Stowing larger parts is not so much of a problem on Britannia, with its 14' foot beam, because there are lots of lockers and drawers to accommodate everything from a spare alternator, a large engine starter, and all the other things a cruising boat might need as replacement for a breakdown. However, storing small parts like nuts and bolts can be a problem using multi compartment boxes which themselves had to be stored somewhere. I found the answer with a two-drawer small parts organizer system from Husky.
Each of these units has two 18" inch wide drawers that can be added to by locking a second or third unit on top of each other to make a stack of any number of drawers. The inside dividers can also be adjusted to form different-sized compartments. I bought two of these from the Home Depot for $45.00 each
The drawers are on roller-bearing sliders that are easy to pull out, even when completely loaded with steel fasteners. The drawers can also be locked shut, so they won't slide open when the boat heels.
I fitted them behind the saloon seats with no loss of storage space by fitting them in the same space as the loose boxes had been.
The finished project is a vast improvement on all the heavy boxes I used to manhandle.
Stowing spare parts all over the boat is one thing, but remembering where they all are is another. Many times it had taken me longer to find something than to fit it. So I devised a method of quickly locating anything and everything, that has saved me lots of time and frustration. If you have similar problems finding things, go to "Get organized," it will be worth it.
