You Are Probably Sitting on a Gold Mine

[GoodChance]

Space is always a premium on a small boat and such is the case on my 23 DVCC. I've done all I can to maximize available space for my fishing/family boat including the construction of a 250 quart cooler/storage area located between the forward seating. Many of you have likely seen this construction thread of THT.

While installing the cooler, I got the impression that the bilge compartment in front of the console is NOT foam filled. So I drilled a 2" exploratory hole (hole saw) and peered down there with a LED flashlight and a tape measure (just to feel around) and came to realize that there is a HUGE "fish box" under the deck on a 23 DVCC. It measures 29.5" wide (between the stringers, nearly 26" tall and 62" long (5ft). And the storage area/fishbox has a finished floor installed from the factory so it's separate from the bilge and any nasty bilge water. Plus, the compartment already has a drain. I was literally shocked on how big this area was after removing the 16x24 cutout.

I purchased a Henri Gibbs aluminum deck hatch measuring 16x24 and am currently in the process of installing

But here's a few pictures of what you might also find in your boat.

I plan on keeping life jackets, emergency equipment, extra anchor, anchor ball and tools down there.

 

[GoodChance]

Sorry that the pictures got rotated in this post. The pictures aren't rotated on my computer. But you get the idea anyway.

The cutout was made yesterday. And all of the mounting screws/bolts were drilled-out, oversized and filled with epoxy. I need 10 - 1/4" holes to mount the flange. So I drilled 10 - 1/2" holes; filled each with epoxy and will re-drill each later today to 1/4". No possibility for water intrusion into the plywood core.

 

[MadGar]

Pretty cool, your projects are really advantageous to us all. In fact, I did see your cooler project on THT and really want to do something similar. Thanks for sharing

 

[windknotnc]

What year is your hull? Have you go some more detailed pics of the space? Where does this space drain to? Can you provide more info on the hatch?

 

[GoodChance]

My hull is a 1996. I spoke to Parker and as I understand, the stringer layout/design is the same in mine as the current 2300. Attached is a .pdf of my stringer layout. I'd encourage you to contact Parker via email if you want to embark on a similar project.

I have no picture of the space ..... but you have enough room under there to stuff 1 medium-sized giraffe or 15 illegal immigrants or 400 cantaloupes.

Seriously though, I plan on putting 6 Type 1 offshore lifejackets, an extra anchor, 300 ft of anchor line (spare), an anchor ball, and some emergency tools within a drybox...... and this will account for 1/2 of the available space.

Yes, the cavity drains to the aft-bilge through a 1.5" PVC conduit.

The deck hatch is a Henri Gibbs 16x24 (I already said this in the original post) but you can use any deck hatch you like. I prefer aluminum deck hatches because they are more durable, don't leak as readily and don't lead to deck rot in the same manner that plastic hatches do. Anchor (aka .... P+E), Bomar and Gibbs all make great hatches. Plan on spending $400-600 on a good hatch though.

Yesterday I painted the hatch with a Sherwin Williams epoxy (TileClad) to match the other Bomar hatch in the stern. I'll get the hatch installed today and get some additional pictures. I may even get my 10 year old daughter to get inside the compartment. Trust me ...... the space is huge.

 

[GoodChance]

Finished