V-Berth Refit
Cruising seems like a dream until those scorching summer temperatures hit.
We quickly learned that different materials like dense foams and synthetic fabrics retain heat - and a lot of it. The hot, humid climate of South Carolina had us dreaming of a cooler mattress. We feverently began researching the best cooling materials.
Listen, there’s a TON of options on the market. I’m not saying that those options won’t work, I’m just telling you what we went with. Hopefully, we chose wisely and our researach pays off.
Our Problem
We’re currently living our best lives in Charleston, SC. In the summer, temps routinely reached the 90s and often breach 100 (fahrenheit). But it’s not the heat... It’s the humidity! For an average summer day in Chalreston, humidity ranges from 50%-65%, but I think that’s on the low side. Not to mention, we’re planning to travel to even more humid places. As any boater knows, mositure and molding are already a problem that we have to deal with. Add intense humidity and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.
While it does get cold in South Carolina in the winter, making the bed warmer is SO much easier than making the bed cooler. For colder months, we sleep on top of fuzzy, insulated blankets and add more blankets on top of us.
The next problem to tackle - the sleep system that came with the boat was completely falling apart. We took turns rearrange the crumbling foam and sleep in lumpy divits in the mattress. It was time to upgrade.
So we needed two things: a durable mattress that didn’t trap heat and a way to keep air flowing beneath the mattress to reduce to moisture buildup.
Research in a Nutshell
Materials
One thing we kept reading over and over throughout our research was that natural fibers are great (maybe even the best?) at regulating temperatures. Surprisingly, wool will keep you warm in the winter AND cool in the summer. It’s structure allows it to trap heat when it’s cold while also allowing for moisture evaporation when it’s hot. Linen is a great material for all seasons because it has ample air flow, but can also contract when cold to trap in heat. But the material that surprised me the most was latex. You read that right. Natural latex is made up of tiny honeycomb shaped structures that creates airflow and disperses body heat. This prevents overheating and is recommended for hot sleepers.
We read a lot about cooling gel mattresses as well, but ultimately, that wasn’t the solution for us. A lot of our research indicated that cooling gel mattresses or toppers are hit or miss depending on the quality of the gel and the construction of the product.
Memory foam is, by far, the most popular mattress topper material. However, in our experiences and echoed in so many online reviews, we found that memory foam traps in heat. It’s a great option for climate controlled homes, but wouldn’t work for us on the boat.
Air Flow Options
The previous owners of our boat set up the v-berth with Dri-Dek Panels to elevate the mattress off the platform. With the construction of our v-berth, this just didn’t work for us. The foam used in the original set up settled into the nooks and crannies so that it was no longer elevated off the platform. The joys of buying a pre-loved boat.
We considered the HyPUR-Flo Moisture Protection from Totcha. It had great reviews and had been used by some of our boater friends. It could also be custom fit to the shape of v-berth, which is an EXCELLENT feature to have, in my opinon. It’s also very affordable. This underlay measured a half inch thick. In the end, we didn’t go with this option because we wanted a thicker base. We also wanted to have easier access to our water tank located beneath the v-berth.
Our Solution
Mattress
After months of research and consideration, we decided on a two part matress. The first part was a 3” medium firmness latex mattress topper from Sleep on Latex. The material is spongey, like angel food cake, but you don’t sink into it as you would memory foam. For the second part, we chose purchased another 3” latex mattress topper from the same company, but this time, we went with the soft version. This topper added thickness and more support to the system. We found that a single 3” topper did not provide enought support for us.
At it’s widest, our v-berth is 91” which is wider than the california king mattress topper is long. To optimize the topper in our space, we turned the topper sideways. This left about a 5.5” gap at between the end of the mattress topper and the foot of the v-berth. We then laid the king size mattress topper on top of the california king topper. As the king size topper was longer than the california king, it covered the 5.5” gap at the foot of the bed.
