... or "settee", or whatever you call that thing.

I want to make a taller and wider cabinet, to house some more electronics, and to hang a TV on. That little table is damn near useless for me, and I want to run a duct an cold air return up higher in the cabin.

Thought I had it figured out - Jam everything in there, nice and tight, by shifting the couch aft....

Then Jeff straightened me out. reminded me that I have to remove it, every once in a while :(

So, I start looking at very expensive Flexsteel sofas. Figure out that I will bite the bullet, and buy one. Then I see their depths, and I'm back to square one. They'd overhang the door by a couple of inches. Knee-knockers, for sure, given the ladder is on the port side, and starboard's the primary entrance.

Anybody have a solution for me, that will still double as a bed? The cabinet needs to be about 5-6" wider, to slide 16" equipment in, unless I go modern, with glass doors. Not the look I am trying to achieve.

My other option, is to totally re-do the table area, port-side. That table has always felt useless, and truthfully, I would like to get a desk or Nav Station, in there, with room to sit a couple of people or eat, or use the PC - whatever. Could incorporate some shelving in there, for the electronics.

Give me some ideas!!! Boat's in my driveway, so measurements are no problem.

Thanks!

John

I'm open to any ideas, but I need a drawing - it's late ;)

Right now, I am redrawing my entire upper cabin, trying to find something that works. They put the couch on the wrong side, from what I can tell. If they put it on the ladder side, it could have been bigger (deeper). That means I have to move the ice maker to starboard...

My head hurts.

Don't know if this will help, but I had a huge problem with engine access and this is what I did.

I bought a convertible couch, the kind that folds down into a bed. The important feature is that you don't have to move the couch away from the wall to flatten it, it has a clever mechanism built into the base that slides the flat cushion part away from the wall to let the back cushion come down flat.

I built a frame out of angle aluminum, open in the center but cross-braced at each corner, that the couch base just fits into. The frame rests on legs attached to small sections of the cabin sole which are fastened down to the frames beneath with screws. In between and around the legs the cabin sole is removable.

The couch is attached to the angle aluminum frame portside with hinges. The angle aluminum frame is attached to the legs starboardside with hinges.

To work on the port side of the engine, the couch and angle aluminum frame are tilted up together on the starboard hinges and held up by a lanyard. To work on the starboard side of the engine, the couch is tilted up and held by another lanyard.

There is storage beneath the assembly between the legs for things like screens, and the couch cushion itself lifts to access storage in the couch base beneath the cushions.

In locating the couch, I left just enough space aft so that the curtains will hang normally, and forward there is just enough for a narrow table.

This may be confusing so I ran up a sketch:

Has anyone used this Flexsteel unit (vs-2798)? They say it sticks out 32" from wall, which will probably be 2" into doorway. The end panel (not the padded overhang), is back at 28", which is fine.

Storage is still there - You can either put bins under seat (front panel comes off), another model lets you lift the front 45 degrees to access from above, or I can cut down the existing base, to use the 3 drawers we already have (I'd refinish it to match my new cabinet). Lots of options.

I did more measuring, and it should not protrude into the doorway more than an inch, if that. That's the good news.

The rub is the cost. This thing runs $990 in "Ultra-Leather" + $170 to ship. Save $300, by going to cloth or vinyl. Tough nut to crack, these days. Would like to find it cheaper...

Then, it will cost me about $400 to build my new cabinet.

John,

I like those Flexsteel couches. I wish I could put a deeper and longer couch in the 32 but I will need to move up to 39 for that.

Was thinking you could put the couch on the port but I forgot you have the rare, optional wet bar over there.

-Karl

Those are nice! I would scotch guard the heck out of it.

Nah..take the one with the early whorehouse look.. visitors won't know what to expect next

Hummm... I wonder how Joel knew that...............

Jeff