PocketShip.net

Hello Pocketship owners,

Can you please help me with the following questions:

1-Have you slept overnight in the cabin of your Pocketship?
2-One or two people?
3-Were you comfortable? (backpacking tent standards)
4-Did you have a problem with width or length? I'm mostly concerned about width.
5-Did you have a condensation problem? (water dripping onto you from the woodwork above)
6-Is it something you would do 3-8 nights a year? Doable?

Best,
Brent

1. Yes, I've slept aboard a 10-12 nights so far.
2. Always alone in the cabin. Once I slept on cushions in the cockpit under a bug net with no rain while my girlfriend slept in the cabin. Two could sleep in the cabin but additional gear storage would be more fussy.
3. I find the cabin quite comfortable, both to sit in and to lie down and sleep in. Being small has its virtues everything is within reach. That includes the light switches. I do think I wouldn't get much sleep with another person in the cabin with me overnight. Another person means more gear.
4. I have no problems with length or width. I'm 5'11" 200 lbs.
5. I had no condensation problems in summer. I would expect it in cool weather, but have no experience
6. Yes, I will happily sleep aboard my Pocketship 3-8 nights each season.

Spent a lot of nights during the Texas 200. I built some drop boards with screens to keep the mosquitos out and get ventilation. I had a couple of fans and would stay pretty comfortable when the sun was down. I always slept alone and with all the gear there would not be room for another. I'm 6'2". I had plenty of room even with the gear. It takes organization. I have lights built in but I found it easier to grab a flashlight at night. The advantage over a tent is not only is the boat more comfortable, you don't have to pack everything up in the morning.

1-Have you slept overnight in the cabin of your Pocketship?
Yep. I only wish I could/would do it more.

2-One or two people?
I have only ever done it with one. Two would be comfortable, if cozy. As others have mentioned, the trade off for accommodating two is that you'd have to be judicious in how much gear you pack. You would not have any trouble finding room for two sleeping bags & pillows, some clothes, a stove, some water and some food.

3-Were you comfortable? (backpacking tent standards)
Super comfortable. I spent the better part of two days below at the Wooden Boat Festival a few years ago on account of pelting, constant, dreary rain, and was totally comfortable.

For sleeping, I keep a foam "camper mattress" on board. For cruising, I've packed a laptop, a violin, a guitar, a Weber grill. I've spent a lot of nights backpacking, and staying on board is more like staying in your bed at home than backpacking.

4-Did you have a problem with width or length? I'm mostly concerned about width.
Length is no issue...I think there's something like 8 ft between the forward and aft cabin bulkheads. Width is ok. The cabin sole narrows at you feet and your shoulders -- The half-breadth of the sole is narrower than my twin-ish sized camper mattress everywhere but mid-cabin; the mattress just runs off the sole and onto the bottom of the hull, which is pretty flat there. I've never needed to expand out across more than "my half" of the cabin to sleep.

5-Did you have a condensation problem? (water dripping onto you from the woodwork above)
Not in the conditions I've been in with the dorade vents open. It is probably conceivable, but the cabin is well ventilated and dry.

6-Is it something you would do 3-8 nights a year? Doable?
Easily. I only wish I could find the time to do more.