Alternative storage solutions
How to keep your possessions in place
Adding an adjustable chain to a locker door can help prevent the contents from tumbling out.
B Sloping shelves and deep lockers are secure, while fiddles on the door let you sort things out.
Deep-fitting hoppers can be fit into awkward spaces around the hull. A vertical lip at the back prevents them from opening too far, while a horizontal one helps to hold stuff in on the other tack.
D Drawers can be shaped to fit around pipes or to match hull sides. Dividing up the insides will hold the contents in place. Quite large “lift-up” stops are needed to keep drawers from “jumping” when in rough seas.
Slotted dividers work well in lockers and drawers.
Adjust peg boards to keep odd-sized things in place, and pad glass items with beer coozies for added protection.
G Cam-shaped pins adjust more, while plastic pipe helps stop rattles.
H When locker contents fall against catches in bad weather, some catches might give way. A guard over the inside of “finger latches” can stop them from being knocked open.
Simple gravity toggles will prevent lockers from bursting open, while flip-over ones let you open the door with one hand. Hooks and eyes can be a quick fix.
Clear sliding doors don’t have to be opened to search for stuff. A rubber wedge serves to secure them when underway and also helps prevent rattles.
Dick Everitt has sailed thousands of miles in various parts of the world. He has been an illustrator, journalist and engineer for more than 40 years