stowage behind the settee?

[QuickMick]

this looks like it would be very handy, just wondered if anyone has done it?
if so any tips?

http://grampianowners.com/Projects/AffinityStowage.htm

[Faster]

We have a great deal of storage behind the settees - including a hanging locker that is one of the upper cabinets and behind a seat back combined. The builder provided a canvas liner to keep whatever's stored there off the hull surface, works well.

Not seen in todays boats because they seem to be going for spaciousness and open volume.. our boat's interior is small by todays' standards because all this outer storage forces the settees towards the middle of the boat, limiting "floor space". But this current trend to open things up definitely impacts practical storage below, and creates some fairly long falling hazard distances (when heeled) often with minimal handholds....

[CaptainForce]

Onboard our 1973 Morgan we have similar storage. Each of three separate back cushions on both the port and starboard sides are actually the faces of drawers. If the drawers are completly removed, an added sorage space is beneath the drawer. I much rather have the functional space of the older designs than the "feeling of space" that serves no purpose. Take care and joy, Aythya crew

[mitiempo]

Open space is not expensive to build, storage is.

[tdw]

We have the storage space behind the settee berths however there is only one opening and a small one at that. Too many others things to do before we get to it but I'd like to have a single drop down settee back as per that GOB article.

[hellosailor]

They dressed it up very neatly, but a lot of boats are built with accesible storage behind the settee backs. Often the backs are attached to the hull side large snaps, so you simply unsnap them to access the stowage. A handy place for spares, emergency tiller, cordage, extra life vests...

[Jeff_H]

Synergy has these lockers behind the seat on either side of the boat. They are great for can goods and spare parts. Here you can see the portside with the seaberth cushions and seat backs off and a bunch of stuff hung from the grab rails to dry.



Below is the starboard side with the seatbacks in place:



On Synergy there is a high sill on these lockers which keep things in place. They are quite deep since there is a seaberth above them. I have considered taking the starboard seaberth and converting it to locker with doors.

There is always and issue with how big the opening to these lockers should be. If the openings are small enough, then things will stay in the locker without doors in all but the worst knockdown. That is handy since you don't have a door to deal with, but offshore, it could be dangerous as heavy objects take leave of their bin. On some boats, the seatback has plywood inside the cushion that is held by hinges and acts as a door to keep things from flying about the cabin. That is something I have considered adding on Synergy if I take her offshore.

Jeff

[tdw]

I like the idea of the door incorporated into the cushion, provided of course you have some pretty solid latches. On Raven our settee backs double as cockpit cushions. (Very clever of Mr Van de Stadt's menials to design that into her). Plywood insert would make them harder to move about.

Me I think pilot berths are a waste of space in small boats. Give me the storage space and I'll make do with a lee cloth on the settees.

I reckon the idea of two of three openings, hinged at the bottom and with good solid latches is the way to go, rather than just the one.

[Hartley18]

Originally Posted by tdw

......
I reckon the idea of two of three openings, hinged at the bottom and with good solid latches is the way to go, rather than just the one.

You mean - like this?!? With the exception of the '50s paint-job, it works well!..



The shelves (x 2) are full-length and lined, with no stupid dividers to frustrate you when trying to get to that tin that has got itself wedged in somehow behind the seatback and just out of arms reach...

The snaps you see hold the seatback cushions in place as additional prevention for anything coming adrift - although I've not ever needed it yet.

[tdw]

Cameron, I think I'd like the openings to be larger. Simply three rectalinear openings , hinged at the bottom, latched at the top.

On Raven, that space is open below seat level. If I could get into it, I'd rerun all the cables that go through the lockers into the bottom cavity, put a false top over that, and then have a three section stowage space.