Parts boxes no longer slip, slide, or spill
Issue 89 : Mar/Apr 2013
Over the years, I’ve tried all types of containers for storing my tools, fasteners, spare parts, and so on. I finally settled on clear plastic boxes similar to those used to store and organize fishing tackle and art supplies. These containers don’t rust, they’re lightweight, and you can examine the contents without opening them. They’re fitted with hinged lids and locking clasps and many have adjustable dividers.
While the plastic containers have many advantages, they have two weaknesses that aren’t readily apparent. They can be slippery, especially when stacked one on top of the other, and their locking clasps aren’t always the most secure. Combine these two drawbacks in a boat on a rough sea and you have a mess in the making.
The best way I’ve found to minimize these shortcomings is by using what I call super bands. These are inch-wide rubber bands cut from an old inner tube. After I close and lock a plastic container, I slip a super band around it. Once in place, the super band ensures that the lid won’t accidentally open. Furthermore, because the super band is rubber, it functions as non-skid.
I store my plastic containers beneath the starboard settee, one on top of the other. Access is via a dropdown door secured with a simple spring catch. Since I began using super bands, the containers have never shifted in the locker nor have they spilled their contents.
Gregg Nestor, a contributing editor with Good Old Boat, has had a lifelong interest in all things aquatic. He and his wife, Joyce, are currently refitting, upgrading, and sailing a 1994 Caliber 35.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
