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26 April 2016

V Is For V-Berth | Nancy Drew Investigates {A To Z Challenge}


During April, we're participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Every day (except Sundays), we'll be doing an alphabet themed post starting with "A is for Anchor" and ending with "Z is for Zodiac." Each post is an installment of "Nancy Drew Investigates the Case of the Missing Anchor" - so you may want to read the posts from the beginning, in order to follow along with the story (click here for the first post and here for an index of all the posts). At the end of each post, you'll also find some random thoughts on the day's particular topic. So, if Nancy isn't your thing, feel free to skip the story and go straight to the end.  

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When we last left you, Ned had left his watch at the dock when he heard a girl scream on the beach. When he went to help her, she told him that she had sprained her ankle, but what she was really doing was distracting Ned so that Party Palace could make a getaway. One problem - Nancy was on board!

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When Nancy heard the two men speaking on deck, she quickly looked for a place to hide. She opened the door to the v-berth and ducked inside. As she closed the door, she looked around in astonishment at all of the nautical equipment and goods stowed on the v-shaped berth. She saw a Rocna anchor, winch handles, bolts of Sunbrella fabric, an outboard motor, chart plotters and a windlass, among other things.

Now, if only she could find the list that she heard Captain Gus talking about. It supposedly had details of all of the items they had stolen and how much they had sold them for. Between the list and all of the equipment stored in the v-berth, there should be no problem putting Captain Gus and his gang away for a long time.

Suddenly, Nancy heard the noise of the engine starting up and the two men shouting at each other.

“Quick, let’s get out of here,” one of the men said. “Nellie is distracting that chump standing at the end of the dock so that we can make a clean getaway.”

“No problem, Pete. Let me just get the bow and stern lines and we’ll be good to go,” said the other man.

“Hurry it up, Donny,” said Pete with an irritated tone to his voice.

Nancy suddenly remembered where she had heard that voice before. Donny was the suspicious man on the white catamaran who had pushed Nancy to the ground in the boatyard, tried to ram her boat and another boat, as well as stranded two people on the beach when he stole their dinghy. She knew it – the white catamaran, Party Time, was in cahoots with the boat she was on, Party Palace!

Nancy felt the boat pull away from the dock and head out into the bay. She wondered where they were headed. Were they going to rendezvous with Captain Gus somewhere?

As the boat motored along, Nancy moved some of the boat equipment aside and sat down on the v-berth to think about what she should do next. While she was mulling over her options, the boat slowed down and she heard the two men talking to each other.

“This looks like a good place to drop the anchor,” Pete said. “Why don’t you head up to the bow and get it ready.”

Nancy heard footsteps along the deck, a creaking noise as the anchor locker opened, followed by a splash as the anchor and chain were dropped into the water.

“All set, Pete,” said Donny. “Party Time isn’t anchored too far away. I figure we’ll have to do a few trips in the dinghy to get all of the stuff moved over there.”

Nancy froze as she realized that they were going to be coming into the v-berth to get all of the stolen items which were stacked up in there. There wasn’t really any place to hide in the v-berth. Should she climb out of the hatch onto the deck, dive off the boat and swim to shore?

Tune in on Wednesday for the next installment of Nancy Drew Investigates – W is for Watch.

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See the pointy area? That's the v-berth on our old boat. It was too small for both Scott and me to sleep comfortably in, so he slept on the settee, while I shared the v-berth with the laundry and other bits and bobs. I bet you're loving the retro plaid cushion covers.

There are so many sailing words that don't make any sense at all and bear no resemblance to what they're describing, but v-berth is one of the exceptions. It's a berth (or a bed) in the shape of a V. So simple that even I understand it.

A lot of people happily use their v-berth as their main sleeping area, but, when we were shopping for our current boat, I had my heart set on a center cockpit and a spacious aft (rear) cabin. I love the fact that we don't feel the waves as much when sleeping in our aft cabin at anchor (of course our Moody 346 is a far heavier boat than our old Raven 26, which probably has something to do with it). But, what I love even more is how much easier it is to get in and out of bed and the small sitting area that the space affords. (You can see pictures of our boat here.)

The downside of our aft cabin is that you have to practically crawl through a low passageway between the galley and the engine room and go through a door better suited to a hobbit than a full-sized human. However, once you get inside, it's so cozy that you never want to leave. (You can read more about our ridiculously small doors here.) I think our aft cabin is my favorite room in our floating home.

What about you - what's your favorite room in your house (or boat or RV) and why?

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32 comments:

  1. Happiness is sitting on the cockpit-benches in the shade of the dodger with my back on the bulkhead. Protected from wind, waves as sun but still sailing.

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    1. That does sound like the perfect description of happiness!

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  2. Do you sleep on the boat a lot? That seems like it would be fun!

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    1. I actually live aboard our boat so I sleep on it every night :-)

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  3. I have two favourite rooms in my house each linked to different ends of the literary journey: my study, where I have my main computer and I do my writing; my library, which is wall to wall books!
    Sophie
    Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles | Wittegen Press | FB3X

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    1. One thing I miss about living in a house is bookshelves full of books. Yours sounds lovely.

