Adding Storage

[ris]

When we bought our boat just like Starscream we found out all the foam under the v-berth was covered in black mold. It also had a bad odor. So we removed it and used bleach/water mixture to clean the hull and partitions under the v-berth. This got rid of the mold and odor. By the way we threw all that stinky Styrofoam in the trash.

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

I tried one of those mesh pocket things. It didn't last too long. I think that I may have over-loaded it. Maybe I shouldn't have stored my spare anchor in it. Anyway, I've removed the doors on my head compartments and replaced them with shower curtains. It makes access to the head compartment much easier, not having to worry about swing-room of the door. I use a bungy cord to hold the curtain up. And, I have eye-bolts/nuts at the top of both sides of my companionway so I can also put the curtain across there.

[Drifter]

"the 26X needs some more weight up front, and less weight on the port side."

Wait, wait, tell me more?

I was about to relocate a battery in my boat that the previous owner has fitted up under the V berth on the starboard side. I was going to move it back to the proper position next to the galley.

[Russ]

Wait, wait, tell me more?

I was about to relocate a battery in my boat that the previous owner has fitted up under the V berth on the starboard side. I was going to move it back to the proper position next to the galley.

I bet the PO put that battery up there for your windlass. It needs power close by.

[Drifter]

True, when I fitted a windlass to my previous boat it cost a small fortune in heavy-duty tinned marine wire, 8AWG.

My problem is he has put both batteries on the starboard side, which is the same side I plan to eventually fit a kicker motor.

I've removed the electric toilet and will replace it with a light portapotty style, as the fixtures seem a bit of a headache; 17mm and 25mm, which don't suit most other electric toilets and the 25mm is too small for a manual toilet. I really can't be asked to mess with the thru-hulls, so will just close them for now, probably fiberglass over permanently later. That has reduced some of the starboard weight, but if filled with water then a portapotty is just as heavy or even heavier.

Mmm.

So is the X known for being too light and unbalanced? Am I better off leaving that battery where it is?

Rather than fiddling around with all the wiring, what I was planning to do is just run some heavy-duty wire again, straight from the + and - of the current locations, to the new (ie original spot next to the galley). That would save me messing around to figure out what wires are what, and I plan on removing that windlass anyway, so the house battery will only be doing lights and some little extractor fans.

Sorry if I'm hijacking the thread

[Starscream]

Not a hijack, storage and weight distribution is a big issue.

Every boat is slightly different, but my X has always listed a bit to port. We have two batteries aft of the galley, and 100L of water under the galley. Our food, ice storage, and flush & holding tanks are on the starboard side, usually with about 15L of fresh flushing water or 40L of blackwater, depending on how long we've been out.

You can see in the photo (blackwater tank almost empty) that even with the kicker on the starboard, we still list to port.

The other problem is that most X's are also stern heavy, especially with people in the cockpit. Our motor well drain is often submerged and that has always bothered me. Plus, at full power, the nose-high attitude is a drag. I'm planning to evenutally move the fresh water tank from under the galley to somewhere forward/starboard, but that's a project for another day.

[Drifter]

That's a beautiful boat *swoon

Well I've never motored or sailed mine yet, so guess I should wait until I do before changing how the previous owner set it up.

I do want to get rid of the windlass though. For a start I can't see any way of releasing it? And it looks darn heavy..

[Russ]

You may want to test float your boat just to see how it sits on the water. Especially with yours being so modded. Maybe AFTER removing heavy windlass because that is the end goal.

My boat (M) is aft heavy. 70hp motor, 2x12gal fuel tanks and my fat arse. So any weight I can put in the bow is a plus.

[Drifter]

Welp, managed to get to the bolts and unbolted that windlass.... and it's rock-solid still.

Like the rear ballast valve, PO has fiberglassed or epoxied the thing in place!

Gah!

Looks like I'm stuck with it for now, as I'd have to actually cut the thing off, i.e. a big hole in the deck, which I'd then have to fill in again.

