©2005 - 2007 Tsunami Fishing Systems
|
|
The Rack
One of the most distinctive things about Toy Boat 2 is its "Luggage Rack". here's
an in-depth review of why we need it, how we developed it, what's next
Storage is a problem in any small, open fishing boat. As noted
in previous OSJ articles, loose gear represents a safety hazard, a possible snag
for fishing tackle, and exposes the gear to damage from water intrusion or the errant
misstep.
Note that we're not talking about fishing rods. Rather, we're talking about
tackle boxes, gear bags, safety equipment, coolers, and other fairly bulky items
that would wind up in the corner of the cockpit if they had nowhere else to go.
There are a number of possible solutions for stowing these items, but most seem
to fall into just a few categories: built-in storage compartments, free-standing
storage boxes, bags and hammocks, and engineered shelves (open shelving
with lips or other restraining devices)..
Some of the best examples of built-in storage compartments for small skiffs are
seen on flats skiffs and bay
boats. The compartments have lips around the openings, many are gasketed and some
may have lift-assist struts.
Examples of free-standing storage boxes include the plain-old ice chest,
along with various watertight boxes. An important thing to remember is that
watertight boxes can trap moisture in, as well as keep it out, so be
sure to occasionally vent the compartment in a dry area, and let it breath.
 courtesy Kwik Tek/JetLogic
Bags and hammocks are soft-sides containers that may be free-standing or hanging
from some location. A great example of innovative thinking is the Kwik Tek T-Bag,
which is designed to be hung on the underside of a boat's T-top. Out of the way,
but handy.
Toy Boat 2's luggage rack falls into the last category of "engineered shelves".
It is intended to organize gear and get it off the deck, but is not intended to
protect anything from the elements.
We got the idea after fishing with Captain Conway Bowman in one of his past
boats - a Parker 1801 center console. Parker builds great boats, and
the 1801 is typical Parker - tough, simple layout, no nonsense or frills. It has
a large console with a seat in front and an anchor locker, but almost no other gear
storage.
When we fished with Captain Bowman, we wound up stacking our gear bags on the
console front seat to keep them out of the way, and using some bungee
cord to keep things in place while running in rough water. Getting
gear out required releasing the bungee cord and unstacking things, then re-doing
it before moving again. Not a big deal, but inconvenient.
When we purchased Toy Boat 2, we were faced with the identical problem. The
Edgewater 175CC has a fairly large compartment under the front casting deck, a small
compartment under the console seat, but almost no storage in the console.
After some head-scratching, we came up with the idea of building a removable rack
that fit in front of the console:
- The rack would have rails to keep gear from sliding off the shelves,
and also allow for tie-down straps
- It would be positioned above the existing seat in front of the console.
By keeping it fairly narrow, we could continue to use the vertical console rod
holders, which are on either side of the console seat.
- It would have multiple horizontal shelves, so that we could access
gear bags without having to constantly un-stack things. It we spaced the shelves
correctly vertically, we would still be able to access the storage under the
console seat.
- It had to be removable, because it would block the tilt console
on the Edgewater 175CC.
Of course, the problem with open shelves is that they don't protect from spray or
rain. To compensate, we shifted to splash-resistant tackle bags.
We actually would up making two passes at building the rack. Our first attempt used
Schedule 40 PVC pipe, because it is easy to work with, and can be glued instead
of welded. Our second pass was build out of stainless steel, and was similar to
the first pass, with some enhancements (and goofs!).
Read on to see particulars...
|