Storage for hatchboards
Robert, The hatchboards that came with my 272 are teak frames with smoked plexiglas inserts. They are too big to store under the cushions, so I built a rack for them and a pair of screened hatchboards that I built. The rack allows me to store the boards (all 4) vertically by sliding them into the rack which I fastened to the longitudinal bulkhead which divides the quarterberth from the lazarette. To explain a little further, I took the measurements of the hatchboards and built a box with 1/4" lauan plywood for the sides and 3/4" pine for the top, bottom and back making sure that the boaards would all fit and slide out easily. The front is open (obviously) to allow the boards to slide in and out. Everything is screwed together. I then cut away some of the carpet liner which is glued to the vertical part of the hull above and just behind the engine cover. I then glued three strips of wood horizontally to the area where I had cut away the liner. The strips are there to make a base to screw the storage box into. After finishing the box with some polyurethane, I CAREFULLY located it on the strips so that the boards would slide out easily without hitting the bottom of the bulkhead which divides the cabin from the cockpit or the light under the bulkhead. I then removed the outside side of the box so I could screw the box to the base strips, then reinstalled the outside side to finish the job. It works well and frees up other storage areas, and as you know, storage is priceless on a boat. I know some folks who store the hatchboards in the lazarette on a 272, but I have other stuff in there which I think is better suited for cockpit storage. They have never slid out while I was underway, and I stuff an old cloth into the opening to keep them from bumping into each other and making noise. Sorry I don't have a digital camera to show you what it looks like and where it is located. Hope you can figure it out from my explanation. You can e-mail me at tomclaud@wcnet.org Tom ODay 272 tooth'n'nail
