Boat Bedding - A Simple Solution

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

Storage on a boat is rarely a problem if your boat is larger than your needs, but if you are like most boaters, there's never enough room to satisfy all the creature comforts. Sometimes there are just better ways to do things; ways to make your time on the water a little simpler and easier. Here is one cost effective, painless way to satisfy your bedding needs aboard a boat. It's called a travel sheet or sleep sack. Here's more...

By Jeff Solomon

Trying to adapt standard size sheets to your boat can be difficult, especially if your mattress is not a standard size. Custom sheets can be ordered but they are expensive and usually not easy to maintain. You will pay a premium for any custom sheet set. Along with a fitted or flat bottom sheet, you will also need a top sheet and pillow case. How many sets you carry on board depends on how many beds you have as well as how often you sleep on board and how often you entertain guests overnight.

New guests need clean sheets. Carrying multiple sets on board takes up space and each bed needs a set or two. If you buy a new boat, chances are you'll have to invest in new bedding to fit the new mattresses. Then there is the maintenance involved. Washing and drying multiple sets of bedding becomes tedious and expensive. Lately bed bugs have become a huge problem on land and it's only a matter of time before they become the same problem on smaller boats and yachts as they have on cruise liners. Linens must be laundered at higher temperatures to ensure no bed bugs or bed bug eggs make it onto your boat.

To easily solve all these problems simply use a high quality travel sheet or sleep sack. This ingenious product is a top sheet, bottom sheet and pillow case all rolled into one. Now you don't have to make the bed, just lay the travelsheet down on top of the mattress, put the pillow into the pillow pocket and you're ready to go. When it's time to wash the sheets, all you have is one item per bed.

Sizing for travelsheets can range from 34 inches wide to 80 inches wide. Lengths are usually between 75 inches and 92 inches. With such a variety of sizes available, finding one to fit your needs should be easy. By using a travel sheet which is larger than the mattress and tucking it in, it will look like a perfectly made bed.

There are many different fabrics and qualities to choose from. For optimum comfort, 100% cotton is your best bet. Investing in a high quality cotton with a high thread count will ensure years of comfortable use for you and your guests. Some high quality travel sheets can be washed in hot water and dried on a high heat setting, not only will this sanitize your sleep sack but it will also simplify your washing chores. No more worrying about wash and dry temperatures and no more worries about shrinking your expensive sheets as any high quality travel sheet should be pre shrunk.

An added benefit of having a few travel sheets on board is the ability to use them if you are traveling to other ports and staying on land in a hotel. You might not be familiar with the accommodations or you may find yourself having to sleep on sketchy sheets. Clean emergency bedding is never a bad thing.

No matter the size of your boat or how many it can sleep, a couple of extra travel sheets on board can make your life easier and you can rest assured that you'll never run out of clean sheets for family or guests.

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William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill is the author of the book, Lubber's Log published by Llumina Press; a boating primer and adventure story about a couples experiences in moving up to a bigger boat.  

You can visit his website here.