( This is a "repackaged" version of a very old web site I did about
some projects to my old Santana 2023C sailboat)

Aft Starboard Locker

This locker holds my secondary anchor. In this location it is easily accessible and deployed over the transom quickly (can you say panic?).

 

To mount it, I first screwed some standard deck chocks for a danforth right to the bottom of the locker lid. To hold it in, I permanently tied one end of a bungee cord to an eye strap screwed into the locker lid just below the lower anchor tip, about midway down the shank (you can just barely see the knot of the bungee cord in the picture).

 

When stowed, the hook end of the bungee is pulled around both tips, under the tip protector that is part of the deck chock and then hooked into the first chain link. This not only keeps it up tight to the lid, but also keeps it pulled into the forward chock, locking it in.

 

You can't tell here, but I had to make two minor tradeoffs (surprise, surprise!).

 

In order for the lid to close correctly, I had to cut off part (about 1 inch) of the anchor bar (the vertical rod in the picture) so it would clear the lip on the lower part of the locker. For the same reason (and in order not to have had to cut 2 inches off) I also notched the forward lip of the locker a little so the rod would have a little more clearance when the lid is closed. The rear rod tip automatically "misses" the back lip if the locker and goes underneath toward the back wall.

 

I put in some dividers here for fenders, etc. and a compartment for the anchor rode. These are just made out of louan and glued into the plastic "U" channel which is epoxied to the locker walls.

 

Finally, to strengthen the hinges on the locker, I went ahead and drilled through holes in the lid and the seat and put nylon locknuts on the hinge screws. I did this on both cockpit lockers. A quick touch with the dremel tool was needed on the locker's top edge in order for the nuts to clear when the lid was closed all the way (these notches are slightly visible in the picture).