I know a grand on a mattress is expensive BUT -
1) The factory mattresses were very poorly designed for access to the storage in the Tomcat. When I got the boat, they were 2 piece with a seam down the middle and they were sewn together. I did cut them apart (which made life a little easier) but still to access storage you had to lift the mattress over your shoulder and sit with your back to the bow to hold the mattress up while you removed the hatch and got at stuff below. So I would have replaced the mattress no matter what to get a better design. To replace the foam mattresses and have Sunbrella covers for them would have been about 1/2 of what I paid for real mattresses.
2) I plan to spend a lot of time sleeping on the boat. On my previous boat I did do the memory foam topper. It turned an ugly brown color in 2-3 years and in 4 years it starts to fall apart needing replacement. Also, the foam in the mattresses on the Tomcat was looking yellow and getting a little crumbly after just 3 years. I think the mattresses will last a lot longer.
3) The foam topper is also a PITA to move around to get to stuff since now you have to move the mattress and the foam topper. While I agree the foam is comfy, I personally don't see it as a good long term solution. Plus the real mattresses are a lot more comfy.
4) For a boat the size and expense of a Tomcat, I don't understand why people are willing to sleep on something that isn't similar to your home bed (but maybe that's just me). I certainly spent more than a grand on my mattress at home and I'm definitely not sleeping on 4" foam in my bedroom. In the Tomcat there's space for a good mattress and believe me, it's a lot more comfortable and supportive than the standard foam.
As for sheets - I used to buy cheap sheets - bed in a bag type deals for home. Those sheets needed replaced far more often than 600 thread count sheets and they were not near as comfy. I looked into buying high quality, 600 thread count king or queen size sheets and re-sewing them for the Tomcat but the cost of a decent set of such sheets is >$100 (close to $200) and it was easier to simply have 2 sets of custom sheets made. Also, the custom fitted sheets really hold the 3 piece mattress arrangement together. So for those who like nice linens, I can highly recommend the link above. For the quality of the linens and the custom fit, the price was actually pretty reasonable (IMHO).
Finally, I got a pretty good deal on this boat so I'm going to make it perfect (at least perfect in my mind). With it set up to suit me, I'll use it more and be happier on it and to me that increases the value of my investment in the boat.
1) The factory mattresses were very poorly designed for access to the storage in the Tomcat. When I got the boat, they were 2 piece with a seam down the middle and they were sewn together. I did cut them apart (which made life a little easier) but still to access storage you had to lift the mattress over your shoulder and sit with your back to the bow to hold the mattress up while you removed the hatch and got at stuff below. So I would have replaced the mattress no matter what to get a better design. To replace the foam mattresses and have Sunbrella covers for them would have been about 1/2 of what I paid for real mattresses.
2) I plan to spend a lot of time sleeping on the boat. On my previous boat I did do the memory foam topper. It turned an ugly brown color in 2-3 years and in 4 years it starts to fall apart needing replacement. Also, the foam in the mattresses on the Tomcat was looking yellow and getting a little crumbly after just 3 years. I think the mattresses will last a lot longer.
3) The foam topper is also a PITA to move around to get to stuff since now you have to move the mattress and the foam topper. While I agree the foam is comfy, I personally don't see it as a good long term solution. Plus the real mattresses are a lot more comfy.
4) For a boat the size and expense of a Tomcat, I don't understand why people are willing to sleep on something that isn't similar to your home bed (but maybe that's just me). I certainly spent more than a grand on my mattress at home and I'm definitely not sleeping on 4" foam in my bedroom. In the Tomcat there's space for a good mattress and believe me, it's a lot more comfortable and supportive than the standard foam.
As for sheets - I used to buy cheap sheets - bed in a bag type deals for home. Those sheets needed replaced far more often than 600 thread count sheets and they were not near as comfy. I looked into buying high quality, 600 thread count king or queen size sheets and re-sewing them for the Tomcat but the cost of a decent set of such sheets is >$100 (close to $200) and it was easier to simply have 2 sets of custom sheets made. Also, the custom fitted sheets really hold the 3 piece mattress arrangement together. So for those who like nice linens, I can highly recommend the link above. For the quality of the linens and the custom fit, the price was actually pretty reasonable (IMHO).
Finally, I got a pretty good deal on this boat so I'm going to make it perfect (at least perfect in my mind). With it set up to suit me, I'll use it more and be happier on it and to me that increases the value of my investment in the boat.
