Overhead rod storage?

[JakeyBaby]

I need to add more rod storage in my cabin badly! I really don't want to screw anything to the ceiling as it could lead to leaks. Any ideas out there on what possibilities there are durable enough to hold up to coppers rods?

Thanks Matt

[GAMBLER]

I will show you my set up next time is see you Matt.

[John E Powell]

I don't have a picture handy but I made one from some mahogany on my previous boat. if you have access to at least a jig saw (or band saw) and a large forstner bit (and a 1/2" drill or drill press) and a router with a roundover bit, it's pretty easy to do. The trick was to create a full size template out of cardboard to match the underside of your cabin top.

 

Start out by hot melt glueing up some cardboard box sections in the approximate profile of the underside of your cabin roof. Then hot melt glue a strip of 1x3 along the bottom edge to support the cardboard to help keep it's shape. With someone helping to hold this up to your ceiling, rough trim the cardboard where it makes contact and/or hot glue smaller pieces where there are larger sized gaps. Once it's reasonably close, say within 1/2 inch all along the edge, use a compass with a marker installed to scribe (trace) the shape of your roof to the cardboard. Make sure to hold the point against your roof and keep the compass marker directly under the point as you trace the shape.

 

Carefully cut the shape of your ceiling following the line and then check your work. Trim or add (hot glue more cardboard) where needed till it fits all along the roofline. Do this for both the front and rear where you want to store the rods.

 

Trace the shapes on your material and cut it out. Check the fit and adjust any area that is more than 1/16" off. This will get epoxied to your roof once you get it fit and cut out all the rod supports with the forstner bit and jigsaw. Route the edges and sand. Get all this done and make any final adjustments before you fabricate the two side supports under each end. You create the sides with the same template technique. You can take a design cue from commercial made wood rod racks, but keep in mind your reel size, the commercial units space the rods too close to handle most large frame copper reels.

 

If you have any carpeting or fabric liner, that will need to be trimmed so you can epoxy to the ceiling.

 

If you or a friend is reasonably handy you should be able to construct a set over a weekend, finishing will, of course, add to the time to complete the job.

 

Depending on how many rods you need to hang and how much room you have, it may be necessary to lay out alternating reel and tip ends. My recommendation is to try and avoid doing this unless you absolutely need that many rods hung. unless you have a very spacious cabin where you have room to turn your rods around, it will mean 1/2 your rods will have to be fed butt first into your cabin. This is a pain to do, it's far easier to feed rods tip first into your cabin.

Edited June 22, 2015 by John E Powell

[Tank]

Brian, I would like to do the same thing, without screwing any holes. Is that how yours is set up? Thanks!

[GAMBLER]

Brian, I would like to do the same thing, without screwing any holes. Is that how yours is set up? Thanks!

I did not screw into the fiberglass. I screwed a board into the wood frame on my hatch and the entrance way to the cuddy. The rod holders are screwed into the board

[Paul gee]

Heres a shot of what I came up with....the holders are electrical pvc conduit with brackets....the stainless rail I made in the garage with a tubing bender and railing from old boats at the junkyard...u pull u save junkyard in kirkville has lotsa old boats to pull parts from..

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