[svscott]

If they used 5200 or similar, you can try using a couple good quality stiff blade drywall joint knives (I personally like Hyde brand tools for this) to get in between the hull and the metal to break the bond. If you can get a blade started into the gap even a little, try driving wood shims in bit by bit to give room for the drywall knife to slowly cut the adhesive.
This is how I removed my 26D windows... but it was only clear silicone I had to get through.

[Inquisitor]

I did this mod a decade ago, but didn't post it because, I felt it might give someone a stroke. Although it won't be everyone's cup of tea, we found it to be great for us. I'm in the process of tearing it apart and remaking it.



In the 2010 version, I raised all the hard seating to 27" above the main floor. I re-staged this picture of the port side just for this post to address the OP. The original galley is in some land-fill in Georgia. My galley replacement on the starboard side "was" (I've torn it out for my ongoing 2020+ Mods) some fixed, some movable. A bar sink was rigidly fixed at the standard 36" counter height. Next to the sink was a "love seat" at the same 27" height as the port side. The sink has a cutting board insert and makes a perfect side table / arm rest for the love seat. The love-seat panel could be raised to the 36" height (next to the sink) to give ~40" of countertop. Back on the port side, it is now one long bench. The 27" height was needed to install the 2010 cooler (and now a 2020 refrigerator) viewtopic.php?f=8&t=28046 under the right cushion you see in the picture. The seat folds up for access to the fridge. All the construction uses extremely light weight building techniques. The total weight of the cabinetry was only slightly heavier than the exiting stock galley.

With long term use, here is what I found.

PRO

• More storage space than we can ever use and all of it well hidden and free from falling out during window washing. We even keep the spinnaker and fenders inside, in the cabinetry.
• A far less clutter looking saloon. Except the sink faucet, no evidence of a galley or accouterments.
• Seated, one can look out the windows port or starboard at the view. Feels less like we're sitting in a barrel.
• Sitting across from others our feet don't have to intertwine. Even with long legged visitors, its still easy to move about the saloon.

CON

• Caution about bringing too much crap onboard.
• Our feet don't reach the floor. It concerned me at first, but once we start using it, we tended to lay our feet up on the seats anyway. However, in the 2020 version, I'll be adding bar foot-rails so we can entertain.
• The bins are way deep. One needs to stand on your head to reach deep into the bilge. I kept the white plastic seat material for use. We put heavy, less used things under the original seats (in the bilge) and keep our light, more-day-to-day items in the new cabinetry above the original seats.

[kurz]

interesting mod!
Keep up showing more photos!

[Inquisitor]

interesting mod!
Keep up showing more photos!

Well... the starboard side is all dismantled for projects MX-5 through 8 that will be eventually discussed in the Repairs and Modifications section. The only other picture I can show is facing aft on the port side.

1. I removed the Mahogany steps and stainless steel ladder supports.
2. I swapped sides so the SS stair tabs faced outboard.
   1. The starboard SS stair riser is placed on the same hole of the traveler as it was before.
   2. The port SS stair riser was place one hole outboard on the M's traveler. Didn't even need to make more holes, just swapped bolts and re-calked.
3. The cabinetry is mounted between and to the first and second SS step tabs which defines its height and height above the floor. The cabinetry is very sturdy having so much steel in it.
4. The stairwell is now completely made of wood with a staggered tread length. Before, I always expected to fall coming down if a wave hit unexpectedly and I was facing forward. Now with large treads, its not an issue.
5. The stairwell now pivots up for access to the rear berth. A gas strut mounted to the third stair tab aids lifting and keeps it at the raised position.
6. The staircase has a break between the first and second step.
7. The lower step is mounted to the floor and and battery compartment and is flush with the battery compartment lid. This makes a large platform to crawl in and out of the rear berth without banging your head.
8. The upper two steps pivot up.

[Inquisitor]

Don't want to stray too far off the original post...
The main point: I have about 20 cu-ft of storage (cabinetry) that doesn't exist in the stock

[NiceAft]

Now if you can only do something about that poor soul strapped to a mast. Have mercy