Day Sailer Fleet 64
Arlington, Texas(The Horned Frog Fleet)
DS II Stowage Modification - Michael P. Shear
Edition #65, Summer 1977
Due to time limitations, we use our DS II (the "Shear Delight") primarily for recreational day sailing. Since time spent searching for misplaced items aboard cuts our sailing time and enjoyment even more, the proper organization of accessories is necessary, particularly on a small boat with limited space such as the Day Sailer. After a few outings where all equipment was thrown into the cuddy, I devised a system to stow accessories without obstructing the cuddy space so overnighting is a pleasure rather than a squeeze among the equipment.
All equipment is stowed in a vertical fashion along the sides of the cuddy. This is accomplished by an "accessory board" on the port side and screw eyes on the starboard. The latter case is shown in figure 1. The brass screw eyes are placed into small blocks of wood glued with epoxy cement to the inside of the hull. Loops of shock cord hold the life vests in place, and are hooked to the screw eyes. The anchor is held in place by a shock cord attached to a screw eye which is screwed directly into the bulkhead. (We store the anchor in a canvas bag for ease of handling.) Behind the anchor stock can be placed bilge pumps and fenders. The smaller items are stowed on the accessory board (figure 2).
The accessory board is a 14"by3 1/2' ply, which is stained and varnished. It is securely held in place by gravity, since the lower edge rests on the cabin sole and is prevented from sliding outward by a 2 1/2' length of 1X2 placed directly in front of the lower edge and epoxied to the cabin sole. The upper portion is held in place by two 2" cubes, again epoxied to the hull, and stainless screws hold the board to these wooden members, mainly to keep the board from fore-and-aft movement. The placement of accessories is up to the skipper, however, I used canvas straps and velcro strips to keep them closed, as seen holding the hiking stick, reefing claw, and knotmeter. Also, I sewed small canvas bags to hold spare pins, shackles, tools, compass, etc., all with velcro closures. At the top of the board is a long, skinny bag which holds sail battens, again with a velcro closure, and with strips of velcro on the back which grip the corresponding areas tacked to the board, so the entire bag is removable for easy handling of battens. The variations are only limited by the imagination. All canvas was obtained from cutting up old money bags, normally used by banks (it is advisable to wash them first). To secure the canvas to the wood, monel staples were used, and it is recommended that all hardware be of non-corrosive materials for obvious reasons. The fire extinquisher, in case you're interested, is secured to wood glued to the hull.
We have found this stowage system to be very handy, eliminating much aggravation and foul language over misplaced gear. Total cost of materials: about 5 or 6 dollars. Now what can be a better bargain than that?
(Makes an excellent winter project, if you have heated workspace so the epoxy will harden).
For Fleet information, contact DS Fleet
Captain Manuel LeBlanc, 5519 El Captain Ct., Arlington, TX 76017 - Phone
(817) 874-0910 or by e-mail to Chuck Hield - chield@earthlink.net
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