Converting double beds to queen

[mad hatta]

Has any one done this on a Double Cabin Motor yacht? How much trouble? Are there any postings on how to steps? Input needed. Im a big boy and could take any critique in this matter. Thanks Silver Lining

[Freeebird]

Two biggest problems are, your fuel tanks are under your twins, and queen mattresses are longer than twin mattresses. I've been contemplating making the same change on mine, but it's not going to be an easy task.

One thing I have considered is removing the chest of drawers between the twins and placing it atop the base of the starboard pedestal/tank at the foot of the new queen bed which would run athwartship. Obviously this won't be a walk-around setup, but it would be a quick and easy conversion which could easily be reversed.

[Angela]

What model boat and which rooms (master or guest)? MarioG converted his two beds in the master to a center queen on his 58YF. Another 58YF owner down in the Virgin Islands (not a HOF member here) converted his twin beds in the guest room to a queen.

[mad hatta]

Im sorry its a 43 and its a master cabin

[Walter P]

If you need to have it done by a yard, I think the cost would make the job prohibitive, especially given the current market value of a 43 DC with the queen already in. I also think that although it's not a job for the faint at heart, someone with a fair amount of skill, time and equipment can accomplish the job. Mad Hatta, I don't know where you are located, but if you are anywhere near So Fla, you may want to try to get in touch with Pascal on this site. He is in the process of doing a major interior refit on his 53 and although it is a much larger boat, he may still be able to give you lots of good advice.

Now, after saying the above, I think the job could be done fairly easy. While the fuel tanks are located under the twin berths (200 gals each) they can be removed by carefully cutting into the tabbing that holds them down. Re plumbing won't be difficult for the fuel lines. Take out the center line dresser and plan carefully to allow space between the steering gear and the front of the fuel tanks. You will need to build a proper support system to remount them and glass them in.
After planning that you should have plenty of space around the queen bed on the port/starboard and foot end of the bed. Now you can plan stuff like end tables and port and starboard dressers with drawers. If you really want to simplify the planning stage, just find a 43 DC with a factory queen and plan from it. Keep in mind that the encasement for the present twin fuel tanks will be wider than the factory queen installation. The fuel capacity of the factory queen set up under the bed is less than 300 gals, compared to twin 200 gal tanks. You may have to have the p/s dressers made less deep to give you adequate space on each side of the bed. Not so terrible and you can perhaps get a much bigger master bed in there.

Years ago I owned two 43DC's. An early (73) with twins and a later model with the queen. I think the queen set up is much better.

Good luck with your project....one requirement of this forum is when you ask for information regarding a project such as yours is that if you go for it, you will need to post lots of pictures as you progress. LOL.

Walt

[Boatsb]

There's exhaust, fuel and water lines plus the fuel tanks to deal with. Also the dresser and tables are going to all need to be relocated or be replaced. It's a huge job and to do it with hatteras quality materials and workmanship is expensive.

[oscarvan]

And here I am thinking that fuel tanks were an integral part of the FG.....

Are they movable? Pray tell, what are they made of?

[rob71]

I did an easy conversion to a full size on the Strbd. berth.
3/4 inch oak plywood cantilevered via a slide out arrangement.
When extended it does block one dresser drawer.
The only permanent change is cutting the Mahogany bed rail fore to aft.

[Walter P]

That's a simple way to get a larger bed but making up the bed is a real PITA and if the inboard person needs to get up in the middle of the night it can get tricky. I still think the easiest way to get a centerline queen bed to to sell the boat with the twins and buy one with queen. It probably will be cheaper in the long run.....unless you are skilled enough and have the time and energy to do it yourself. Also keep in mind that all that work will probably add nothing to the resale value when you're done with it.

BTW Scott, the exhaust doesn't need to be changed at all on the 43DC to make the switch as I described in my previous post. I do agree with you however that it's not a one weekend job..

