EXTRA STORAGE

[foster]

Hello,

I guess a lot of you think there is a lack of storage space for extended or family cruising.

I would like to exchange ideas how to increase and make safer storage for offshore cruising.

I am thinking of using the space under the floors mostly in the settee. Fixing floor anchors from PYI.

Has any one done this?

An other idea would be to put an extra adapted polyethylene water tank under the floors over the keel and exchange the water tank under the starboard bed for a fuel tank.

Also the idea of having an extra anchor and 30m of chain and putting it after sturdy fixation over the keel.

All this in order to recenter the weight and increase autonomy.

Thank you all for your help.

Denis

[foster]

A photo to make things clearer.

[sam]

Great picture of the pan area Thanks! Do you (or anyone) have a picture of the forward pan areas, especually showing the grid near the v-berth and fwd head area on the 43?

Thanks in advance

Sam

LONGHAWK B43 #9

[Mike Brown]

While we currently don't need the extra storage space I have thought of using below the floor if needed. I think it's Dufour that has a storage space for wine bottles at the base of the steps. They made a simple rack cut to fit the shape of the bottles. A very nice idea. If used for anything other than the wine bottles I think I would look for plastic containers that would keep whatever I place in it dry. Just in case of water in the bilge. I'm also impressed with all the space available behind the salon settees and the aft cabin.

Mike

[Arne Opperud]

Hello,

I have received pictures from another owner of a B43 that has transformed the aft gas locker to a giant storage. He has moved the gass bottles to the room under the stairs leading down to the bathing plattform and then removed the whole gas bottle holder and widened the opening of the locker. He reports that it is a verry good solution to gain som more storage room. It also gives easy access to the autopilot. I am concidering doing it.

Arne

[Simo Makkonen]

Hi Arne,

The gas bottle idea is really good. Have been struggling with the problem for a while. Beneteau solution is not suitable for Scandinavian standards.

Thanks

Simo

[Jeff Shukis]

A fairly simple change made a great deal of difference to me. I removed the slide-out "cutlery" drawer in the galley of our two-cabin B40 and replaced it with a MUCH deeper drawer with self-closing full extension slides. The original drawer was only about 14" deep. The new drawer is a bit taller and is a massive 30" deep.

I also added another 30" deep and 10" tall slide-out drawer below the cutlery drawer which now holds all of our plates, bowels, and glasses. This took a bit more work than just replacing the cutlery drawer with a deeper one, but was still a very reasonable project.

[Chris]

Hi Jeff:

Sounds like something I would like to do with my B40.

Can you send along pictures and specs?

Thanks,

Chris

[Simo Makkonen]

Hi Jeff,

Do you have any pictures of your solutions?

br Simo

[Mike Wilson]

Looked at my cutlery drawer and will have brother-in-law with cabinet shop in Tulsa make me a drawer.  There is a support board at the back of the boards that the drawer slides are attached to.  The back board runs completely across the cabinet.  To make the drawer longer, this will need to be removed.  Did you just cut it out at between the two slide supports?  Did you have to attach it to the underside of the counter?

[John Hanrahan]

Hi Jeff could you send me pictures of the finished project

[Mike Wilson]

We are on our 3rd year cruising the Bahamas.  Wife and I on B40. The aft berth has become our main storage area.  We do have plastic tubs just tall enough to go under floor boards for can goods.  bilge just in front of engine on port is wine storage.  first year had wine on both sides.  The coolant lines going to hot water tank ruined about 10 bottles of wine.  these lines now have slip on insulation that greatly reduces temp under floor but still to warm that side for wine.

things to add storage I thought about doing but never got to

1.  build dish/cup rack out of teak to go above interface between nav table and galley countertop.  tall enough to go over fiddle at top and bottom and bolt thru top and bottom of port cabinet.  run support pole from forward edge of counter top to ceiling to support rack and give needed hand hold. 

2. build new pedestal for table eleminating the two poles with a cabinet.

3.  When I thought I really needed a lot of storage and we were not storing on aft berth, I had a cabinet quoted that would install were the forward cushion of the starboard settee is. it would be above the base that holds our forward AC unit.  I figured two bolts thru the bulkhead at the top and bolt to the base at the bottom.  the table would be converted to a fold up table to give open space in the settee.  would loose seating for 1 at cabinet but fold out leaf on table would make it easier to eat sitting off port settee.  was going to cost way to much.

We go thru water much faster than diesel.  Originally installed used spectra catalina that only made 8 gph.  This year, JT Halden in Ft Lauderdale rebuilt and upgraded pump and now making 15 on solar and 18 on engine/gen based on battery voltage. Carry 20 gal of diesel on deck and at least in the Bahamas, have never been short of diesel.

I carry two 2.5 gal gas cans and the tohatsu 3 gal can under my transom steps.  I keep looking for storage forward and am careful about how much weigh I put in the aft of the boat. Eliminating propane storage locker is not an option for me.  I did add a trapezoidalish shaped plywood board as a floor board behind the bulkhead in the port laz.  it is flush with the bottom of the opening and rests about 3 feet aft on the hull.  makes it much easier on the back as I side thru the little opening to get in under the gas locker.

In the rain at Cambridge Cay Bahamas Jan 2018

Mike

S/V MiJoy

[Chris]

Hi Mike:

Great info!

Can you send along pictures of your storage upgrades?

Thanks,

Chris