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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