Convertible Dinette Custom Tackle Cabinet

[jackryan]

I was kicking around the idea of fabricating a custom tackle drawer/rod storage area where my convertible dinette is on the port side of the cabin. I never use the dinette and just keep it down in the lower "sleeping berth" position. I usually pile tackle bags and misc. junk on this area when I go fishing. I was thinking it would be nice to better utilize this space with lots of storage. I talked to John at Nautical design today http://www.nauticaldesigninc.com/fiberglass_center.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and he said to send them some dimensions of the area, a rough drawing of what I want and they will work up a quote. He said he could build it so that the top would still be strong enough to use as a sleeping berth when needed. I was hoping to get some feedback from the faithful on this idea. Have any of you already done this? Any photos that might help? For resale purposes, is it a bad idea to change the original layout?

To fit it through the door, I'm thinking I would have them fabricate 2 long cabinets and mount them side by side. The other option would be to build it myself in the boat to eliminate the problem of fitting it through the door. This way it would be one large piece rather than two long skinny pieces. This might improve the storage options. Any thoughts of what material to use if I build it myself (Coosa and fiberglass, Wood?) I was thinking it might be possible to build it so you could remove the berth cushions and lift the top of the cabinet up to store rods and other large items, and reserve the lower portion for tackle drawers??

With the minds on this site, I'm sure there are some great opinions and ideas on this.

Thanks,

JR

[Rawleigh]

I have always wanted to put a sofa type seat along the outside wall and do away with the seats and step up so that there was more room in the cabin. You could have wooden cleats along the bulkhead on either end and make it a pull out berth. The two bottom parts would just stack on top of each other under the cushion until pulled out. The back cushion would make the second half of the mattress.

[Yannis]

Jack,
The combination of a shallow tackle cabinet and a wide bed can be combined if the top surface is double and it unfolds or slides out to double its size (its width). Otherwise you will have to overcome the issue of drawers too deep, which may not be practical. Also, the top opening part is somehow weird in that every time you need something, you will have to unload all junk to gain access to the space underneath; instead, you might want to consider creating one or two deep drawers in the bottom part for the bulkier heavier stuff that if put on top risks to fall with the movement of the boat.

Rawleigh,
I'm currently doing just that, installing from scratch a longitudinal sofa. As an idea it is very simple, in reality however, one has to overcome the problem that the curvature of the hull is not parallel to the inner sill of the side window. To overcome this, I thought to first screw (using the existing sill holes from the previous wall panel) another 1ft wide panel totally vertical under the window, and achieve the necessary angle with the cushion that will be attached on its front side. Afterwards, and below this first panel, I will put another similar one which, this time, will be put in place at an angle, with a flat cushion. This results in a totally flat and adequately angled back rest which is both comfortable and also stops your head from hitting the window sill. This bottom panel will be removable and , when needed, will move right next to the sofa bottom mattress to extend it in width and form a nice bed. This mattress will be out of latex and will be trimmed so that it embraces the hull curvature as it will extend below and behind the backrest, so that when you remove the lower side panel you gain access to the hidden part of the mattress. Any further ideas on this issue are always welcome.
Yannis.

[PeterPalmieri]

http://m.yachtworld.com/mobile/listing/ ... id=2611337" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One idea is a simple box with a hinged lid and a panel on the backrest? That is going to provide maximum storage.

[jackryan]

Thanks for the suggestions. Peter, it's funny, the blue 31 that you posted a link to is the boat that I was looking at that started me thinking about changing up the layout. That is one fine 31 Bertram. How did you create that link with the large pictures of the boat?

Rawleigh, there is a boat listed in the swap and sell section that seems to be laid out with a layout similar to what you mentioned. It looks like they narrowed down the "galley" on the starboard side of the boat to make room for seating on the port side. They also installed a much larger table in the boat. Here is the link to the add on thehulltruth: http://www.thehulltruth.com/boats-sale- ... -sale.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; You have to scroll down a bit and look closely at the pictures to see the seating layout they used.

I'm a bit surprised that nobody has chimed in that has modified the dinette area to increase the storage and make that area more functional. I feel like i've seen some pictures of a 31 with that sort of modification.

JR

[Tony Meola]

Jack

I think JP and John Jackson, changed the cabin around. If I remember JJ's boat, he had a bench seat on the port side with no table. The one on the whoe truth looks like they put a door up going into the V berth. I was trying to figure out how he did the sink and stove. He somehow had to move that side forward. Probably got rid of teh cabinet just under the windshield on the starbord side.

Looks like a really nice job on that 31.

[John Jackson]

HMS Hound has a counter that runs the full length of the starboard cabin, from the mid-ship bulkhead to the v-berth bulkhead. Since the boat is a Sportfish model the head is up in the v-berth. There are cabinets underneath the counter with lots of storage and there is an ice chest built into the counter. A shelf under the counter fits a six man offshore life raft with easy access since there are double cabinet doors. There is also room for a microwave and other storage that does not restrict access to the life raft. The boat had the counter when I bought it. The counter was made at Carver’s years ago and is a great feature. It looks like it was built on board and is not a freestanding component.
On the port the rebuilt dinette bench seats have no drawers on the sides. Thus when the forward seat lifts up there is a ton of storage underneath. The aft seat has the battery switches, chargers and inverter, all easily accessible by tilting up the seat.
The dinette still looks the same as original and still converts to a bunk when the table is lowered. I use it both ways often enough that the option works for me. I usually leave it like a dinette but turn it into the bed when running to and from offshore so someone can lay down. When I redid the dinette I kept the old lockers that are built into the side and the three cubby hole storage areas are very handy.
I also made liners for under the hatches in the cabin so there is dry storage under the hatches. I put different stuff in there depending on what I am doing. One holds the canyon anchor and 1200 feet of rode but I only carry it if I plan to anchor offshore.
I will try and take some pictures and post them.
The key is to just try to put together what works for how you use the boat or use what is there the best you can.
JP’s set up is way better but he can pipe in about it if he wants to. All I will say about it is that it is very comfortable to sleep on- which is a whole-nuther story….

[John Jackson]

This is the best picture I could find of the counter but my brother is in the way with his 11 pound fluke. I will go take some more and post them. Also thanks to Capt. Patrick who gave me the step by step on building the side window frames and the how to on the Holmsey insert; both are visible in the second picture too. The third picture also shows the dinette and the counter before I did the windows.][[/urlurl=http://s91.photobucket.com/user/HMSHOUND/media/Hattaras025.jpg.html]

[JP Dalik]

Here you go Jack

We used a simple L shaped bench tall enough to pur five gallon buckets in along the outboard side. The back side houses the generator.
The sink area was pushed back 12" or so and reglassed, the whole deck was brought flat and there is a filler that makes a large bed out of the bench. The outboard backrest has several tackle storage bins for whatever you want to throw in them

And of course there is storage behind the flat screen and microwave. The flat screen also doubles as the fish finder screen for overnighting

Kind of simple but it holds allot of stuff

[Yannis]

I've been down at the boat today all day, and literally demolished the toilet sink, all the galley and the locker in front of it.
After I threw everything overboard I kinda felt I own a 33 footer - so much unused space there was.

I also realized (after having seen JP Dalik's photos) that what I commented to Rawleigh earlier in this thread about making a longitudinal sofa, is only applicable to the 28. The 31 is a much simpler case.

Yannis.

[John Jackson]

Here is the counter and the space underneath. The opening on top is to a good size ice chest. Hope this works doing this from iPhone

[Capt.Frank]

JP,
What size and brand frig draw is that? I like the draw vese a frig.