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Cruising Tip #1 by Tor Pinney                                                                                                                          Back to Cruising Tips

                  

THE REMOVABLE CHAIN LOCKER DIVIDER
© 2013 Tor Pinney - All Rights Reserved



Silverheels was originally built with a shallow anchor well on the foredeck that could not accommodate the long anchor rodes used for cruising. In the course of converting that to a deep, divided chain locker I needed a divider, the fore-&-aft partition that separates the port and starboard anchor rodes. The conventional wisdom was to glue or fiberglass it in. However, that would block future access for maintaining and repairing the windlass and other equipment housed in that tight space.

The solution was a removable chain locker divider. No doubt others have done this, but I'd never heard of it. So I had to design mine from scratch.

It had fit through the forward bulkhead access hatch, which wasn't big enough, and then around several obstacles inside the locker including the bulky windlass motor. What ultimately evolved to accommodate these obstacles was an odd-looking 2-piece divider that sets into cheek blocks glued inside the chain locker. Made of 'glassed-over 1/2" plywood, the two halves when in place are held together with simple bar latches. The removable chain locker divider functions perfectly, solidly separating the anchor rodes and yet coming out easily for periodic maintenance access.

click to enlarge
   
The foredeck was cut open to remove an original anchor well, and to create a proper  chain locker. Hence this top view. The foredeck was rebuilt. Now the 2-part divider comes out through the chain locker access hatch in the forepeak, visible at the bottom of the first photo.

 

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