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With these pages I will give a photo tour of the boat covering a few items that may be of interest. There will probably be more information here that what most of you want. I list it because when I was trying to lay out the cabin and such I spent hours searching for online photos of various features. I am a firm believer in not "reinventing" the wheel. I have NO problem with stealing ideas from others and most of these below are "borrowed" concepts. I post them to help others that maybe attempting my same search. I will start at the bow and work aft.
The
Windlass and Anchor Rode
Locker I decided early in the build I wanted a windlass. Just didn't want to manhandle the 22 lbs Bruce type anchor I planned to use. I probably could drag it up and down right now but I am 58 years old and counting. Will I still be able to do it 5 or 10 years from now? Doubtful.
But along with the
windlass comes the need for a rode locker and I struggled with the sizing
(plans gave no indication). How big does it need to be for 200' of 1/2"
line?I didn't want to waste a lot of space at the foot end of the berth
BUT making it too small could cause a tough to fix problem
later.
As I now know the answer to the "how big" question is - "not very". I am surprised how little space is needed to stow the rode. The photo is of 125' of 1/2 line. In this view you are looking down with the berth bulkhead on the bottom and the bow going towards the top. The bresthook is at the top bloking the view of part of the rode. As you can see, my locker is at least double if not triple what it needed to be. I believe one of the problems were that I had never owned any premium rope before and did not realize how seriously flexible it is. Just doesn't need much room.
Bow Storage Locker Clothes Hamper
On the berth interior, just aft of the anchor rode locker is a compartment for stowing lighter items like blankets and sheets. I am concerned the bouncing that may occur in rough water could cause a problem with heavier items. The three doors slide sideways on tracks. It is situated over our feet but high enough not to cause a clearence problem
One of the problems I have encountered in the Skiff is dealing with dirty clothes. When I am aboard for 5 or 6 hot summer days I tend to generate a fair amount of them. They end up in the berth in a trash bag wedged into the bow at my feet - not an ideal solution. And in SeaQuinn there will be two of us so the problem is doubled. I decided to add doors under the shelf on each side of the berth and use that odd shaped area as clothes hampers. The doors were made with cutouts for handles to allow ventilation. Our longest stay so far has been 6 days and we didn't have them even half full. Out of view there is also and additional small matching storage area besides the pillows. I intend for placing personal items wallets and phones.
Hanging Locker and Seat
On the starboard side of the berth just forward on the helm is a hanging closet with 24" of hanging space. Below it is a shelf for blanket storage. The hanging closet also contains the some of the electronics. To the right of the closet rod is the rear of the instrument panel and a sloped panel protects the wiring and gauges. Lower in the closet and behind another removable panel is the autopilot pump and mounted to the starboard is the electronic control unit for the autopilot.
The top of this area extends toward midship and forms a seat for dressing and putting on shoes. Below the seat is a deep drawer and below that is an area I built-in just for shoe storage. On both the Skiff and a 24' Express Cruiser I formerly owned we were always struggling with stowing of extras shoes so it was a problem I wanted to address. Also, drawing air from the shoe storage area is a 4" vent fan (12V computer type) that using bilge vent hose blows cabin air into the bilge area at the tip of the bow. I am a firm believer of venting the entire bilge area to help limit build up of mildew. The fan is on a switch and I can run it whenever I feel it is needed. During winter storage it will be on a timer to once a day run for a period of time.
Composting Head
Opposite the hanging closet is a composting head made by Nature's Head and so far it has worked fairly well. See the "Impressions" page for a little more information.
Medicine Cabinet
There is probably a more nautical term for this but I am not aware of it. Ours is mounted over the head it stores the same items as the ones at home. With a woman onboard it is a necessity. I added some elastic strapping to help holds things in position. Many "products" my wife must have are in glass containers and having them rolling around and pounding together in rough water is a potential problem.
The vent hose for the head passed up through the cabinet and exits on the berth top.
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