Aftlocker Refit

[waterdog]

I'm not sure Catalina had their best guy on the job when they designed the aft locker on the MKI.     There was an oversized shelf hammered together with common nails and a propane locker designed to block access to all space.   I decided it was time to refit the space.

I used an old sail to create a number of bags to organize the space.   Catalina left through bolts at the hull deck joint.   I simply joined the bags along the transom and sides with wing nuts through gromets on the bags.   Snaps join the front edge of the bag to a reduced sized shelf over the quadrant. 

Underneath the bags there is still plenty of room for storage.   Those old halyards are there.   Along with a couple of prawn traps and several hundred feet of anchor rode and chain along with a 33lb claw anchor.   The bitter end goes around the rudder shaft.   In the bags there is plenty of room to store fenders along with a 100 cone series drogue and danforth anchor.   Plenty of stopping power.   I have a full sized ditch bag with EPIRB, water etc.   

There is still a ton of room to store the life raft along with a half dozen bags of garbage.   Now everything can go in and smoothly without any snags.

[Ken Heyman]

Steve,

maybe you mentioned in a previous post, but where did your propane tank end up or is there still room aft?

Also what is your bon voyage date?

fair winds,

Ken

[pjcomeau]

It's funny, I was typing following message when I was told about update to post.

"Where did your propane locker end up? "

[waterdog]

I had one little tank in the propane locker and another forward in the anchor locker.    I would rotate them regularly to spread the rust around as I dragged them in for refills.   It just wasn't enough capacity.   

Once you have solar panels on the bimini, there is no mistaking you for a race boat, so you might as well go all the way.   The new bottles are on the aft rail port side.   They are cantilevered on a plywood shelf with inset rings.   I still need to glass, paint, block, strap and wrap in black canvas, but this should give you an idea of the direction its going.

We leave August 1st. 

I just realized I didn't explain the real function of the bags in the aft locker.     They aren't just to keep things looking tidy.   They provide separation between bits of gear and divide the locker up horizontally and vertically.   So now if I want to deploy the stern anchor in a hurry, I undo two snaps, grab the anchor and throw it over.    All the chain and nylon rode are lying on the bottom of the locker, but they easily pay out between the bags.   They don't snag on the prawn trap or get caught in the flukes of the danforth.   Similarly if I want to deploy the drogue, I pull out bridle lines aft around the rails around the cleats and to the winches and throw the Danforth overboard and string out 260 feet of 5/8 line with cones.     So the locker reorg was as much a safety thing as a storage and organizational excercise.

That and I don't have to go spelunking to retrieve the meat wrapper that fell out of the trash bag that ripped open on the hose clamp for the scupper hoses.   

By the way.   Go look at your scupper hoses.   Mine were cracked and due for replacement and they looked perfectly good from deck level.   

Oh yes.   As usual, things weren't as smooth as I've lead you to believe.    I had a number of long bolts through the transom from the swim grid.   I guess I was too lazy to get shorter bolts at the time.    So I found myself wedged in the aft locker with and angle grinder and a zip disk.   I had a wet towel on the hull and I started cutting bolts off.      Did I mention I was wedged in?    Well instead of falling nicely to the wet towel and making that satisfying hissing noise, one of the hot bolt ends fell down the leg of my shorts which were pointing upward.    Standing up quickly wasn't an option.   There is nothing like reaching up your pant leg to grab a hot bolt.

[Ken Heyman]

I hope there was no 'hissing noise".---glad you're ok.

Ken

[Mike and Joanne Stimmler]

Steve,
Those propane bottles look a lot like beer kegs. Are you sure you're not trying to fool us?

Nice job in any case.

[tonywright]

Am arriving Vancouver July 31 for the sendoff party. I see you have the beer laid in already. Where is it being held?

Tony

[Kyle Ewing]

Another fantastic idea from this board!  I agree the shelf isn't the best use of space.  I thought about removing the shelf next to the propane locker but was worried about retrieving dropped items or getting something tangled in the quadrant or steering cables.

[waterdog]

You can't remove the shelf.   It's there to keep things from getting stuck in the quadrant.   I found it overhung the quadrant by a couple of inches aft and on the sides by an inch a half in total.   So I trimmed it back to size while still keeping the protection for the quadrant. 

Once you remove the propane locker and trim the shelf it's amazing how much space is there.   I have everything I want stored and I still have room for a dead body, maybe two, layed out full length on top of the other gear.   Mind you I won't keep bodies back there because if they are stiff, I could have trouble deploying an anchor if I needed to. 

They are beer kegs.  Half the price of propane bottles.   One is still full of beer.  I'm still looking for a deck fill marked "RUM"   Tony, the party is at my sister's place.   She's right on the water so we will actually sail away and wave goodbye to folks we won't see for a year.   I think it starts at noon with a sunset departure.

[Bob Kuba]

Added to the Wiki
http://www.c34.org/wiki/index.php?title=Aft_Locker_Refit_-_Mk_I

[Ron Hill]

Steve : I'd recommend that you take along a spare propane gage and pressure regulator.  Both of those items were made to be inside an in-closed space and not out (in a salt spray) in the open.  A thought

[waterdog]

Thanks Ron.   They're not exposed.  I'll have to take another picture. 

[Ron Hill]

Steve : Anxious to see the added picture on the propane. 
For those of us that have factory installation refridgeration (lower starboard aft lazerette compressor unit) I'm not too sure that there is will be enough air circulation around Steve's aft lazerette "pockets" - for adequate cooling ? 
It is neat storage and can't tell you how many items that I've dropped "stuff" that can only be retrieved by "lazerette diving" after taking out fenders, dock cart, etc.  Nice job