I am thinking of ripping out my leaning post which is OK (made by birdsall) that has a nice backrest that I got for it last season...and replacing it with a custom tackle locker/leaning post. I need more storage space and that cooler is a waste of space. I have plenty of in deck fish and lunch storage but need tackle more storage.

I was thinking of getting something like this... there are a couple folks that make things similar to this. It is a 4 inches wider and 2 deeper then what I have now but it should not be too much of a problem.

But I the install seems a little weak to me.I was hoping it came with mounting studs but it has a more general design. There is a mounting lip on the bottom and they suggest screwing this every few inches into the deck...I am more of a nut, bolt and lots of goop guy but it may be tricky getting to those spots to install nuts. Have any of you experts out there installed something like this on a cored glass deck?

Sandman:

I have the LPC unit (yours is a nautical designs unit, right?), with cooler space under it, the backrest with 4 rocket launchers, two tackle lockers, six drawers, folding footrest. I love it.

The installation was easy. The bottom is flared outward to meet the deck and you just drill and screw it to the deck. You could bolt it if you have access to nuts under the deck.

I screwed mine so that I could take it out easily if I ever want to.

You can check out SpaceMaker units too at www.spacemkr.com/. They're about the same I think.

Oh, and I have marine ply deck pieces. In a cored glass deck, I'd probably look into toggle bolts.

Bob,

Thanks for that link! I knew someone out there did this mod before. The screws hold in it place OK? I will try to use nuts where ever possible and screws elsewhere or make a bolting flange of some kind and bolt the unit to that, this way I can remove it to get to the fuel tank eaiser if need be.

Now all I have to do is decide which one..

Yuh, the screws hold it fine. I put about a dozen in to hold it. I got some pretty large ss screws with the square holes in them at Anchor Staple and Nail here in Wakefield. Anchor is a treasure trove for boatowners that many people don't even know is here. They carry only stainless stuff and cater mainly to commercial fishing and construction people, but Les lets us little guys get stuff in small quantities at a fraction of what the same things would cost at tahe boat retial places.

I got that unit cuz I needed more storage for fishing junk, and I still wanted a place to hide a larger cooler. I have been able to hang other toys like lip grippers, hook removers, fire extinguishers, knife sharpener, etc. on it, so everything is right there at my fingertips, so to speak.

On the naut des. website they are now showing a new flip-flop backrest seat/leaning post top that I'm checking out. It might retrofit onto mine and would be a little more versatile that the snap-on leaning cushion/seat that came with it.

Overall, I really like mine and I think it makes my little boat. I wish I had the room for the 48" LP that they make.

The people at Naut. Des. were easy and very pleasant to work with. I think the boss' name is John, as I remember.

Another thing, I set the screws into finish washers, you know the ones that flathead screws settle down into to spread the load, used 5200 on the screws to give them a little more hold in the ply.

I sent him an email and he called me back and we talked about it for a while. If I had a slightly bigger boat that 48" LP has incredable storage but I will have to go 38" which is already a couple inches bigger then what I have in thier now. I am surprise more boat builders don't build this in as a standard feature. Actually, Regulator does and they have a real sweet station.
Speaking of regulators...Oyster harbor marine (on the cape) is having a regulator day. It was suppose to be this weekend but it was postoned till the 27th (weather). I guess they will have a couple in the water to take for a test spin.

My current post has a flip up seat for storage and I pack it with plano boxes that just fit its width. It is ok for but I like to carry a lot of gear with me and I don't like keeping my takle box out. Also it is hard to get a box out at the bottom.

Last year I kept a square plastic tub on the console seat with a bunch of odds and ends and loose tackle all in plastic bags. It was OK and easy to get to when fishing and seemed to stay put with the lead and gear I had in there. But on one trip, I hit a wave and the box slid off the seat ...lets not talk about the mess I was dealing with in 4' seas.

Having drawers and plano boxes stacked like cordwood in there will be sweet. Also that loose plug locker is looks great.

I sort of like my back rest better then theirs but I supppose I could live with it .

You got yours from Nautical design or the other place you mentioned?

Mine's a Nautical Design unit. Because I wanted storage place for a cooler, I sacrificed about six drawers in the unit (or other options). I'm amazed at how much storage I got with just the six drawers--all the little fishing stuff that is typically bouncing all over the boat is tucked neatly away in them and easily accessible. Plus, my drawers at at the top of the back of the LP and I don't ahve to scrunch down or anything to get at them.

You're right about the tackle lockers. I have two of them, well, actually, I have one tackle locker and one that has four shelves. I use it for leader spools, extra knives, pliers, whatever I need a place for. But the tackle locker could store hundreds of plugs, jigs, hooks, etc., and mine is only about 25% full. And the stuff stays put in it. It has four double rows of the teardrop-shaped holes for hanging hooks. And the six drawers (in sets of three) and the lockers all have locking, smoked doors on them.

You're gonna love the thing.

Mine is actually too big for my boat--I got the 38 also, but boy am I glad I got it instead of a smaller one.