Re: [VAL] Mattress types - weight?

["Glyn Judson" <glynjudson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

    Terry and all,

    On the subject of mattresses, I have 4" foam, not too soft and not to
firm that serve me quite well.

    When I did the interior restoration of our Caravel I chose to double the
thickness of both halves of the berth plywood from 3/8" to 3/4".

    I first slept on the old 3/8" plywood berth the night we bought the
Caravel in Sacramento enroute home to Santa Monica and then again one or two
times after we hot here.  Part of the discomfort for me was that the thin
plywood sagged under my body weight creating high spots at either end while
my butt and hips were lower.  Boy was I achy each of the next mornings.

    It was that experience that caused me to choose to use the 3/4" (birch)
plywood instead.  Now the berths are rock solid and I sleep like a baby on
them.  So I'm not sure that it's all that necessary to use special
mattresses or special mattress pads on top as long as the base material is
flat.  Has anyone had the same experience with the thinner plywood and have
any of you replaced it with 1/2" or 3/4" ply?

    By the way, I devised a method wherein the stowed slide out part lies
atop the fixed part.  I then match drilled two holes through both halves and
use ring pins to hold them in place.  Those same pins are used once the
sliding piece is fully deployed and flush with the fixed half.  I cut the
fixed half 1" short of the outside edge so that the sliding half drops down
flush and pins into the 1X3 framework through the same holes I already
drilled.  That way the two halves are firmly pinned next to one another
creating a flat and rigid surface for the 4" foam cushions.  I might add
that the backrest of both berths are slid into place next to the seat foam
to make up the mattress.  I guess that's another deviation from original in
that I don't have two thinner stacked seat cushions that are used for the
mattress.  

    I made the ring pins from 1/4" stainless cut from two bolts.  I drilled
a hole near one end and inserted a cotter ring in each.  That way with the
pins in place the ring lies flat and the slight projection of the end of the
pin won't poke into the cushion fabric.

    Photos of the berths stowed and deployed available to those interested,
just let me know back channel.

     Glyn Judson
    1969 Caravel #508
    Santa Monica CA