Head in the bow

How well does the head placed in the bow work? By this I mean on a sailboat, out cruising, underway, how hard is it to use the head? Is it any worse than in the conventional athwartships, "aft of the V-berth, to port" arrangement.

I want to place the head in the typical V-berths location so the space normally occupied by the head can become storage.

As I'm sure you've heard me say before- the bow is both the worst place to sleep and the worst place to use as storage (concentrate weight), so why is it designers place a berth there and owners use the berth for storage?

 

The motion of the boat is accentuated as you move towards the ends. You will feel the motion of going up and over a wave more at stem then at midships. This may make use of the head challanging while underway.

Depending on the design of the deck you may also be lacking headroom to stand-up at the head if it is located in the stem.

Berths are placed in the stem (of small craft) because there is not much else that can be done with the space. There is limited floor area to speak of so you cannot put cabinets or even seating up there. Production boats put the berths up there if for no other reason than so the literature on the boat shows more people can sleep on the boat.

 

The motion in the bow is the largest, upwind in a breeze you will nearly go airborne.

V-berths are perfectly fine in the harbour or on a mooring, on smaller boats the are usually less cramped than aft cabin berths (under the cockpit floor).
Offshore part of the crew is sailing anyway, and it is best to use the saloon berths.

 

The layout I'm working on has a port Quarterberth and starboard Setee that will give sea-births while underway on either tack. It is a single-handed design with no pretentions of accomodating two, or a space for 'conjucals'.

Would it be the general consensus, then, that heads in the bows are best left to coastal craft and the traditional location would be best for use off-shore?

P.S. This is for a 24' solo-circumnavigator design.

 

I believe that in a light boat, upwind in a breeze with 2 to 3 meter short waves, you can easily go airborne...and I don't know if you are going to succeed in landing at the right place

If you have another head, it will be alright. If it is the only one, it would be difficult to use at sea.

For port use, it can be a very smart way to use the narrow space at the bow.

Take a look at the 42ft layout...nice head in the...head.
http://www.swedenyachts.se/

 

Hi!
In ocean sailing it's not comfortable to sleep in the head usually.

If heavy cruiser or large cruiser (>40ft) is used you could sleep in the bow in protected waters most of the time. (Watch out for ships and yachts passing by)

When racing it's not good to have weight in the bow.

Sleep in a performance boat is best near the keel.

When racing hard or sailing in bad weather = no sleep and the bow is not hospitable.

Cheeers"/Niklas

 

I would not recommend sleeping in the head anytime!

 

Seafarer24: As I'm sure you've heard me say before- the bow is both the worst place to sleep and the worst place to use as storage (concentrate weight)

Thanks for that comment. I remember it from many moons ago, and I've incorporated it into the interior of a cruiser I've been sketching. It has flotation compartments fore & aft, twin berths amidships, and the head in place of a quarterberth.

 

I was on a boat a while back, that had a head/shower compartment in the bow. (Catalina 42 I think) One thing i really liked was that there was a big hatch there, and being a wet area it could be left open when it was raining. Probably a great idea when you're anchored, not so handy at sea though. It's not much fun using any head at sea however.

 

My bow cabin is relatively large, it has not a division in the middle and I sleep with arms and legs open...I am a big guy, so, lots of grip. Considering this, sleeping in the bow can have an advantage, or at least I find one: That's the best place to "feel" the boat and that is very useful if you sail with inexperienced sailors. There were times when I have sailed my boat with not very experienced crews (even if they thought they were experienced - the worst type of sailors) and at night watch, when I was in the sleeping quarter, if I slept at the bow, I would awake easily if the boat was out of balance and overpowered : mad: ..Something to do with a sort of small and sharp zigzag course that you can feel very well in that place. That would allow me to go to the cockpit and help the guys with the reefing.

Of course that makes the bow two times more uncomfortable (first, you feel the boat, second, you have to wake up to put the boat in order). Nowadays, while sailing I sleep in the middle of the boat (in the main room) because now, I only sail at night with people that really know the ropes, preferably my daughter...two times more comfortable (at least) that way.

 

I know nobody is probably reading this thread but I felt it my duty to add my $.02. Do not put the Head in the bow. I raced on a Palmer Johnson custom 46' & it had the head in the very bow facing aft w/a shower curtain for privacy. While under way you had to be a acrobat to use it. Heal the boat over, draw the picture in your mind.

I also Raced on an Express 37' - Head just forward of the mast on starboard facing port much easier to sit on when healing port or starboard.

John

 

Thanks Sailfastz, I do check up on my old questions now and again.