered. With a normal cockpit design, one must jump around/behind the wheel each time there's a little steering emergency. In my humble opinion, a wheel takes-up way too much space considering the small amount of time it's used---and it's not even sheltered :-/

As for performance, I've always felt that a tiller provides the best sensitivity, since one can accurately sense if there is excessive leeward or windward pressure against the rudder. That feeling is somewhat lost with a wheel, but perhaps not entirely. Also, the rudder's orientation is always obvious with a tiller.

With that said, most boats don't have good tiller designs. For example, they can't be locked in-place without ropes and such. Or they bisect the cockpit unnecessarily and waste space. Here's a good example of a tiller that doesn't interfere with cockpit space too much.....

http://www.vander-bend.com/norsea/57494_11.jpg
http://www.vander-bend.com/norsea/

I've sailed similar boats, albeit a bit larger. Here in my area, about half the boats in <=40' range have tillers---even a few older 45-footers have them.

FYI, a guy from Tanton Yachts responded to my other thread. He claims to have designed a "vertical mounted tiller" right behind the companionway hatch, so the helmsman can sit under a protective dodger. Very interesting!

http://boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?t=13798


I'm not a racer, and I don't suggest that this is the next fad on the racing circuit. Also, this probably isn't for someone who sits in an office all week and then wants to experience the full effects of nature---good and bad---by sitting at the back of an exposed cockpit. But, for practicality- and comfort-minded cruisers, I think a tiller design that allows sitting under shelter has some excellent advantages.

 

Have we decided upon the length of this boat yet. I seem to remember sometime back that we were discusing the practicalities of cruising boats under 35 feet.

As I paid my marina bill the other day it reminded me that I had to tell you that in this marina they dont expect many boats under 12 meters and there is no catagory for them. Here at the top of Malaca straights where all boats going round the world stop over for a while or forever are very rarely under 40.

 

Hammock Jack - obviously an expert! don't forget the cannon ball between the feet to give a bit of weight otherwise the damn thing floats! comfortable in life a useful shroud in death, an extremely good bit of kit (and in between it's good for stopping leaks below the waterline backed up with the removable messdeck table and a couple of 4by4's) Oh yes and IF, that fails a properly lashed hammock should float for seven days so will make a good lifejacket - then if you don't get rescued in time it becomes your shroud! Yes Jack an extremely useful bit of kit!