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rebel heart · 20-12-2010, 11:39

I have a treak deckbox right now that's under the staysail boom, through bolted and with limber holes to allow whatever goes in to drain out. I use it to store paint, solvents, epoxy, and other such items.

I have a baby onboard, so I'm extra concerned about keeping poisonous, flammable, and explosive stuff up on deck and vented rather than in the cabin or somehow draining into the bilges.

I'm thinking of scrapping the deck box, but am wondering where some of you guys keep things like gasoline, solvents, and other flammable items. I know I keep some of that stuff in the cabin but it's in daily use (like a can of denatured alcohol to prime the heater), out of child's reach, and isn't going to magically rust away and leak without me knowing about it.

But for the stuff you might use once in a few months (acetone, etc), where are you storing that stuff?

Sailmonkey · 20-12-2010, 11:45

I keep the acetone, mek, naptha, etc.....all in a locker in the boat that I shouldn't. At this point in the game though I use it all the time. For the longer term i'll probally use a 50 cal ammo box. the one in the garage that's full of noxious things is vapor tight.

IdoraKeeper · 29-12-2010, 08:17

I feel your pain. Idora was packed with wood boat maintainence goodies when I got her. The marina did not allow such stuff in the dock box. Now I keep all of it in my garage, including most of the heavy tools. It's a pain because it makes fixing stuff more time consuming.

Mimsy · 29-12-2010, 08:22

If it were me and it was stuff that I only used every few months, I wouldn't store it at all. It might be a bit more expensive to buy small amounts of solvents as needed but I think it would be worth it to not have to worry about storing it safely, keeping it out of baby's reach and taking up precious and valuable deck space for something you don't use that often.

**boatman61** · 29-12-2010, 08:28

Just buy enough for the job... if on a crossing... just enough repair needs and keep in a box in the cockpit locker.. all seals intact.
And hopefully still intact the other side...

Southern Star · 29-12-2010, 08:36

Rebelheart, I have a couple of aft deck lockers that drain overboard - in essence, the same as a propane locker. Although this is easier to design/install on a catamaran (where there is open air under the bridgedeck), nevertheless it strikes me that one could probably be retrofitted on most monohulls. Cut a hole for a watertight hatch cover in a cockpit seat ( or above the lazerette, if you have one), install drains through the transom, attach the drain hoses to an FRP box that fits the hole and then install the box, sealing it to the deck, finally install the hatch cover.

Brad

**David M** · 29-12-2010, 09:51

I keep as much of the flammables, paints and other nasty liquids as I can in the dock box.

For what I have to keep in the boat, I keep the containers in a plastic pan so if there is a leak, then it is less of a problem.

simonmd · 29-12-2010, 10:08

Ive got a nice big lazerette, seperated from the engine room by a sturdy steel watertight door. I guess there are some things that are better on motoryachts!!

**Pete7** · 29-12-2010, 10:41

Petrol for the dinghy outboard lives in the anchor locker which thankfully drains overboard through the stem.

Gas and the can of easy start in a built in gas locker that again drains overboard.

Small amount of varnish and oil live in the gas locker too, but I try to keep the quantities to the minimum as varnish once opened doesn't last.

Pete

zeehag · 29-12-2010, 11:01

i need to MAKE deck boxes. if you are disposing of anything like that i could use it-- how much would you want to sell for? rebelheart you live in sin diego--i could even pick up if not a rainy day......
for my solvents and epoxies, i use a cabinet in my forepeak, for now----

Doodles · 29-12-2010, 11:15

I have all solvents and the like in a couple plastic buckets that go in the aft cockpit locker. Its not vented overboard or anything but I'm not really worried about fumes just leakage and the bucket should catch that. As for now I have no need for gasoline (rowing dinghy only) so I don't have that to worry about.

ShipShape · 29-12-2010, 11:53

Sorry to hear about the kid -

Vaportight is bad - store voatile stuff where/so that the fumes can escape outside. Nigel Calder refuses to have acetone on his boat ... I can't live without it so I keep it in a battery box (no batteries, just the box) where the fumes can escape every time I open a drawer for a pencil, shackle key or rubber gloves, i.e., often. No way a child would have the strength to open one of those drawers. But that doesn't help you.

Unless you are an insurance company, children are only hazardous to your health and well-being for a few years - build a deck box that vents above and below for the "hazardous" years - and keep a childproof lock on it.

Doodles - you are my hero! Everybody tells me I need an engine for my dinghy, but I refuse to have gasoline on board AND another engine to tend to - row, row, row your boat, gently ... against the wind/current ... or furiously as the need may be. Rowing rocks!

rebel heart · 30-12-2010, 10:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShipShape

Doodles - you are my hero! Everybody tells me I need an engine for my dinghy, but I refuse to have gasoline on board AND another engine to tend to - row, row, row your boat, gently ... against the wind/current ... or furiously as the need may be. Rowing rocks!

A bit off topic, but the only time it doesn't rock is when you need to go a long distance with a lot of stuff, and then compound on top of that any wind/current stuff pushing you the wrong way.

I have an outboard but so far on the new hard dinghy that rows quite nicely I haven't used it; I'm hoping to get rid of it in total. My friend picked up one of those "torquedo" electric units and although he's only had it for a few months he's pretty happy with it.

There are some distinct advantages to rowing (and not having an outboard):

- You can hit the beach much easier. Just keep rowing until it stops; no worries about smacking the outboard.

- You are much less likely to have your dinghy stolen. Outboards are like theft item #1 from what I've seen.

- Look around at the amount of out of shape sailors. They could use some rowing time.

- Those crappy oars that come with inflatables are a joke, and rowing an inflatable in general is a joke.

- There are places, like in sea caves, where having an engine stinks the place up and makes it too noisy to enjoy.

You'll need to plan some things a bit to be careful. If there's a dinghy dock somewhere and you're going to be moored way on the other end of the harbor, it might be less than enjoyable especially if you have shoreside commitments.