I use a standard heavy duty plastic truck toolbox mounted lengthwise on one side of my trailer- it holds life jackets, wet and dry suits- all the sailing accesories, my tool box with spare parts and grease gun, can of cat-lube, etc. It came with a tray that slides out of way- handy to keep extra hull plugs, wind indicators, etc.
The other side of my trailer has a homemade box that is pretty simple to build. It is an 8 ft by 22 in plywood base with a semi-circular top made from corrugated roofing. Here’s a simple winter project for you that holds rudders and sails. It will hold your boom too with a little modification.
Materials:
- 8 foot by 22 inch length piece cut from sheet ½ in plywood - save the rest for hatch door and top-supports construction described below.
- 8 foot by 36in corrugated metal roofing
- Box of 3/8in or ¼ #6 or #8 stainless sheet metal screws
- two 20 or 22 inch piano hinges (these can be cut)
- two small hasp-locks
- silicone sealant/glue and a
- self adhesive foam window/door storm moulding.
- 4 one and a half inch wood screws- #6 or #8
1) Attach one edge of the roofing to the long edge of ply base with silicon sealant and screws about every 4 inches. Curve over into a semi-circle and put in a couple screws to “tack” the other edge in place but DO NOT attach this side permanently yet.
2) Trace the end profile of this semi-circular tube onto plywood- follow the corrugations closely- and cut out 2 interior end support pieces. They will support the inside the corrugated metal top about 1/4in JUST inside both ends. Cut the center of these pieces out so that you have a "rainbow" with a corrugated top side and curved inside. Allow this rainbow to be about 1 in thick at the thinnest part- the “trough” of the corrugations to the inside edge for strength. Cut off 1/2in from the feet of the rainbow so that it fits on top of the base and under the top.
3) Remove temporary screws and stand the supports 1/4in back from each end with the feet of the "rainbow" standing on your base. Test for fit when you fold the metal back over. (You may have to trim a little off the feet.
4) Screw the support feet in place up from the bottom of the base with 1 1/2 inch wood screws. Use silicon sealant and drill pilot holes or the plywood will split
5) Run a bead of silicone sealant along the corrugated edge of the support and bend your top back into place- test to make sure that your top will bend fully into place and match up to the base.
6) Put screws in each peak of the corrugation . You now have an 8 foot long semi circular tube with access from both ends
7) Build doors that overlap the outside edge of the tube. Hinge them along the base and put a hasp at the top. You may need to put a small piece of scrap wood inside the box to screw the hasp eye down.
Put the strip of adhesive based storm door molding around the rainbow-support so to make a fairly water tight seal when the door is shut. By the way that is supposed be number 8, not a cool dude !!
I used a couple of 2x4's attached to my trailer with stainless U-bolts to mount this box to the trailer.
Taa Daa! One morning and about $80 in materials later, you have a storage box. This takes less time to build than to describe it. Oh wait, the price of plywood just doubled in the time it took me to write this.
Have fun- and Happy new year
On securing pipe for a cat-box if you want to go that route: try a road and construction supply corporation for black corrugated drainage pipe. They usually sell minimum lengths of 20 feet, but I called the local Chemung Supply Corporation and the guy said he's sell me a 10 foot piece of 18 in for $130.
-Stephen