Expert Tip: Improvements Below Bridges

As much as owning a cruiser yacht conjures up ideas of cruising under blue skies on azure waters on deck in full sun, in truth a significant amount of time for any cruiser will involve not being on deck at all but in fact to be under the bridges.

And if you’re at anchor, sleeping between shifts, cooking something to eat, or even taking shelter from the rain while you eat, you’ll be below decks. Ensuring this part of your boat is as comfortable as possible is an important part of ensuring you enjoy any cruise, especially if you plan to stay on board for a longer period of time.

Here, Yachting Monthly’s panel of experts have gathered to bring you their top tips for improving your boat below decks.

Are you sitting comfortably – John Willis

I have the privilege of being the caretaker of a Frances 34 Pilothouse. In one corner is a comfortable seat for the watchkeeper to sit and read.

It works brilliantly as long as I’m on starboard tack. Change to port tack and I wonder where I’m going to sit without tumbling or falling.

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I visited my helpful stainless steel fabricator, who made me an armrest out of stainless steel tubing.

This slides into a larger tube retained by a massive bracket bolted to the forward bulkhead of the starboard cockpit locker.

The armrest is inserted into the tube alongside my watchkeeper seat, held in place by a cotter pin.

The two inch thick stainless steel tube is more than strong enough, doubles as a low level hand grip and can be removed in seconds. Then I had a padded side panel made.

I can now sit comfortably and safely fore and aft on either tack.

This idea could be added to any seat, like the end of a saloon berth or perhaps a navigation seat, with minor modifications.

An extra work surface bet – Graham Snook

Using the stove as a gimbal work surface can prevent spills. Credit: Graham Snook

It’s never easy to brew tea or coffee while sailing, and while manufacturers make handy stove covers, they’re impractical at sea.

I found the Muggi cup holder to be a great help when navigating. However, as long as it stays in place, the contents of the cups do not.

A simple solution is to use the stove as a gimbal work surface.

If you don’t have a Muggi or if the stove is hot, a pan big enough to hold the mugs will prevent any spills.

The pan or Muggi can then be transported to the cockpit in one trip.

Be reasonable with your storage – Graham Snook

Baskets can be useful for storing boxes. Credit: Graham Snook

Keeping things together on board makes finding items faster and less of a hassle.

Rather than keeping boxes on top of boxes so you have to remove a layer of boxes to access the ones below, head to your local hardware store or home goods store and see what storage solutions you can find. .

It’s much easier to store a layer of cans in a basket that can be removed all at once.

Homemade gimbal – John Willis

The gimbals were designed to clear the stores under the hob. 1 credit

I replaced my stove and oven with a griddle and grill. “A step too far,” said my deep-sea companion who likes to do smart things like baking bread.

But I rarely used the “incinerator” and the first mate pointed out to me that it opened up useful storage space underneath.

If the idea was good, the execution was not.

That damn thing wouldn’t fit on a gimbal, so I decided it needed a weight underneath, like a bowling pin.

Luckily, an ocean-going sailor friend and genius engineer took one look at the situation and disappeared into his workshop, emerging a day later with two massive stainless steel weights, mounted on a threaded rod, which he bolted to the base of the cooker.

They weigh around 2.5kg and they are mounted at either end of the hob so they empty my stores below – and it works.

Why cooktops aren’t sold with similar appliances is beyond me.

I also decided to make holders for my drink containers.

Two stainless steel D-rings screwed into the woodwork behind the cooktop, with a piece of bungee cord, did the trick.

Protect Living Room Seat Covers – Helen Melton

The covers will help your sedan seat covers last longer. Credit: Helen Melton

Our first boat was only two years old in 2003 when we bought her.

She had been kept in excellent condition by the previous owner and the saloon seats looked sleek and clean.

We are tidy by nature and therefore very concerned about cushions deteriorating with all that our family and the weather were likely to throw at them.

Fortunately for me, my husband’s mother had taught him how to use a sewing machine.

We bought a tough denim fabric and lots of rubber bands, and set about making a set of easily removable seat covers.

They worked a treat; put on and taken off when needed, washed beautifully, and kept the fabric salt and cling in a truly cost-effective way.