Location of wet weather gear storage

[GILow]

Thank you all, I love this time zone thing. I go to bed after posting a question and wake up to the answers. Brilliant.


So reading between the lines a little here, to sum up the general advice, it sounds like I should leave the current locker where it is, but never put actual wet gear in it.


Instead I should setup an alternative closer to the cockpit. Snowpetrel is more familiar with the Swanson design than most and his point about using the deck house had been something we considered. Combine this with some of the methods of suspending stuff recommended here I can see a workable solution. I particularly liked the idea of the stainless tube and the shock cord to hold them to one side. I think I can see something clever where the tube doubles as a useful handle in rough weather.


The idea of using the deck house as a chart table is popular, a few of the Swanson 42s I have seen for sale over the years had such a setup. I have made a moderate sized chart table just inside the deckhouse door for this reason but I am desperate to keep the deckhouse as uncluttered as possible because it is the most magical place to sleep/snooze/read when under way. It gives a 360 degree panorama, you can see the plotter/radar and you are only seconds from the wheel and sheets should something go pear shaped.


So I shall leave the current setup in the bathroom as it is (I very nicely vented cupboard with louver doors, though I am also considering adding a fan as suggested) but setup a suitable place to store the gear for initial drying somewhere in the deck house. I think opposite the chart table makes sense, at a number of levels.


Thanks all,


Matt

[fSymo]

This was a fantastic and informative thread! Kudos to all the insights posted. Being a noob and even after watching/reading a thousands posts, this thread was probably one of the things that isn't really talked about but would have a big impact on boat happiness. Good stuff!

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by GILow

Thank you all, I love this time zone thing. I go to bed after posting a question and wake up to the answers. Brilliant.


So reading between the lines a little here, to sum up the general advice, it sounds like I should leave the current locker where it is, but never put actual wet gear in it.


Instead I should setup an alternative closer to the cockpit. Snowpetrel is more familiar with the Swanson design than most and his point about using the deck house had been something we considered. Combine this with some of the methods of suspending stuff recommended here I can see a workable solution. I particularly liked the idea of the stainless tube and the shock cord to hold them to one side. I think I can see something clever where the tube doubles as a useful handle in rough weather.


The idea of using the deck house as a chart table is popular, a few of the Swanson 42s I have seen for sale over the years had such a setup. I have made a moderate sized chart table just inside the deckhouse door for this reason but I am desperate to keep the deckhouse as uncluttered as possible because it is the most magical place to sleep/snooze/read when under way. It gives a 360 degree panorama, you can see the plotter/radar and you are only seconds from the wheel and sheets should something go pear shaped.


So I shall leave the current setup in the bathroom as it is (I very nicely vented cupboard with louver doors, though I am also considering adding a fan as suggested) but setup a suitable place to store the gear for initial drying somewhere in the deck house. I think opposite the chart table makes sense, at a number of levels.


Thanks all,


Matt

Matt, I have a wet locker in the head, with the fridge compressor mounted on the other side of the bulkhead, and am just about to cut a hole in the bulkhead to allow the warm airflow from the compressor to circulate through the locker, should help the drying considerably.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

Matt, I have a wet locker in the head, with the fridge compressor mounted on the other side of the bulkhead, and am just about to cut a hole in the bulkhead to allow the warm airflow from the compressor to circulate through the locker, should help the drying considerably.

Good idea, Uncle Bob. It all depends on where *stuff* is, what can be make to work.

It is very common after ocean passages to see rinsed out foul weather gear hanging on boats to air dry, having had the salt rinsed out. Some people use special, gentle soap for woolen items to clean the WWG.

Ann

[Jim Cate]

Matt, I'll just add a couple of comments...

First, keeping the wwg above decks is paramount IMO, at least until partly dry. Bringing salty, dripping clothing below to some dedicated locker sounds good at boat shows, but will inevitably crap up your living space with salt crystals, and they in turn will hygroscopicaly add moisture to your "dry retreat" area. Avoid.

Letting it drip in the deckhouse and then re-donning it in this condition may not be as nice as having it warm and dry, but it will make life below decks (where "life" really goes on) much better in the long run.

In your case, where you intend cruising with the two of you as primary crew, possibly with Ben at times, means that there isn't the great profusion of gear that stimulates the kind of organization that Unciv proposes. His background in race boats with numerous crew doesn't always apply to typical couple cruising crews.

AS you have seen, we don't have the huge protected area that you enjoy, yet we've managed to keep our wet foulies outside... even on I-one. Once they stop dripping, the risk of taking below is much reduced... I think you can well manage this approach.

And BTW, you will find that in the tropics you just don't wear WWG nearly as much... another good reason to avoid higher latitudes (we won't count Tasmania in the summer here). Crossing the Bight... well, ya just might need foulies there!

Jim

[Zach]

An idea that I have been working through for my own boat, is to build a plywood box the shape and size and smell of a wet locker to mount under the companionway beside my engine box, and hang it on a french cleat at the top with a few thumb screw toggle bolts at the bottom.

Reason being, I like the engine access of not having anything there for and don't want to cut up my nav table just to have a wet locker. If it is easy enough to reach in, take loose a few bolts that are designed to be worked by hand and lift off its cleat and toss it on the cabin sole, then I can deal with losing the engine access day to day, but not if I need to pull an injector pump...

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

Matt, I have a wet locker in the head, with the fridge compressor mounted on the other side of the bulkhead, and am just about to cut a hole in the bulkhead to allow the warm airflow from the compressor to circulate through the locker, should help the drying considerably.

Neat idea, but darn it, my reefer is 30 feet away AND on the other side of the boat. :^(

[sailorcherry]

Converting a quarter berth into a wet locker works great. I could probably dig up comparison pics if you're really interested. It holds wet gear, fenders and tons of drinking water in jugs, in probably the most convenient spot (next to the companionway).