Storage under cockpit- What do you use it for?

[AuChante]

See attached for my floorplan. I have a queenish sized bed below the cockpit on the port side, and an unfinished storage area under the starboard side. It's a massive air space under there housing some mechanicals (fuel tank & lines, exhaust, water heater & lines). The galley blocks access from the cabin, and there's a wall (looks like a non-structural piece of plywood) separating it and the bunk. It could be very handy for storage, but the only access would be from the bunk if the fuel tank were removed or from a hatch in the seat above. I had to squeeze through the seat hatch to change the separator filter. If there was any wave action at all, I wouldn't have attempted it... A massively claustrophobia inducing area to be.



The question is what do yall use this space for? Is it worth removing that separation wall? I'd have to relocate some electrical and fuel tidbits that are screwed to it. It just seems like a lot of wasted space. I may do that anyway. I don't like the idea of not being able to easilly access the mechanicals under there.

[AnsleyS]

This was probably designed as a sail locker. We had a Camper Nicholson 39 ketch with a sail locker that so large the kids would play in it.

[Sailer_Med]

My '06 Dufour 365 has a similar compartment on the port side (marked in green on the attached image). It is accessed through the port lazaret, which has a completely open bottom. There is also an access door from the shower/head. This is a HUGE space. We could easily convert it to a berth, albeit with inconvenient access. We like a lot for storage, and have just begun to really utilise it.

I have are bar installed that I use for hanging long lines for mooring, etc. We also keep our pneumatic and inflatable kayak along with other stuff. I am planning to add a hinged shelf so that we have a nice 18"deep lazaret and then access to big storage underneath. Our neighbour in the port has a similar storage space in his Jenneau where he has put a mount to tuck his dingy outboard in there.

[Rumrace]

Qui Like the Dufor I have an access panel in the shower stall and access from the cockpits port bench. In a Jeanneau. I thought the area well executed. Batteries charger optional extra water tank. The tool box and drawers keep all your spares. Frankly the brochure “ ample storage area” is a full on lie without the hidden cabin. Beneteau does it best by making the front part an office/ pantry and the back part stowage.
The extra tankage and stowage elevate the boat from weekender to a week.

[danstanford]

Originally Posted by AuChante

See attached for my floorplan. I have a queenish sized bed below the cockpit on the port side, and an unfinished storage area under the starboard side. It's a massive air space under there housing some mechanicals (fuel tank & lines, exhaust, water heater & lines). The galley blocks access from the cabin, and there's a wall (looks like a non-structural piece of plywood) separating it and the bunk. It could be very handy for storage, but the only access would be from the bunk if the fuel tank were removed or from a hatch in the seat above. I had to squeeze through the seat hatch to change the separator filter. If there was any wave action at all, I wouldn't have attempted it... A massively claustrophobia inducing area to be.



The question is what do yall use this space for? Is it worth removing that separation wall? I'd have to relocate some electrical and fuel tidbits that are screwed to it. It just seems like a lot of wasted space. I may do that anyway. I don't like the idea of not being able to easilly access the mechanicals under there.

My last boat had a similar space and though I probably did not use all the space I could in there, I loved that I could get my body completely down in there to do the jobs on the systems when necessary.

[wingssail]

We have converted this space into effective storage by giving it full access from the berth (no wall) and building dividers and shelves to make bins. They have large fiddles to keep things in place.

To get to this space you have to crawl across the berth. It is open to the forward side (photo) but we don't go in there that way. There is no access from the deck or cockpit. With a top opening hatch and no shelves this place would turn into a junk pit with things at the bottom impossible to see and hard to get to. Top access can also potentially allow water ingress if the cockpit is wet or flooded. With our bins everything is dry and accessible. We use this for long term storage, not for fenders and lines, for instance.

Our dividers and shelves are removable to allow access to the tank underneath and the hoses and pipes which run along the hull behind the shelves.