Walt

[gpellissier]

I did this on my two cabin model of the 44 tri-cabin, which has a similar layout to the 43 double. I made the stbd berth into an athwartship queen, which still allowed access to the drawers. To do this I did the following:

Remove the rail which is on the inboard part of the existing bed frame
Make a box frame which extends the bed athwartships queen-sized
Make a rigid platform across the existing and new box frame for the mattress.
I hinged this platform on the outboard side and added an electric hatch lift, so with the touch of a button I can access the storage space which is created within the box frame.

Diagrammatically it looked like this...
19555

I finally finished the job by converting the remaining twin into a settee with a bureau on the port side.

[Walter P]

That looks like a pretty good plan. You still get walk around space etc. How about some pictures...

Walt

[DCMY #92]

I made this conversion many years ago to Master in our 41 DCMY. I removed the dresser, built a storage locker adjacent to the starboard side twin bed using mahogany plywood to match the original. The hinged top of the new locker extends the bed platform to the queen size. The mattress had be custom made so that if folds in the middle. There is no way to get a queen size into he Master.

I built a new, and much larger, dresser above the port side twin bed. The new dresser is not as deep as the twin bed so there is a cushioned seat in front of the dresser the length of the port side twin bed. Again, the new dresser is mahogany. The drawer fronts and cabinet doors were milled to match the originals.

I did most of this work myself, with the exception of milling the new drawer fronts and fabricating the drawers. It is not that difficult.1955619557

This has worked very well for many years, including when we lived aboard. It's true that making the bed is not as easy as if it were a walk around, but not that much worse than making the original twins. Beyond the additional storage provided by new locker under queen bed and the bigger dresser, it is much easier to climb into the lazaret with the old dresser gone. I've attached a couple of photos. Unfortunately, they are not very good. I'll take some better ones if your interested in this approach.

[gbharrington]

I have done it on a 43 DC and I gave it a LOT of thought and considered ALL the possibilities. The easy way is to widen one berth. Because I wanted to maintain existing storage plus add storage, as well as have walk around access, I chose to do an athwartship queen on the port side, with 4 drawer storage beneath, and convert the starboard berth to storage + dressing settee. This layout allows me full access to the aft hanging lockers and the original drawer set. 5 years of winter live aboard and no complaints. Wish I had better photos but these will give you the general idea.

[Freeebird]

I have done it on a 43 DC and I gave it a LOT of thought and considered ALL the possibilities. The easy way is to widen one berth. Because I wanted to maintain existing storage plus add storage, as well as have walk around access, I chose to do an athwartship queen on the port side, with 4 drawer storage beneath, and convert the starboard berth to storage + dressing settee. This layout allows me full access to the aft hanging lockers and the original drawer set. 5 years of winter live aboard and no complaints. Wish I had better photos but these will give you the general idea.

That's pretty much what I had in mind, but I didn't think there would be enough room to "walk around" the bed. Looks like a tight squeeze, but who cares given the amount of work it would take to do it "right"?

You'll never know the difference when you're asleep on that queen berth.

[Tstembaugh]

I purchased a 1974 38 DC last year and intend to install a queen size bed in the aft cabin. I have
done some measuring and my plan is to remove the dresser in the middle of the cabin. Extend the width of the starboard bed into the width of a Queen size bed. The length will remain the same as
the single bed. Have a custom mattress made. Install two sets of the removed dresser drawers under the queen. This will leave a walk space between the new Queen and the existing single bed on the port side. Not sure if I will keep the single bed in tact or place some dresser drawers or storage on top of the platform above the existing fuel tank.
Has anyone tried this?
Any ideas or suggestions would be welcomed.

[gpellissier]

Here are a couple of pics of how the plan came out on the 44 tri-cabin...one of the queen conversion, the other of the bureau in place of the second berth.

1959219593

[Tstembaugh]

Very nice!
Thank you for the pictures.

Tom

[mad hatta]

Thank you all for your suggestions. All of them very good. I am going to dig in to it next month. Look for progress postings.