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'78 E27 Cabin hacks

chrisoelder

Member II
Hey! I have a 1978 Ericson 27 and i am looking for some inspiration/ideas on how to customize my cabin for better storage and space.

Feel free to send over pictures and diagrams of how you have made your E27 PERRRFFEECCTTT!

Thank you for all the support!
 

G Kiba

Sustaining Member
Maybe not a storage thing but a great hack none the less.
You can change your four hatch boards into two buy joining the top and bottom pairs with lengths of piano hinge. When not in use, I fold and store them standing in the head on the right side between the bulkhead and a board screwed in between the head cabinet and the door jam. Pretty sure a previous owner added the board. But it's perfectly handy, secure, and easy to get to. I made a screened hatch for better ventilation that stores there as well. Will get pictures later.
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
Some place on this site, there is a long thread on "hidden spaces" on our boats, but my Google-Fu seems to be weak today.

Although I don't have an E27, here's some random stuff:

1. Less is More. Always try to keep the cabin organized and un-cluttered. Well... some day :rolleyes: Even more-so for the deck. As much as possible, weighty items should be stored below the waterline, for stability.

2. Many people have explored the sealed-off spaces between the liner and the hull. E.g. http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoex...aliquots-of-progress-Stbd-side-stowage-Part-1

A couple of points about opening the liner: In these 70's designs, the liner is supposed to provide stiffness to the boat and reinforcement to the hull, so be careful not to weaken it too much when cutting holes in it. Rounded holes are probably better than square ones, which might lead to cracks propagating. That said, the liner blocks access to lots of deck hardware that was installed before the hull and deck were joined, so at some point, holes must be cut anyway, to maintain that stuff. I like screw-in deck plates for some of that. An argument can be made that there should be some way to access all the spaces behind the liner, for potential damage control in an emergency.

3. There is usually a large empty space behind the galley, especially if a range is installed. It's not easy to figure out how to use that space. I'm considering a hatch in the bottom of the main cabinet, but one would have to unload the cabinet to open it. Or pull the range out. So, certainly not for stuff you'd want to get at frequently or quickly. Maybe electronics black boxes?

4. How much "stuff" are we talking about? Live-aboard level stuff? A lot of people don't need all of the bunks on the boat, so one or more of them gets used for storage. If that's the case, one might as well install decent cargo tie-downs (which can be hidden behind cushions) and/or secure shelving, as opposed to just a pile of stuff on a bunk. A recent abandonment of a nice boat off the coast of WA was prompted in part by scuba tanks coming loose from the quarterberth and books falling off shelves (and clogging bilge pumps) after a big wave. And those people were experienced cruisers. Probably a good idea to consider what would happen to any of your stored stuff if the boat goes sideways. Or upside down?
 

chrisoelder

Member II
These are great! I dont have anything particular in mind i would like to accomplish. Just trying to use the space as efficiently as possible and clever. You guys are some of the most clever and creative people i know

Right now i have a board that allows me to double the size of the Settee berth but if i could figure out how to create a connector between both the settee berths that would leave for a very big and nice bed. Any ideas?
 

chrisoelder

Member II
Thats actually what i have now - its great! Much better then the V-berth giving that my girlfriend gets claustrophobic in there. Im wondering if there is a way to extend it even more - hahah feeling very adventurous right now.
 

Kevin A Wright

Member III
I used to have a 1977 E27 for about 20 years. Best little storage trick I had was hanging a storage net from the interior handrail on the port side above the settee. These are like small net hammocks and didn't hand down enough to be in the way when you were sitting, but provided a great place to hold food and the like (used it a lot for bread, chips, etc. bulky and light stuff that could get smashed if stuffed into a storage bin.) The one I have ( I still use the same on my E35) would hold 1 1/2 to 2 cubic feet of 'stuff'. That's a lot of storage space for a boat.

Good luck

Kevin Wright
E35 Hydro Therapy
 
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