When we first inspected Circe's fixtures and fittings, we found signs of moisture damage on the underside of the mattress cover in the Pullman Berth. After the purchase we decided that fixing the mattress needed to go to the top of our 'to do' list. The mattress is a 2 ply foam laminate with a 4 inch base of medium density foam bonded to a softer 2 inch top layer, all enclosed in a full zippered cover with a quilted top and heavy fabric bottom. We couldn't establish if it was original equipment from 1982 or a later addition but, in any event, the cover was very scruffy so we ditched it.
The foam itself was in good shape so we decided to keep it. The challenges were what to do about replacing the cover and what to do about the moisture issue.
The Freeport's Pullman Berth is a plain, painted plywood platform which is a common design for many older boats and RV's but it is also a magnet for moisture creation. The natural temperature gradient between the warm mattress and the cool or cold base creates a very efficient moisture generator. Depending on the ambient temperature and humidity, the bedding materials, the frequency of use...live aboard vs weekending...and the quality of 'housekeeping', moisture problems can be moderate to severe or non-existant. In Circe's case, she had seen a lot of use in her youth but had been used infrequently for several years in Northern CA before becoming a bit of a 'Marina Queen' more recently. We plan to use her a lot, with a goal of moving aboard full time within the next 18 months to 2 years, so we wanted a good solid solution to the moisture problem.
Common sense told us that we needed a way to lift the mattress to allow air circulation underneath it but that was easier said than done. Complicating matters is the shelf that runs around the outboard and forward sides of the berth a little over a foot above the bed base. Anything that lifts the mattress closer to the shelf effectively reduces the length of the sleeping area so we needed something thin. Enter HyperVent mesh!
We found numerous good reviews and references for this stuff. It is not too expensive, it can be cut easily, it is durable and it is less than an inch thick....ideal for our application.
Everything you ever wanted to know about HyperVent mesh.
Because the mesh is only available in metre (39") wide rolls we knew there would have to be at least one join somewhere. In the interest of economy and access to the hatches in the berth base we decided to put the join across the berth. Ideally we would have liked it fore and aft along the sleeping area but we would have had to buy more material.
We ordered 10 feet and double checked our measurements while we waited for it to arrive. It came within 4 days. All the pics on the website showed a black product but in fact it is only available in white........go figure!
We were surprised at how light it was. Featherweight.
We grabbed our biggest pair of scissors, a Sharpie Marker and stopped by Ace Hardware to pick up some double sided carpet tape to make the join. We measured numerous times in the hope that we wouldn't make too many mistakes.
We continued the mesh up the hull enough to come above the mattress for both insulation and to help with air circulation.
Cutting neatly and accurately into the corners was a bit of a chore but it worked out.
Here is the finished underlay
Here is the mattress in place showing the mesh extending slightly above it.
Slight mattress overhang and enough space for bedding without blocking the airflow through the mesh.
Another view of the mattress overhanging the mesh.
The only thing remaining is a top cover for the mattress. We decided not to have a full replacement cover but to get a custom made 'Tufted Topper' from CLR Marine http://www.clrmarine.com/100.html for the top. More on that in a future post.
UPDATE 11-11-15
The Hyervent underlay has worked extremely well for us. We have lived aboard full time for four years in four season weather and there has been no recurrence of the moisture problem. On the rare occasions we need to access the storage areas under the Pullman berth the underlay can be quickly and easily removed and rolled up for convenient storage. Hypervent has proven to be a very good product.
UPDATE 11-11-15
The Hyervent underlay has worked extremely well for us. We have lived aboard full time for four years in four season weather and there has been no recurrence of the moisture problem. On the rare occasions we need to access the storage areas under the Pullman berth the underlay can be quickly and easily removed and rolled up for convenient storage. Hypervent has proven to be a very good product.
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