A Sleeping Platform for Navigator

Here is another project I've been working on lately.  It's a sleeping platform for my Navigator.  It's still a work in progress, so check back here later on for updates.  I hope to try it out for the first time this weekend at Sucia.

There is plenty of room in Navigator's cockpit to sleep one or two full sized adults, especially if you fill in the footwell area.  Without this filler, the seats are too narrow for comfortable sleeping, at least not for an adult my size.  But add this filler and one or two sleeping pads plus a boom tent, and you're all set for a blissful night at anchor.

This sleeping platform is strong enough to sit, lay or carefully walk on.  It fits flush with the seat tops.  There are no edges poking you in the back to interrupt your beauty rest.  Mine is built in two halves to accommodate one sleepy sailor or two, but you can build it as one piece if you prefer. When not in use, it stores away on the cockpit floor under your feet where it requires essentially no additional storage space.  All you need to build this platform is one sheet of plywood.  I used 1/4" ply but you can use 3/8" if you want yours to be extra tough.

Sailing solo?  Then just set up one side.  You'll have plenty of room not only for sleeping, but also to sit, get dressed and undressed, or anything else.

 

This platform is sturdy. The secret to its sturdiness are its supports, which use ingenious sliding-slot interlocking technology.  There are three supports per side.  When not in use, the supports slide apart for easy storage.  No glue, fasteners, hardware or tools are required.

When finished using the platform, disassemble the supports, lay them on the cockpit floor, and then lay the platform halves over them.  Or, if you'd rather not have them underfoot, store them elsewhere, like on your front thwart.

Building the platform is easy.  Start by cutting a piece of plywood oversized, lay it over your footwell and trace the outline of the footwell onto the plywood from below.  Cut out the pieces.

To build the supports, rip several strips of plywood 12" wide.  Because the footwell is deeper at the front than the back, the three supports need to be different lengths.  Stand the plywood strip in the footwell and trace the seat top onto it. Offset that line down by one plywood thickness and cut out the part.  Make three more copies of it.  The bottom of the supports will have square corners but the top edges will be at a slight angle, with the taller side facing forward. Cut slots in the center of the support, halfway down from the top on one piece and halfway up from the bottom on the other. Make the slots the same width as your plywood thickness.

Repeat the process for the middle and aft supports.  Sand and finish the platform as desired.  For quicker assembly, label where all the parts go with a sharpie.

Pleasant dreams!

Build a boom tent for Navigator