Has anybody made Lee Cloths for their P365? I would love some input before I get started. Not all that much on the net regarding ideas, however they are quite basic.
Dale Tanski
Dale,
I have - I had them made so that they are long enough go under the bottom cushion and they are held in place with a combination of body weight and snaps. Pictures are worth a thousand words - check out the pictures about half way down the ling below.....
http://www.sailingseadragon.com/CreatureComforts.htm
and on the lower portion of this page.
http://www.sailingseadragon.com/HappyCrew2.htm
This design works well for us.
Garner
I haven't done it, but in researching how to, I came across a good video on Sailrite's web site on it. There are pad eyes on Polaris for them, but their location interfered with sliding out the bed, so I removed the lower ones. Some of the little details, like using webbing with a clips to hold it together so you can get out easily, incorporating a pocket for your phone and glasses etc. http://www.sailrite.com. Then hit the YouTube link at the bottom of the page and search on their YouTube channel for Lee Cloth.
We've sailed over 18k miles in our 365 and never really had the need for them. We just sleep sideways in the V-berth or on the lee settee if really bad weather. The pilot berth has been re-purposed to storage. Not saying that it wouldn't be handy at times, but we haven't ended up on the floor enough times to bother with them.
Now if it was more than the two of us, (with only one person sleeping at a time) then I would think it would be needed.
Just my 2 cents
When it comes to safety gear my philosophy has been, it is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Safety gear is also the type of stuff that easily transfers from one boat to the next so I have collected it over time. We typically carry an EPIRB, man overboard pole, horseshoe life ring with strobe, jack lines, Wichard folding pad eyes in the cockpit, personable strobes and safety harnesses with double lanyards.
This better safe than sorry attitude is probably why our home has a diesel backup generator, drums of diesel, food and water and a ready rack at the top of the basement stairs. We have had these things for years and as the world progresses, we look less and less abnormal.
I did see the Sailrite video and those lee cloths are of a very nice design. I'm not sure what side the gear pockets should be on but that is also a clever idea. Despite all I have read on canvas vrs smooth vrs mesh I think I am going with mesh and keeping them 4 ft or shorter. I am also thinking about sewing in a batten along the top edge lust below where the grommets are to minimize the tie points to the overhead.
Dale Tanski