C22 Storage

[Herb]

Hi there I have been crawling around the boat the past couple of days and noticed that under the cockpit floor in the bilge is a lot of storage space. My Bilge is desert dry so my real question is how best to access this space. My first thought was to cut a hatch into the cockpit floor but I am very leery about cutting holes in my boat and thought I would ask what everyone else is doing with this space. Looks like to much room to pass up. It would be perfect for my inflatable or possible to build an anchor locker into as I always drop anchor from the cockpit and walk the rode up to the bow. It would also keep the weight of the anchor down low next to t he keel. What do you think folks.

 

[TedsSailingPage]

Lots of Space . . .

. . . very little access.That is a plain fact with the C22 is that it has lots of storage, but the access to it is poor. In my 7 years of owning a C22, I rarely used much of the space on board.I would refrain from modifying the boat, as it will adversely effect the structural integrity.As for the anchor, the newer models have an anchor locker in the bow; mine did not. I ended up securing the anchor to the deck and then ran the rode thru a deck pipe into the v-berth. that set up seemed to work fairly well, with minimal modifications to the boat.

 

[Bayard Gross]

Cat 22 storage

While on the subject, I made a few modifications to my Catalina 22 to improve access to interior storage areas.These can be seen at:http://tinyurl.com/cemx8

 

[Herb]

thanks Bayard, Help Aldo

Bayard, thanks for the link to your web site. I always enjoy looking at what others are doing with their boats. You and Aldo always post some very insitefull things about the 22 so I value your opinions, so again Have you looked under you cockpit, what do you think about all that space down there. I am very carefull about what I change or cut on my boat but feel there has to be a way to access this space. What are your thoughts on this. I was thinking about a comercial hatch cut into the floor and then glassing in a box for storage or anchor locker.  But.....I was concrned that a box edge would transfer to much weight from the cockpit floor ( I am a big boy) to the actual hull of the boat. What is everyone opinion, I appreciate Ted's opinion to leave it alone for fear of messing it up, however I was hoping for more specific thoughts on the topic. I always have to be told why I can't do something rather thanb just accepting no. Thanks Herb

 

[R Kolb]

I access from inside

My C22 is a 1986 model. The starboard area that you refer to is easily reached from inside. It is, in fact, seperated into storage areas already with ra emovable lid. If yours is an older C22 then that space is taken by the sliding kitchen. We access the port side by removing the seat back on that side. It is easy and we store things like extra lines, sails and the like so it is easy to grab them.If you must cut up the boat to provide acces I wouldn't cut the floor of the cockpit, too easy to cause leaks. I'd make the hatch on the vertical surface of the cockpit seats, down where your legs are. Of course that does not give you access to the areas right beneath the cockpit floor. But them how much stuff do you really need to store on a C22?? Also, if you take water on into the cockpit and that door opens up you could sink the boat. Finally, storing too much in the aft portion of the boat will impact its handling.