Cockpit Locker bulkhead

 Cockpit Locker Bulkhead

On the 33-2, there is a hatch on the starboard side cockpit seat that opens to the hull and equipment below..  .    This hatch provides access to engine, transmission, coolant overflow tank, propshaft and stuffing box, water heater, refrigeration compressor, engine cooling water intake through-hull fitting and strainer, fuel tank, steering cables and water pressure pump.  In Windstar, the dedicated start battery and xantrex battery charger also reside here.   

This is also where fenders, docklines, and anything else that's otherwise homeless would be stowed.  

That's a lot of stuff.

There is opportunity to better utilize this space, and what follows is a first step, and a pretty basic project..   

The project involves replacing a minimal removable plywood bulkhead, with one which incorporates some storage and organization.  This provides a home for winch handles, drop boards, bolt cutters, a pipe wrench, jacklines/dock lines, a deck brush, and the emergency tiller and wrenches.  The completed bulkhead in use is pictured below.  

The emergency tiller required a fixture to hold it in a way that it could be quickly accessed in an emergency.  .   Photo below is laying up a holster for the emergency tiller, bolt cutters and pipe wrench.

Off the form and trimmed.   Next step is to cut to length and paint.

Mounted on the new bulkhead, rough trial fit for experimentation.  This bulkhead is both longer and taller than the original.   Note, the tiller does not work in the location shown because the deck obstructs it from above.   No biggie, just used one of the other holsters.  You can see in the photo below, (only) the fitted wooden cleats that fit closely against the fuel tanks to form the pocket for the drop boards. 

Nearly done.  This is the starboard (outboard) side, you can see the tiller, dock line/jack line  hangers and a shallow plywood box for winch handles or any other loose items.   If you look closely beneath that box, you can see clips for the deck brush.   Not shown in this photo, and the pocket for the drop boards.     Note the cutaway at the bottom.   This provides access to the area below the fuel tank for the stowage of a spare anchor rode.

forward you can see the holster for the emergency tiller, there are two more such holsters on the opposite side.  

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