25D Storage Ideas

[Bruce Ebling]

The sailing season is on here in Oregon; the winds are strong and the weather is turning blue and warm! Ronda and I took Selah out for our first night out. The thing we noticed the most was the lack of storage inside the boat. The drawers under the stove are too small to hold much, the areas behind both port and starboard setee's are not made to hold much and there are no real cabinets or spaces to store much in the head area. On my last boat (at Catalina 25) we built storage in every concievable spot that had space behind it. We made storage units that would hold a variety of tupperware containers, wine racks and glasses, anchor lights...etc above the seat backs. I can also see room for a cabinet of sorts in the head on Port side. Also I think the drawers under the stove can be enlarged. Has anyone had the same problem and come up with some unique ideas? I would love to share with anyone 25D or otherwise that may have storage ideas.
Thanks to all that respond
Bruce Ebling

[Gary M]

Bruce,

After clicking on you link, I need your advice not the other way around. I'm sure your going to make your water line go down at least 3 inches! and look good doing it.

Just remember, you don't have to store everything on the boat some of that stuff can go home with you.

Gary

[Dick Barthel]

Bruce,

One thing I did long ago is lose the quarter berth cushion and replace it with a thin rug cut to shape. You can store a tremendous amount of stuff in there. The trick is to bury the stuff least likely to be used in the back and put the items you'll be using more in front.

Another trick I learned on La Vida is to string nets from the hand rails and use those plastic jugs that pretzels and things come in to store all sorts of foodstuffs.

Also, a person with your skills could put a few shelves in at least one of the bow lockers. To just pile stuff in there like I do is both an inefficient use of space and makes things hard to get at.

Another area ripe for imaginative rework is the head sink. All that space under the sink is filled with just a small drawer through the starboard bulkhead. I guess the problem is access.

Finally, I think partitioning the space underneath the port settee would help. After you replace the original head hose that runs through that area, it’s a pretty good storage area.

I think Bill, owner of Rhapsody, made a basket that fits in the engine access panel that is just starboard of the sink. He had posted pictures a few years ago.

Glad to see you posting. I hope you become a regular on the board.

Dick

[barfwinkle]

also has room for a considerable amount of stuff, as does the "foot well" of the port settee. I installed a 8x15 hatch in the 1/4 berth area and a 6" round "hatch" in the foot well.

While I have not done anything with the space behind the fuel tank, I think there is another opportunity there as well. However, one would need to be careful and not put too much stuff in the stearn area. Weight is a problem you know.

Fair Winds

Oh, and I also added a "basket" in the space outboard of the stove. Not too sure that is a time saver or not, but it does add storage.

Here is my nav station http://www.rhapsodysails.com/projects.html

and as soon as I can remember the url for the movie of the "basket" I'll post it for you as well.

Fair Winds

[barfwinkle]

Here is a link to a page on Rhapsody's web site with the pics and a very short MPG.

Fair winds

<a href="http://www.rhapsodysails.com/box.htm">Galley/Salon Projects</A>

[Joe CD MS 300]

Bill, I like that Galley box, very clever. I might make it a winter project.

Joe

[CaptRaul]

Rather than use throw pillows to decorate use bright pillow cases and fill them with soft goods...clothes, towels etc.

[Tod Mills]

I use my quarterberth for storage too, since it is kind of tight for sleeping.

http://www.todspages.net/PLa-packinglists.html

and a couple of picture url's:

http://www.todspages.net/images/LF-BuscaQBerth.jpg

http://www.todspages.net/images/LF-Busc ... towage.jpg

I do use the fwd end of my q'berth for a settee, so the balance under the cockpit seat is not so long that I can't reach everything stored on it, but in the event yours is a bit too long for that, you could have pull-cords to retrieve items.

Launching NEXT SATURDAY, finally!

[Dean Abramson]

On the 25D, on long trips ( a week or more) with just my wife and me aboard, we stored a lot of stuff in plastic "Roughnecks" which we put in the quarterberth; we also store our sleeping bags, pillows, etc. in there. We have even done this with another couple on board; then the Roughnecks spend the night in the cockpit. Mostly we keep food and consumables in the Roughnecks; regular boat things all have permanent places on the boat. You can leave the quarterberth cushion behind to gain even more space, but we rarely felt the need.

Dean

[Dean Abramson]

On my 25D that opening above the engine accepts perfectly a common plastic wash basin (like you use for dish washing when you are camping) which is available at WalMart for a very non-boaty price. The lip of the basin rest on the wooden lip of the opening. I thought they came this way. Easy to take out and clean, but probably a little shallower, and not as pretty than the nice custom one in the post above.

Dean

[Tod Mills]

There is a couple who totally rebuilt an old Rhodes Meridian recently (gorgeous, inspiring work), and for a sink, they decided to use a stainless steel food tray like you find at restaurant buffets. It fits in a cutout just the way you are describing, Dean, and instead of a thru-hull, they lift it out to empty the contents. That arrangement also allows them to take it out in the cockpit to work if they wish.

[Bruce Ebling]

Thanks for all of the great ideas! I will definatley be trying some of them out. As a previous Catalina owner I remember many of the C25 owners built partitions in their port cockpit lockers. Some made a false bottom and put things needed less often there, then above that there were removable trays that held lines, flares, tools and misc items. I think the same idea would work for the CD25D.
Bruce Ebling

[winthrop fisher]

very well done tod...
the only thing i would add is what i do,
out of sight and out of mind and under the berths and under the cockpit. easy to get too.....winthrop

I use my quarterberth for storage too, since it is kind of tight for sleeping.

http://www.todspages.net/PLa-packinglists.html

and a couple of picture url's:

http://www.todspages.net/images/LF-BuscaQBerth.jpg

http://www.todspages.net/images/LF-Busc ... towage.jpg

I do use the fwd end of my q'berth for a settee, so the balance under the cockpit seat is not so long that I can't reach everything stored on it, but in the event yours is a bit too long for that, you could have pull-cords to retrieve items.

Launching NEXT SATURDAY, finally!

[Joe Myerson]

Bruce,

I can't remember where I read about them, but installing mesh shelves in one of the forward lockers looks like a really good idea. They'd be easily removed if necessary, and they would provide decent ventillation.

It's an idea I have not pursued this year--which probably means waiting til next year for me.

--Joe