CD36 storage improvements

[David Romer]

We have a CAPE Dory 36, hull number 76, on which we live and plan to begin long-term
cruising in the spring of 2002. Since she's a live-aboard boat, storage space is at a
premium and we have devoted some effort to gain access to areas not available in the
standard Cape Dory as-built configuration. Among the spaces we have "liberated" are:

1. Outboard of the water tanks under the settees in the main cabin. We cut holes for
access ports similar to those provided to give access to the water tank inspection ports.

2. Under the battery shelf in the port-side cockpit locker. a hatch built into the inboard
side of the supporting base provides sufficient area to hold our DC refer compressor and a macerator
pump on a shelf we have glassed inside the support box.

3. Early in 3002 we are having a boat yard cut additional hatches in the cabin sole to
provide easy access to the space above the fuel tank and forward and aft of the mast step, areas
of the bilge not reachable with the as-provided hatches. This low area should be an excellent
space for heavy items such as canned goods, and a Paul Luke storm anchor (disassembled).

4. We've replaced the drawers under the V-berth with shelving, which is far more space
efficient than the standard drawers and are considering a similar treatment of the drawers
immediately forward of the starboard settee. We thought of cutting into the pan below
these latter drawers, since there appears to be a good deal of obstructed space there, but
Robinhood advises that we should not cut into the pan, They provided no reason, but I presume
it is because it a structural part of the boat and helps distribute the loads from the
mast step. (can there be any other reason?)

5. We're also considering converting at least one of the hanging lockers to shelving.


Does anyone else have any storage-enhancement ideas or awareness of other hidden spaces in
the CD36?

Fair winds and following seas,

David Romer
S/V Tumbleweed, CD36 #76



tweed@esym.net

[Bob G.]

David,
Don't know if it's standard or not but on our CD36, hull #40, the bulkhead aft of the foot of the quarterberth has had a removable door cut in it allowing access to space all the way aft to the stern. Since all the water tankage on our CD is on the starboard side we don't place anything too heavy in this space but it does allow storage of spare parts and other odds and ends. Thanks for the ideas on other space. We, too, plan on circumnavigating in our boat starting in a year or two. Fair winds and blue skys.

Bob
Hunky Dory, CD36 #40



grabhamb@chesterfield.gov

[john doyle]

We have a CAPE Dory 36, hull number 76, on which we live and plan to begin long-term
cruising in the spring of 2002. Since she's a live-aboard boat, storage space is at a
premium and we have devoted some effort to gain access to areas not available in the
standard Cape Dory as-built configuration. Among the spaces we have "liberated" are:

1. Outboard of the water tanks under the settees in the main cabin. We cut holes for
access ports similar to those provided to give access to the water tank inspection ports.

2. Under the battery shelf in the port-side cockpit locker. a hatch built into the inboard
side of the supporting base provides sufficient area to hold our DC refer compressor and a macerator
pump on a shelf we have glassed inside the support box.

3. Early in 3002 we are having a boat yard cut additional hatches in the cabin sole to
provide easy access to the space above the fuel tank and forward and aft of the mast step, areas
of the bilge not reachable with the as-provided hatches. This low area should be an excellent
space for heavy items such as canned goods, and a Paul Luke storm anchor (disassembled).

4. We've replaced the drawers under the V-berth with shelving, which is far more space
efficient than the standard drawers and are considering a similar treatment of the drawers
immediately forward of the starboard settee. We thought of cutting into the pan below
these latter drawers, since there appears to be a good deal of obstructed space there, but
Robinhood advises that we should not cut into the pan, They provided no reason, but I presume
it is because it a structural part of the boat and helps distribute the loads from the
mast step. (can there be any other reason?)

5. We're also considering converting at least one of the hanging lockers to shelving.


Does anyone else have any storage-enhancement ideas or awareness of other hidden spaces in
the CD36?

Fair winds and following seas,

David Romer
S/V Tumbleweed, CD36 #76

Have a 31 & those same areas are available to us. We are getting ready for an extended cruise next spring & have looked at those areas also. Thanks for your notes as there are so many areas where we can add storage or rearrange to better suit our needs.
John Cd31 #18
Bonnie Blue



redzeplin@yahoo.com

[matt Cawthorne]

Dave,?br? I have hull number 79, so should be similar. I replaced the v-berth drawers with larger drawers to nearly double the volume there. I also cut the access hatches in the sole above the fuel tank. All good areas. An area that you may not be aware of is behind the stove. There is a spot that could be useful if you cut an access panel at the aft end of the port setee. Don't make the access panel too large, as it is a structural bulkhead.?p? The water tanks do not fit their alotted areas very well. There is much wasted space there. I know of one 36 which had the area above the water tanks turned into thin storage bins for small items like bins of screws. My intention is to make my own water tanks to fit the spaces better. If I get enough increased volume out of 3 tanks to match my current volume with 4, I may elect to eliminate the 4th tank and use that space for storage. ?p?Matt?p?



mcawthor@bellatlantic.net

[Leo MacDonald CD33]

David,

I did extensive locker ‘creation’ on a CD30 Ketch 'Heather Ann' (~19). Search under

"CD Storage potential, CD30K"

on this site. Additionally we had the yard cut in and trim an additional bilge access hatch.

We just acquired 'Evening Light', CD33, and have not started cutting holes. (Mike has the interior soooo NICE!!) But it appears that a lot of the same 'pukas' will be possible. On inspection, there are void areas outboard the stove and outboard the port side drawers that are above the icebox.

Due to Evening Light in NJ and me in CT, this winters work list will concentrate on routine maintenance items readying the boat for delivery cruise next spring. The Mr. Saber saw and Mr. Saws-all work will be fall 2002 / spring 2003 - leading up to 'CDSOA BURMUDA 2003' So it will be a year or so before I report back on the actually CD33 storage increase.

Fair Winds,
Leo
'Evening Light',
CD33 #38 (and soon to have bronze 'Builders Plate' to that effect)



macdore@aol.com

[Patrick Turner]

I have hull #2 and have opened up a couple of spots not yet mentioned. These areas may not apply to later models. Our boat came with a single galley sink and outboard of that is the pot/pan bin which I think all the CD36's have. I placed a big access hatch into the bottom floor of that bin to make available a pretty good chunk of space down there. I was also able to install a 6" round access hatch just to the inboard side of the toilet. Our toilet sits on a raised platform and there is space under there for storage of some things. In the head aft of the sink there is a cabinet space. On our boat it is accessable from the top. I have seen it with a front door. Under the floor of that cabinet is additonal space not used and I have added a large access hatch in there to gain access to that space. I am cutting a new floor access panel just inboard of the nav station to get to a pretty good chunk of space just aft of my water tanks. In the early model CD36's two 35 gal water tanks were in the bilge. I'm looking at the spaces outboard of the settee water tanks as well and also how to better utilize the vberth area.

Any other good ideas out there. I'm trying to come up with a good system for storage and organization in the cockpit lockers. I don't want just everything thrown in there on top of everything else. When you want to get at something you have to pull the whole mess out.

Any ideas?

Pat



patrick.t@attbi.com