Cuddy organization ideas

[moosetrap]

I just bought a DS3 to try to learn how to sail. I’d like to make efficient use of the cuddy and make things easy to access, secure from sliding around, etc. Are there any good strategies for organizing gear in there? I was surprised that there are no built-in hooks or rings to help tie things down. I’m thinking life jackets, cabin cover, paddle/hook, miscellaneous bags/buckets of stuff like sun screen, a flashlight, spare line, snacks, solar charger for battery for trolling motor, etc. Too much stuff to just have crammed into the cuddy. Would love any ideas or hearing about other folks’ solutions. My boat came with a two-piece wooden cuddy cover that fits great, so it’s at least closed, but doesn’t help me with organization.

[GreenLake]

Welcome to the forum!

A friend of mine had a DSII which has a very similar cuddy. He drilled a few holes in the walls above the deck and used those for loops and hooks to get things off the floor. He did something clever on the outside, but I forgot what that was, but essentially he mounted something both inside and out using the same bolts. But there's nothing wrong with using a cap nut on the outside.

He also designed a different hatch for the cuddy opening, a single piece where the top third was attached with a piano hinge and could flap open. He had netting on the inside as well as on the outside of the fixed part. He could put small items on the inside of the hatch, where they would be kept dry. But also reach in and grab things from the hooks. Finally, the outside netting could hold things that needed to be secured temporarily or that could get wet if it rained. For example the VHF or the handheld GPS.

Finally, he drilled a big hole into the hatch and mounted a compass.

I can attest that this worked pretty well.

[GreenLake]

PS: if you are curious, but it's a few years back, he used to post a lot here under "jeadstx".