Sleeping aboard
Custom boat mattress
Mattresses cut to the real geometry of your cabin, V-berths and berths that follow the fall of the hull included. With the foam density that matches how you actually use the boat, and fitted sheets to match.
- Typical lead time
- 7-10 working days
- Densities
- 25 and 28 kg/m³
- Option
- +3 cm memory foam
- Matching
- Sheets and pillows
The geometry
There are no rectangular mattresses on a boat
The forward cabin closes to a point, side berths follow the fall of the hull, and almost no bunk aboard has four right angles. That is why a standard mattress trimmed with a knife never quite works: it leaves slack at the corners, the sheet will not grip and the whole thing shifts as the boat rolls.
We cut the block to the exact shape of the base, with its angles, its point and its rebates. If the current mattress still exists we use it as the pattern; if not, we work from a dimensioned drawing of the base.
Where the cabin allows it, splitting the mattress down the centre is worth considering. It is far easier to get through a hatch, and easier to lift when you need to reach the stowage underneath.
A dimensioned sketch beats twenty photos. For mattresses, if you cannot send the original, draw the base with the length of every side and the diagonal. With that the pattern comes out right first time.
The foams
Choose density, not firmness
Density measures how much foam there is per cubic metre, and it is what decides how long the mattress lasts before it collapses. It is not the same as how firm it feels.
25 kg/m³
The balanced option for seasonal and weekend use. Good recovery and contained weight, which matters aboard too.
28 kg/m³
More density and more life in it. The one to choose if you sleep aboard often or the mattress stays in place all year.
+3 cm memory foam
A top layer that follows the body and spreads pressure. It can be added over either density.
Ventilating the base
If the base is a closed board, ventilation needs solving: a mattress that cannot breathe underneath will condense against the timber.
FAQ
Questions about mattresses
Which density do I need?
For seasonal or weekend use, 25 kg/m³ is plenty. If you sleep aboard often or the mattress stays in place all year, 28 kg/m³ is worth the step up: it lasts longer before it gives.
Can you make a V-berth mattress in one piece?
We can, but think about it first. On many boats a single piece will not pass through the hatch and makes the stowage underneath hard to reach. We usually suggest splitting it down the centre, and it sleeps exactly the same.
Do you make the sheets too?
Yes. We make fitted sheets to measure for non-standard mattresses, shaped to the real geometry of the cabin, along with pillows. It follows: a shop-bought sheet will not sit on a pointed mattress.
Can I keep my mattress and just add memory foam?
If the base block still recovers, yes: a 3 cm memory layer and a new cover will do it. If the foam has already collapsed, the new layer only disguises the problem and the mattress is better rebuilt.
Everything you touch on board
Get your sleep back aboard
Send us a dimensioned sketch of the base and we will come back with a no-obligation quote and the density we would recommend for your use.