I have a Starwind 27. It's very similar in layout and design to a
Catalina 27.
All of the benches, v-berth, etc. are molded into the liner. They all have access
panels on top. However, you have to
lift the large V-berth
cushions or sofa
cushions and the heavy sofa pull-out section just to access the wooden
panels that then also must be pulled up to get to anything you might have stored in these areas.
Storage is a big problem on this
boat. Aside from the underseat
storage, there's an open shelf behind each seat, a small cupboard and one cabinet in the
galley.
Step 1
Closing up the shelves behind the seats is going to make the
boat seem smaller, but it will provide more secure stowage, a cleaner looking
interior, and doesn't affect the structure in any way. It's on my list of things to do this season.
Step 2
I'd really like to cut open the
fiberglass on the front of my starboard couch and put sliding doors in for faster underseat access. However, someone told me that the integrity of the liner was key to keeping the boat afloat if it started taking on
water. I don't want to start cutting if it will collapse the couch or make me sink. Does anyone have any input on whether or not this is risky? (FYI, the
water tank is under the port couch, so there's no reason to open that side.)
Step 3
The V-berth has a cut-out area with an access panel to the
bilge pump,
transducer, etc. However, to get to
head through-hulls you have to move the cushions and pull out a big
fiberglass storage container. I'm thinking I would just cut out part of the V-berth in that front access area, so I could get to everything from the front, and then put a cabinet door across the
current open area to create a storage cabinet. Again, is this maximizing use of space or is it a bad idea to cut on the V-berth?
Thanks for any feedback.