400: Ideas for conversion of the guest V-berth cabin to storage wanted.

[CatNewBee]

Hi there liveaboards an cruisers, I am curious if some of you have done conversions of obsolete beds on your catamarans to usable storage solutions.

We will cruise the seas just as a couple most of the time, and an aft guest cabin is more than enough on board. if we have short time guests, the salon can be converted to a double bed, but there is little to no noticeable storage on the 400S2 owners version.

So I am considering to remove the matresses of the port forward v-berth and add something removeable on top of the area, so I still have access by removing the planks to the systems below (water maker, air condition) and having on top either shelves or lockers as organized general storage.

Have seen some YT vids of Muskoka with a worshop in that place, I guess others have had similar ideas.

Very keen to see some pictures how to organise this space safely and efficiently.

[Dtm67]

The previous owner of my Lagoon 400 installed an IKEA storage unit. It actually works ok since you still have a half bunk and access to everything underneath the bunk. I’m attaching a picture since that shows it best. It’s workable and easily removed to restore to original for resale.

[RaymondR]

Because they don't lean over the under bunk spaces on multihulls are excellent places to keep ferrets.

[CatNewBee]

Manufacturers tend to fill all cavities under the bunks with stuff like A/C units, watermakers, waterfilters, radom sea cocks, sensors, pumps, batteries and the like. Quite cluttered.

I have re-gathered some of the space aft over the diesel tanks and the water heater by custom shelves and also put some containers down in the bilges where they cannot hit any through-hull. But you need some more accessible storage when you go permanently cruising.

[CatNewBee]

Originally Posted by Dtm67

The previous owner of my Lagoon 400 installed an IKEA storage unit. It actually works ok since you still have a half bunk and access to everything underneath the bunk. I’m attaching a picture since that shows it best. It’s workable and easily removed to restore to original for resale.

Attachment 182727

... looks pretty nice. probably bolted down and to the wall somehow to prevent to fall over in rough seas. I was thinking about tension it to the bottom and roof by two compression posts.

[arsenelupiga]

we use self adhesive hangers something like that for hanging life vests, snorkelling gear, fishing gear etc, etc in that room:

https://www.megaofficesupplies.com.a...yABEgIUEfD_BwE

So far no hanger failure so we will expand use. Easy to remove and rearrange.

We have plenty of empty space left, and boat is nicely balanced now, especially after we installed lithium. We use room above engines to fill with voluminous but light items in 4 optimally sized ikea plastic boxes x 2.

[CatNewBee]

Above the engines I have on one side a box with spare oil, oil filters, fuel filters, impeller kits etc and jerry cans with reserve fuel for the outboard and diesel, also the shore wires and adapters and snorcheling gear , in the other side there is the folding pasarelle, the tiny Kaercher pressure cleaner and the cleaning stuff for the deck. Unfortunately they are too small for storing folding bikes.

We use the guest head as wet suits locker for weather gear">foul weather gear and dive suits a horizontal telescope rod as hanger .

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

Manufacturers tend to fill all cavities under the bunks with stuff like A/C units, watermakers, waterfilters, radom sea cocks, sensors, pumps, batteries and the like. Quite cluttered.

I have re-gathered some of the space aft over the diesel tanks and the water heater by custom shelves and also put some containers down in the bilges where they cannot hit any through-hull. But you need some more accessible storage when you go permanently cruising.

True, but ferrets like lots of little tunnels and crevices, they are not particularly at home in wide open spaces.

When I was a small boy my grandfather used to take me on his rabbit hunting trips. It was just after WW2 and we lived in what would be considered a commune these days without electricity.

He hunted with ferrets which were carried to the rabbit warren in a backpack of small cages. The entrances to the warren were all netted and the ferrets introduced. After a few minutes the rabbits would begin to vacate and get caught in the nets. When he had enough rabbits he would remove the nets and any other rabbits would go free. The rabbits were kept in cages and fed vegetable scraps until they were dressed and cooked.

You could really cut back on your refrigeration needs if you adopted this system and a diet of rabbit stew, fish and vegetables is probably fairly healthy.