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Crew Quarters; claustrophobia?

Discussion in 'Yacht Crews' started by NYCAP123, Jul 7, 2008.

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  1. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Maybe I've just been spoiled having always had a stateroom or a hotel room when cruising. An owner of a 47' motoryacht once showed me the "crew-quarters" under the aft cockpit seat. I let him know right away that he had the wrong captain. This past weekend I spent 3 nights on a 62 where they assumed I'd sleep where I'd have to climb down a skinny 4 step ladder (covered by a 20 lb. lid under a sunpad) onto the toilet, then step down 2 more feet to the floor where at any time my body touches 3 walls, and in the berth where 2/3's of my body is in a 2' x 2' coffin. I slept on the upper salon bench seat, using the "crew-quarters/laundry room/ engineroom-entrance" as a changing room.
    Attached are a few photos. I'd be curious about other's opinions. P.S. I'm claustrophobic.
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  2. Maria B

    Maria B New Member

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    At least you had jelly bellys.
  3. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Yeah, but I near had to break my bod whenever I wanted one.:(
  4. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    what are you complaining about... you had a flatscreen TV all to yourself :)

    a few months a go, i saw a 70 footer where the "Crew quarters" were in the anchor locker! just enough room to open the hatch, down the ladder on the head and fold down a berth on top of the head. but it had air conditioning.... :)
  5. Seafarer

    Seafarer Senior Member

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    Crew quarters or Brig? :rolleyes:
  6. Codger

    Codger YF Wisdom Dept.

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    The person that designed those quarters ought to live in them for a while.
  7. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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    ... ditto!
  8. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    They sure are tight but I am also amazed at the amount of "stuff" scattered everywhere- probably makes it seem even smaller.

    The all time worst boat I have been in the Crew Accom of is a Magnum 56, the guest Accom was not much better having been designed for shorter than normal people.
  9. brunick

    brunick Senior Member

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    that reminds me of my bathroom here in my flat...

    but we're 4 people using this :D

    i don't know why this boat even has a crew-state...better w/o and w/o crew
    i've tried a lot of times to design yachts - directly after designing the master-state and vip-state i designed the crew-accommodation

    it the crew who takes the ship everywhere and does all the work - why should they suffer in such small cabins?

    i think one of the best resolutions for crew-accommodation is made on Feadships F45 Avantage - separated decks and some more space for everyone - although i haven't been on one.
  10. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    But K1W1, where would you have me put that stuff? The suitcase is full as there is no place to put its contents (or itself once emptied) so I was living out of it. The small laundry bag beside it finished filling the bed. The shirts are hanging from the portal dogs(not the safest practice). The plastic envelope from my slicker fell from its perch atop the washing machine (sorry, that was messy) where I kept a jacket and vest jammed with it. The flip-flops & shoes had just come off (shot at different times) and the Jelly Bellys had to be kept accessible :cool: . On the sink is a hose washer and 2 business cards which will give you size perspective. There were also 2 fishing rods, a box of lures and a mop stored down there (not mine).
  11. ychtcptn

    ychtcptn Senior Member

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    Easy solution- Drive bigger boats!!!!!!
  12. C4ENG

    C4ENG Senior Member

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    I worked a 145 ft yacht that had very tight 1/4's for 9 crew but it worked out good. We all cramed in together for charters but once the guess left, we spread out all over the boat. People would even be sleeping in the master state room.. and the best part was, we always knew what was not right or properly functioning in the owners areas before any of the high paying charter clients would ever know or see.
    I don't know why so many captains and so called chief stewardess are so adement on not letting the people who take care of the vessel use the vessel, providing the owner is not concerened. And most owners I have seen are not concerned and feel like it is just a boat along with the many other possession they already own, planes, homes, buses, women, countries, what ever..
  13. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Close quarters aren't unusual in this job (I've worked crew & work boats which are pretty sparten), but a bunk needs to be wider than your shoulders and longer than your height or at least have room for your feet to hang off. The room definately has to be wider than your shoulders. (This is assuming you're a normal size guy). Personally I think the standards held by the Navy (excepting sub duty) are a minimum that should be tollerated by crew and execs. on a yacht. Heck, I hear that even prisons give you 6 x 9 ;) .
    BTW the owner's bed??? That's kind of personal.
  14. CaptPKilbride

    CaptPKilbride Senior Member

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    Ditto on the Jelly Bellys!
  15. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    That will not neccessarily improve the size of the Crews Quarters.
  16. Loren Schweizer

    Loren Schweizer YF Associate Writer

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    Yep, NYCAP, you're spoiled allright. From the pics, looks like you had a regulation-sized sink & vanity. More than one manufacturer has given the crew member a folding stainless-steel sink the size and appearance of what Fido drinks out of. That flat panel TV trumps my 20-year old 13" Sony. Plus, I'll bet you had A/C down in your, er, cabin. I was recently on a 63 Viking MY that came up from Venezuela (you know what's coming....) with the crew W/C in the engine room(!). Morning ablutions in a sauna...the mind boggles.

    I do have sympathy for the berth size, however-- I've spent quite a few nights camped out in the snow at altitude in a four-season tent and had lots more room to stretch out than you did, though not as many places to hang wet socks from.
  17. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    What amazes me is that we earn a decent living and generally have fairly nice homes to live in. We're civilized, educated adults with families. What makes people think we're willing to live in worse conditions than a prisoner in the Maracopa County jail? Or is it just that we allow it? When I informed the owner that I won't be available for future overnights he replied "but I used 2 very experienced charter captains in Florida from December to April and they used this crew cabin with no problem". It didn't occur to him the he was now through his 3rd captain in 7 months.Think of any other business losing (3) managers in less than a year. Heck, even the Yankees didn't do that in the Billy Martin days.:D
    P.S. Loren,
    The sink was fine. There just wasn't enough room to bend over it with only 3' from the mirror behind the sink (which was waiste high) to the wall behind you.;) Actually a folding sink would have helped.:rolleyes:
  18. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    at least the head wasn't a death trap... a boat i was on earlier this year (nice upper/lower bunk crew SR with private head, all finished like the rest of the boat) had an electrical outlet on the face of the vanity, just under the sink, IN THE SHOWER! i guess they thought the shower curtain would be enough and that the GFCI would make it safe... yeah... right! had to pull the thing and disconnect it...
  19. revdcs

    revdcs Senior Member

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    What's a Jelly Belly? :confused:
  20. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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