I just moved onto my C30 and have a ton of hardback books, maybe 50. There is tons of shelf space in the cabin and forepeak but they are all too narrow! Has anyone bought or built bookshelves for the C30? It would especially make sense in the forepeak. Thanks!
Any good book shelf ideas?
- Thread starter patrickkidd
- Start date
i put a fiddle at the bottom of the chart table recess and it holds about six full size books. before it was just useless space.
Hardback books come in all shapes and sizes. Calder's is BIG, Casey's is small.
You'll need different places to hold different sizes.
I'd look at teak bookshelves for starters, and with teak being so expensive, you could make them out of less expensive wood.
What years is your C30? The different models have different interiors.
no photos, but a fiddle is a horiontal piece of wood along the open bottom of the space below the chart table that keeps things from sliding out. why catalina didn't think of a dime piece of wood instead of just useless open space is beyond me. mine is really quite fine for holding big books particularly when positioned upright.
since the fiddle keeps the books from sliding out of the space below the chart table the books can be arranged like in any bookshelf. there's lots of unused space down there.
How about cutting a wider board the length of the shelf, finish nicely and glue on top of the narrow shelf.
May I suggest storing them in boxes in a storage unit or a friends attic/basement, and the purchase of a nice Kindle or Nook.
Space is tight on any boat, and moisture is not good for paper books. If you kill your Kindle/Nook, you don't lose your library, whereas damp books full of mildew are never good.
This will also probably cost a lot less than building shelves on your boat.
All-New Kindle Paperwhite, 6" High-Resolution Display (300 ppi) with Built-in Light, Wi-Fi
Space is tight on any boat, and moisture is not good for paper books. If you kill your Kindle/Nook, you don't lose your library, whereas damp books full of mildew are never good.
This will also probably cost a lot less than building shelves on your boat.
All-New Kindle Paperwhite, 6" High-Resolution Display (300 ppi) with Built-in Light, Wi-Fi
sorry for the confusion but i think we're making a very simple thing complicated. just think of putting anything i along the hollow under the chart table just above the sole so things don't slide out along the hull.
Except it could be that not all of his specific maritime books are available in that media. There is merit in what you say about conditions, but I've had many books on my boat for many, many years and they're fine. I have a dry boat.
mortyd is right, a little bit o'wood goes a long way.
Stu,
I agree I like having books on the boat, and always have a couple of paperbacks and several sailing/navigation references aboard, but 50 hardcovers is going to take a sh!t ton of space that I would much rather use for more crucial sailing equipment like beer and rum. LOL
If he gets a good tablet and either the Nook or Kindle app, or both, he has a multifunction device, that is also a good book reader while anchored.
A fiddle is actually a vertical piece of wood that runs around the perimeter of a table, in order to stop items from easily rolling off the edge of the table when healing or pitching in seas. But anyway, I was going to suggest that an easy way to stop items from easily flying off of the shelves along the cabin sides is to install simple bungy cords. Drill a small hole at the ends of the shelf brackets or at the knees which mount the chain plates, & tie a bungy cord at each end, mounted a few inches above the shelf at the outer perimeter. The bungies are remarkably good at adjusting to hold different sized items, that you place the shelves. I find that they are good for holding rows of books & bottles in place, so they don't fall on the cabin sole when healing & pitching around while under way. My 2 cents.