To fully fit the fit toppers into our space, we cut it to the shape of our v-berth. To ensure that we cut the toppers to the correct shape, we identified the center of the topper and marked that point on the edge that would be the foot of the bed. Andy measured 19.5” out from the center point on each side. To find the point where the mattress topper connected with the walls, we found where the point where the width of the v-berth was 76” to match the width of the topper and marked the edge.
Cutting the topper was a slow process. Using a fishing pole as straight edge, Andy connected the two marks - center point on the width of the foot and the point at which the v-berth narrowed too much for the rectangular topper. I placed a cutting board underneath the topper to protect the base layer of our work bench - the settee cushions. Cutting an angle, to mimic the outward slope of the v-berth walls, Andy cut along the line. We repeated this process on both mattress toppers.
We opted for a traditional mattress topper instead of a marine mattress so we could get our preferred material. We also wanted a mattress that was one full piece of material. The previous set up was made of multiple pieces of foam that were puzzle-pieced together. They did not hold up well and we spend a couple years taking turns sleeping lumpy holes.
Air Flow
The best air flow solution we could find came from a small German company called Froli. Originally designed for RV bedding, the sleep system increasing air flow and springy support to mattresses. We went with the Froli Star model.
We chose the Froli system because it’s higly customizable. It comes in three parts: the base, the spring or “lily pad”, and the tension clip. The bases clip together to create a grid in the shape of your plaform. These can be left as is or screwed into place. The springs are then attached the bases. The springs come in two varieties - soft (light blue) and regular (dark blue). The tension clips can then be added to any of the springs to provide more support.
While the Froli was originally designed for traditionally shaped mattresses, the bases were easily modified to fit the odd traingular shape of our v-berth. On narrower portions of the v-berth, we cut off a portion of the base. Cutting off part of the base did not affect the functionality of the base. You can also cut off one corner of the spring without affecting functionality, but we didn’t have to cut any of the springs.
Once assembled, the system sits 1 3/4“ tall, which we hope will provide a lot of airflow. Another key reason why we chose the Froli, was how customizable it is. We wanted easy access to our water tank located beneath the v-berth. The base can be secured to the platform and then easily cut to match the edges of the tank cover.
While this was a pricier option, we believe it’ll be well worth the money.
Bedding
For breathability in the summer, we purchased linen sheets and lyocell blankets. These light fabrics kept us a little cooler in the sumer with the original foam mattress.
For warmth in the winter, we layered insulated fleece blankets on top of the mattress to sleep on. For blankets, we used multiple blankets: a thin fleece blanket, a quilt, and a comforter. I cannot tell you how much of a difference the insulated fleece blanket layer is for trapping in heat.
Our bedding options are still evolving as we assess our needs, but this is what has worked for us for the past two years. While we do have an air conditioning unit and a diesel fireplace, we only try to utilize those options in the most extreme of temperatures. We’ve experienced temperatures as low as the 20s and been warm enough without the heater.
Technical Information
V-berth dimensions:
91” width at it’s widest
31” width at it’s narrowest
77.5” length on the centerline
Froli Star: Queen size
This was a peferct fit, we had less than 10 base & spring sets leftover.
Sleep on Latex mattress topper: California King
We over estimated our needs and should have bought a King for both layers. For the second mattress topper, we ordered a King.
Sleep System Review
At first, I was unsure of how comfortable the new sleep system would be. Yes, we were trying to solve some big problems, but would the solutions matter if the bed wasn’t comfortable?
The Froli system provides structure and support, while the latex mattress toppers provides a plush layer. However, one mattress topper alone was not thick enough to stop us from bottoming out when climbing in to the v-berth or moving about to access the cabinets. We needed to add more thickness to the system for comfort.
After the first few nights in the new bed, here are my insights:
Since I don’t sink into the mattress, my pillow no longer provides the right amount of support. I had to double up pillows halfway through the night.
The mattress is bouncy. Since you don’t sink in like memory foam, I feel like a I move around a lot more when I turn over in bed.
I am a hot sleeper and have slept comfortably through the night. I do feel like it’s a cooler system than our previous dense foam and memory foam. Granted, it is February in Charleston. which means we’ve only experienced temps from the 20s up to the 70s.
