Having obtained a vintage Heron, I thought for quite a time how to modify it for cruising. The idea was to sleep in it, but I wondered if 11' 3" was rather small. After listening and talking to Jack Whitby, I decided, with his permission to 'pick his brains', and use a similar system to the one that he has on his Gull.

This was started two years ago, but in spite of the many delays was finished by May 1969. The conversion of an ex-Army bivouac tent to a camping cover was quite straightforward. It was when I came to the job of filling in the 'holes' between the thwarts and side benches that the snags appeared.

After many ideas I came up with a fairly simple solution. First I bought a large number of 7' garden canes, which were duly cut to the correct length to rest across the side benches, also on the thwart riser and centreboard case edge. These were then tied together with thin nylon cord spaced by two to three knots. Lengths of nylon were attached to the edge of the 'mats' to tie to thwarts etc., to give you a fairly roomy sleeping platform. When not required the three mats are rolled up and stowed forward of the main thwart on the port side.

This system has only been tried out twice this year; firstly single handed, and secondly with my brother who is 14 stones - he tested the canes very well. It also proved that you can sleep two in a Heron, if you breathe alternately! Both these weekends were taken in Chichester Harbour, being rather a novice at dinghy cruising.

P.S. The bamboo mat idea is not so good if your airbed goes on strike at 03:00!!