Cockpit Locker Lids

[Kettlewell]

In case anyone wonders if this is important you should read about the experience of those aboard the Mary T during the Queen's Birthday Storm. The book is called Rescue in the Pacific, by Tony Farrington. The short of it is they thought they were sinking they were taking on so much water, and actually called Mayday. It turned out that the boat was so awash that water was pouring in through the cockpit lockers. I've been in conditions a few times where the green water was coming across the boat so deep you had to hold your breath in the cockpit--essentially the boat went underwater for a bit. That type of water finds every crack and comes in under high pressure. Hatch boards are often bad news then too. My current boat does not have an ideal bluewater cockpit, but we have never shipped bluewater in it either--very high sided, but too deep to be an ideal offshore cockpit. If it ever filled it would be a lot of weight and it might be better if the water flowed below! Even though they can be nasty for other reasons, the modern racing type cockpit that is completely open at the stern is probably quite seaworthy--let that water drain fast.

[CharlieJ]

Charlie,
Doesn't Tehani also have some nice latches to secure her cockpit lockers?  I'm pretty sure the foam seal and latch idea on Ariel113 was stolen directly from a CD of photos you sent me a few years back.  And I just gotta say, I really like the locker you installed in the cockpit sole as well.

Yes on the latches. They can be locked with a padlock, which I've never done, or closed with a clip, which I HAVE done.


Thanks on the cockpit floor locker. It has proven very handy. I keep two extra anchor rodes in there. Of course, the original intent (after cutting away the rotted sole was to make a spot for the stern bladder tank. The anchor rode stowage just went on top of that.

The whole thing pretty much sits where the inboard would be if she had one. As you can see form the last pic, it was a pretty huge empty space :D

[CapnK]

There's a hobbit in that hole!

;D

* CapnK ducks n runs....

[Godot]

I think some weather stripping around the edges with a latch that holds the stripping slightly compressed is probably just about as good as anything you are going to find on the market for a reasonable price.

[Tim]

The latching is the real bugger on the Ariel, at this point I am going back to the line into the cabin, which is secure but inconvenient.