A bit on the luxury side. Personally I am good with a v-berth, but the v-berth on my boat is 7' long and almost 8' wide at the aft end. There is room in the V-berth compartment to stand and get dressed even with the insert in. For sleeping we don't bother with the insert which makes it easy for either person to get into/out of bed without disturbing the other person. So I would say - make the v-berth big enough. For sea berths we use either the starboard side salon settee which, of course, has lee cloths, or the quarter berth (39" wide). We don't have any fans aboard the boat except the fan in the Dickenson propane fireplace, but we are in Maine where 65F is a warm day on the water. We also have opening ports in every compartment, especially the head. The head also has a day/night solar vent set up to exhaust. There is another one of those vents in the salon. Those vents go a long way toward keeping the boat fresh. They have a small battery/solar powered fan that can move air into or out of the boat. I also don't have any USB or AC charging ports on the boat. I leave all that junk home, except my phone, when I am on the boat. I take the fully charged phone, but it is off unless I need to make a call - locally the Coast Guard will ask you to call them rather than use channel 22. Naturally the only time that happened I didn't have a phone with me. I seldom make calls because cell service is pretty much zero in most of the area where I boat. For the first 10 years that I owned this boat I didn't even take a phone, because dragging the wires would have been a pain (cell phones didn't exist then). I have never needed to charge anything other than my hand held VHF, but I have a hard wired charger for it. If I need to communicate with a marina or harbor master, I use the VHF radio. As far as the head goes, you can always run some water into a glass at the sink and pour it into the head. Personally I don't like electric heads because what do you do if they have an electrical fault and won't flush. I will stick with my ancient Wilcox Crittenden Skipper head. As far as salon tables go, I like a table that is big enough for two people to eat at. I built mine at 22" wide by 26" long. That allows two people to face each other and have plenty of room for plates, glasses, etc. Naturally I also built my tables so they fold down (and latch) when not in use. One thing I think you definitely need is solid hand holds for when you get into a beam sea situation of some go fast nut passes you less than a boat length away leaving a 4' wake that you can't turn into.
You have some interesting preferences Todd. 😎No fans? No AC or charging ports? No Electric Toilet? Pouring extra water in the toilet to flush? A contrarian view to most conveniences and devices. Fascinating (?)😳 I've know purists like you. Ha! You're on the wrong channel my friend. You folks light fires using flint and steel. But in a wet foxhole I like a lighter. 😂 At Motor City Boat Werks, we build and restore for the 21st Century. Thanks for the comments. I will be smiling all day😁
@@motorcityboatwerks Actually we do use a flint and steel lighter for the propane stove. It is more reliable than those butane lighters and our stove predates piezo electric lighters. Basically, I have never adapted most of the "conveniences" . I have a cell phone for safety since you can no longer find a pay phone, but as I said I am in a cell phone dead zone here on the Maine coast. At home I have to go to the third floor of the cottage to get enough signal for a text. Incidentally, I have the head plumbed into the sink drain as a water source, so we run water into the sink to flush. That helps control how much water goes into the holding tank. We don't have AC because it doesn't get hot here. OK it got hot one day this summer when it went to 80.5F. We went out on the boat since once you get outside the islands it is never above 68F or so. My last restoration was a 1936 33' wooden motor cruiser. I kept is as original as possible except for the engine and the VHF radio. No chart plotter or radar, no AC circuits (the boat never had AC circuits) and very limited DC (lights, VHF radio, running lights and power to refrigerated cooler and the Webasto heater). I also installed an electric windlass since I am not a young guy like you. I did install a few hundred watts of solar to keep the batteries charged. I used paper charts to navigate.
Especially in the south west, between Sneek and Bolsward, and also in the area towards Workum, almost every farm has its own waterway to access the main canals. Incredible infrastructure
Its probably an older boat. Therefore no USB etc, small head. Better suited for a weekend I guess. Expectations and needs changed over the last 40 years. I understand your complaints regarding this boat. Oh and maybe a folding table in your own boat? In case you do need more surface and its not in the way if you dont. Loved the video!
Hi from Russia. A great video and great experience! Hope, You had a good vacation. Hope, Your wife think the same 😅🎉 Hope, that I will try the same channel voyage one day. Good luck in restauration project. Occasionally, I do also look for the boats restoration of 30-40 old boats and the same types. So, I like Your accurate approach and Your workshop. Looking great!
Lots of great points.. Our NS26 aft cab project has a 10' beam and is similar to the Albin 25. The table top stows up under the v-berth shelf where the hatch used to be. With the table tucked away the space becomes a lounge. I relocated the hatch up high where the galley/head and dinette intersect. As to hatch direction, I'm undecided.. scooping air makes sense, but along with the air comes any water thrown up over the bow which I suppose could be refreshing. 😲
Great idea to spend a couple weeks on a boat to see what works for you and what doesn’t. I am guessing the forward hatch opens to the stern in case you take a wave over the bow with the hatch open. Although, there isn’t much of a risk of that in The canals.
Ship toilet adventure. We man also have to relieve ourselves while sitting on a ship’s toilet. I have a “dry” toilet on board that separates urine and faces. Then you have to sit on the toilet. In the Netherlands, urine and faces are not allowd to pumped overboard. The faces are collected in a bag in a bucket and goes with the household waste. Urine is allowd to be pumped over board.
We call this a composting toilet 🙁and IMO it’s unacceptable and unpleasant for long term cruising. It’s reminds me of being in a foxhole in the Marines 🤨
Felix unfortunately I don’t do consultations yet. I do correspond directly and on a regular basis for advice with The Werkers, those people who are Patreons supporting the channel financially. patreon.com/MotorCityBoatWerks
The toilet has a simple solution, pee sitting down on the toilet seat like your wife does. Advantage, you don't miss the bowl in moving water. Hatches hinge at the front to prevent water coming over the bow coming straight into the hut. These size boats also cross the ijsselmeer. Galley burners, two is better than one if you plan to do more than heating up a can of soup or a one pot dish. Most of the dutch people are juggling three pots on 2 burners (potatoes, meat, veg) Don't forget a lot of people in the netherlands have a four week summer vacation or are the whole summer living on this size boat. (Like my parents did after retirement)
When kids want to earn money they Open The Bridges for you and you give him a few dollars they have a Pole with a Rope with a wooden shoe you put The Money in the wooden Shoe 🪄✨⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
