• Untitled Document

    Join us on March 29rd, 7pm EST

    for the CBEC Virtual Meeting

    All EYO members and followers are welcome to join the fun and get to know the guest speaker!

    See the link below for login credentials and join us!

    March Meeting Info

    (dismiss this notice by hitting 'X', upper right)

[E32-3] Dirt-blocker on companionway ladder

Geoff W.

Makes Up For It With Enthusiasm
Blogs Author
Hi folks,

In my ongoing quest to sort out storage on my boat, my eye has turned to the nice flat space directly beneath the companionway - the top of the engine compartment cover. This would be a great place for a little bookshelf or some other storage for tall items, but the problem is it's never clean. It's constantly covered with the shmutz that gets knocked off peoples' boots as they tromp up and down the companionway ladder. I'm thinking a little canvas cover could be a decent solution for this, snapped on in multiple places along the back side of the companionway ladder. The bottom would be left open so any dirt could just fall down onto the slanted portion of the engine compartment and down onto my dirt-catcher rug. Keeping it on the ladder would also prevent losing any storage to the cover itself.

The main downside I can see is that I would be blocking the light from the companionway lamp from going out into the cabin. Potentially mitigated by dense mesh, or something. (edit: or clear plastic/vinyl, duh)

I got lots of good ideas in my wine-rack thread, any thoughts on this idea here? Issues with putting snaps on the back of the companionway ladder? Catastrophes I'm failing to identify?


IMG_20190224_174124.jpg
 
Last edited:

nquigley

Sustaining Member
I use that space to stow things like dry towels, throwing cushion, spare life jacket.
I find myself removing the engine cover far too frequently to stow anything there that would be awkward to move.
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
One must become a Shoe Nazi. All shoes go in the milk crate by the boarding gate. Or at least in the cockpit somewhere. No shoes inside.
But I stack up the cockpit throw-cushions under the ladder. To get under way, toss the cushions into the cockpit, open the engine cover, check the oil, lube the water pump, open the fuel valve, scare the mice...
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Geoff will be living aboard. For the rest of us, that engine box needs to get removed every visit to the boat.
 

bgary

Advanced Beginner
Blogs Author
I use that space as a small bookshelf. I like having nav-related stuff (cruising guides, tide-books, etc) ready to hand while sitting at the nav station.

I haven't had a problem with dirt collecting there. But I like your idea - maybe you could get a scrap of the clear stuff they use for dodger windows, and have the best of both worlds... dirt-blocker without blocking the light?

Bruce
 

Geoff W.

Makes Up For It With Enthusiasm
Blogs Author
As much as I'd love to be a shoe-nazi, I don't think I have that level of control over my own actions, let alone my passengers (who are easier to control, sometimes).

Towel / linen storage is a good idea for right there. Bruce's bookshelf is my current inspiration, but space usage is still sort of up in the air until I get all my stuff onto the boat (likely this weekend). I'm trying to balance relative comfort/access with my "living" items, while not making the interior of the boat such that every sailing outing requires an hour of packing away kitchen appliances.

Chances are whatever ends up there will be in a rubbermaid-esque container for easy stowage, for engine inspection. I should really start inspecting my engine each time I go sailing, huh?

As far as the stair cover, my current iteration is a "frame" of sunbrella with the clear dodger-window material taking up most of the remaining space, affixed to the ladder with Velcro instead of snaps. That'll ensure a more flush fit with the curved ladder and prevent a few unnecessary screwholes.
 

Captainken

Member I
companionway engine cover

Funny you should mention that. Being right next to the sink, we have a small mat inside the fiddles and have a dish drainer there. I did notice occasional dust there but I usually put the dishes away asap and it seems rather inboard of the ladder and doesn't acctually colect dirt(I don't think). LOL!
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Hereʻs the Thelonious M25 with the engine box removed.

Steve, what does your installation look like?
 

Attachments

  • 1-DSC_0111.JPG
    1-DSC_0111.JPG
    99.1 KB · Views: 68
Top