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  4. Below decks? The aft cabin is my favourite place because it's spacious (for a boat). Above decks? I like to hang out in the Air Chair at the bow and take in the view.

    Cheers, Stephanie

    http://www.svcambria.com/2016/04/v-is-for-vista-15-easy-ways-to-improve.html

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    1. Those air chairs look great. It'd be fun to have one of them.

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  5. Ugh! How far is shore? Surely they will hear a loud splash as she leaps off? Do you think we need this extra stress in our lives? I picked a bad week to stop sniffing glue. - Lucy

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    1. I think you're gonna have to go back on the glue. The next few installments are only going to get worse for Nancy.

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  6. Poor Nancy. She certainly is being tested. I have a tiny little room off my kitchen that was supposed to be a breakfast room but I use it as a sewing room. I am always happy when I get time to spend there.

    @Kathleen01930
    Meet My Imaginary Friends
    #AtoZchallenge

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  7. Oh I'm loving this story. She's get away as she always does, but how?

    We sleep in our V-Berth. Works for us just fine. We have a brand new mattress and it's most comfortable.

    My favorite place on our boat is the cockpit. I can sit and read and look up now and then to see ducks, beautiful boats, other water fowl and the water. Nothing better.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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    1. I've seen pictures of your boat after the redo -it's stunning!

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  8. After visiting your boat, I definitely see why the aft cabin is your favorite! It's large and light and lovely! Our boat is all one big space below deck except for the v-berth, so there is no "favorite;" it's all my favorite!

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    1. It was so much fun to have you guys over for a visit and show you our boat :-)

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  9. First, thank you for spelling the word 'berth' correctly. Every time I see someone write 'v-birth' I have visions of giving birth right there in the berth! Ok, now that this is off my chest, I need to tell you that this story is starting to give me anxiety. I am worried about Nancy and how she will get away from these bad guys. Where is George with her Judo moves? Nancy has been in pickles before, but this one is terrible. Yes, she should jam the chain to create a distraction, then hurry up and dive off the boat. She is a strong swimmer. Plus, Ned better be on the way! We're on the downhill side to this challenge. We're going to make it, and so will Nancy. Melissa from http://littlecunningplan.com/2016/04/v-is-for-vladimir-putin-and-various-other-madmen/

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    1. I always smile when I see v-birth too. George has kind of fallen down on the job. She's never around when you need her.

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  10. It does look challenging to reach. But if it's cozy and you sleep well, that's what matters.

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    1. Exactly - cozy and sleeping well are all that matters.

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  11. Yikes! Poor Nancy, Ned had better get himself, and maybe the authorities on their way! I'm not really one for suspense, maybe I should have waited till the end of the month, and read the whole thing at once.

    I LOVE our Pilothouse, it's so wonderful to be able to sit at the settee, and watch the wildlife, scenery, and actually pilot the boat from inside, when we have inclement weather. It will be even better when I redo all the cushions, and pillows in new fabric, and get the area organized.

    Donna/svdenalirosenc43@blogspot.com

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    1. Can't wait to see what fabric you use in the pilothouse. I love the idea of a pilothouse and being protected from bad weather.

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  12. Hope you don't have to type too much longer on your phone during this challenge! My favorite room on our old monohull was the Pullman berth. I love those cozy sleeping areas. On our catamaran, the cockpit was a wonderful place to hang out and our berth was comfy as well.

    I'm sitting at the edge of my seat to see how Nancy will get out of this hairy situation! :-)

    Liesbet @ Roaming About – A Life Less Ordinary

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    1. Catamarans have such great cockpits - very spacious and open. I was just having drinks on one last night. Almost made me wish we had gone with a cat instead of a mono.

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  13. I get so sea-sick that I'm not sure I could ever travel on a boat smaller than a cruise ship :)

    My favorite room, however, is my Paris room (no surprise there, huh?) I had others help me decorate it so that I truly feel as though I am in a small Parisian cafe - the perfect place for me to sit and read and write.

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    1. I remember seeing pictures of your Paris room. I can see why it's your favorite - very cute and very Parisian!

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  14. My favorite room in my house is my office. My writing gets done here, and all my music is close (books are just outside the door). It is my scared place and while I allow any family and friends who stop by to enter and sit a while, it is my private place. I can't imagine a day without sitting here.

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  15. I think Nancy is in big trouble. Hope she will be Victorious in the end!

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    1. I hope she will be victorious too. Although, I haven't written the final Z installment, so anything can happen :-)

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  16. I've got to hand it to you, that's some small space. I could not do that. When I was a child my father took all five of us kids in his camper trailer on the back of his pick up truck for vacation. A trip through Pennsylvania, it was fun, then, I wouldn't do it now, not with six people. :)
    Tickety Blue looks much more spacious and comfortable! I might be able to do that, if it never left dock. :)

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    1. She's a good size for two people. I don't think I could handle any more on a boat this size, but some people do it.

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