Show your clever low budget solution to fix down floorboards, bunk tops, drawers and

[dfelsent]

A simple pad eye at the bottom of a set of drawers and another at the top. A line from the bottom through the top pad eye. Stops opening.

[john61ct]

You'd be surprised about the magnets' strength.

Not saying a magic bullet for every use case, but.

Obviously test for critically heavy loads.

Downside is their holding strength is also the force required to open the panel.

But no rattling fittings either, just a finger hole needed in many cases.

Great with lightweight foam panels too, or even cloth / netting.

[Checkswrecks]

No need to re-invent the wheel. Just Google
RV drawer latch

[Franziska]

@Checkswrecks

Thanks.
Usually any item with a marine, boating or yacht description is over-priced. Isn't that the same with RV stuff?
That's why I like some of the more unconventional ideas here :-)

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

- foam pads - thick sheets of various foam material (even old bunk foam, in emergency) can be cut to shape and used to lock up various items (e.g. books on shelves, pans in pan locker, etc.) you will sleep better when fewer things knock, dong and bang,

Whatever you use, this is critical.


I can't even motor or sail with ANY noise down below.


We haven't been ruthless about this, at least I don't say I was (!), but I can't stand any noise.


Why?


Because any noise I DO hear is probably something wrong.


Takes a lot of guesswork out of troubleshooting.

[coopec43]

There's a selection here
https://ramekitchen.com/page.php#bWF...QgbGF0Y2hlcw==


https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_...tches&_sacat=0

[Don C L]

I lIke the velcro idea. They sell it now in big strips at hardware stores like Lowe's and Home Depot here in the states.. industrial grade. Also I've see folks secure hatches that you can reach from inside, like cockpit hatches, with a line run back to an easily accessible jam cleat.

[coopec43]

Velcro would be alright to just hold the floorboards but if you plan to store paint tins, lube oil, spare parts and tools underneath the floor boards then it would not be up to the job.

I do have rolls of industrial grade velcro (adhesive backed) but I prefer to use that to hold cushions in place.

[Cpt Pat]

To hold down bilge access panels ("floorboards") in the sole that would be very unpleasant bouncing off my head: I installed padeyes on the bottom of both panels and connected them together with shock cord (bungy) run between them through the bilge. The shock cord is attached to the padeyes with bronze trigger snaps. The shock cord allows the access panels to be partly withdrawn slightly for a quick peek beneath and for releasing the trigger snaps.

[Cpt Pat]

Originally Posted by john61ct

You'd be surprised about the magnets' strength.

Not saying a magic bullet for every use case, but.

Obviously test for critically heavy loads.

Downside is their holding strength is also the force required to open the panel.

But no rattling fittings either, just a finger hole needed in many cases.

Great with lightweight foam panels too, or even cloth / netting.

Keep those magnets far away from your compass!

You can salvage strong magnets (free!) from a discarded microwave oven. There are youtube videos on how to do this.

[doublewide]

a couple of hacks we have used; not adequate for a knock-down, but nice for day to day use:
child safety latches for drawers
a telescoping, spring-loaded curtain rod for a fiddle in the refrigerator

[Mahayana]

Had a knockdown between Cuba & Haiti. Fiddle kept most of the stuff in the baskets where it belongs. Loose stuff like insect repellent and sun block cans ended up on the floor. Floor boards stayed put even though they weren’t anchored. But, that said, we are going to screw them down when on our crossing to the Azores and beyond next year. This thread reminded me that there are a few storage locations beneath cushions that need securing too.

[toddster8]

For the floor grates and hatches, I picked up some stainless locked spring-loaded barrel bolts. The exact ones seem to be no longer available but something like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/53mmx18mm-3...gAAOSw~05Z2342
Mine were about a buck each, in packs of 5, but they took several weeks to arrive by post from China. Also used them to lock down the ladder.

In the quarter berth and v-berth, where gear might get lashed down on passage (i.e. scuba tanks, or deflated dinghy) I got some folding D-rings screwed into the deck below the cushion gaps. Straps can be quickly run through these and around both gear and cushion.

[Cpt Pat]

I installed automotive seat belts.

[jharding]

Thanks sailredemption, those screw downs look like what I was looking for.