Tom Cat drawers

[Doryman]

Anyone else having problems with things falling out of the Tom Cat's drawers (there's a joke there that I'm not touching with a 10' pole)? In both the drawer under the helm seat and under the forward-facing (aft) dinette seat, items have been disappearing. I fished out a portlight screen from the sponson behind the helm drawer and I am sure there is lots more back there. My suspicion is the items bounce out and to the rear of the drawer and eventually fall down in the sponson.

So, two questions: (a) Is this a problem for you, too, and (b) what have you done about it (including how do you retrieve lost items)?

Thanks,
Warren

[JamesTXSD]

Whew! I thought you were gonna tell us about your special catamaran skivvies!

I can't help you with your lost stuff... Wild Blue doesn't go fast enough to toss her silverware. And if she did, it would just fall on our sloping floor. I have to go wash out my brain now; I'm sure other TC folks will trade under-britches stories with you.

Jim

[matt_unique]

Definitely some good material in that post....but I lost the ships log from the drawer under the helm seat. I had a lot of detailed information in there and searched the house/boat high and low to no avail. Then when working on the heater I noticed a tiny portion of the logbook cover. Eureka! I found my log book and used pliers to fish it out from behind the water heater.

I have not lost anything else/since. I'm sure I stuffed the drawer a little too full prior to loosing the logbook.

No plans for any modifications - now I know to look down there if I loose something from that drawer.

[Dreamer]

Warren,

I haven't lost anything that I know of but there could be reams of stuff down there. I'll have to take a look with my mirror on a stick! A person could attach a flexible dam at the back of the drawer with tape or staples that would discourage loose items from escaping. Closing the escape hatch would be another project. Hard to add anything back in there without disassembling the cabinet. Good luck.

Sorry things are a little cool down there in FL.

[Doryman]

[Sea Wolf]

I'll bet Roger is talking about building a box around the drawer, so that items can't fall out into the great void, or as Yelllow stone John calls a similar part of the State of Montana where he lives "The Big Empty"!

A simpler idea: Have Janet or some other talented seamstress sew a bag up the size of the drawer, then just put everything inside the bag, pull the drawstring or snap the snaps, and put the bag in the drawer.

If you don't have access to a seamstress, (or, more correctly, a seamsperson) you could simply use a plastic bag. Clear plastic would work best, so you could see the contents, and long enough to simply fold over with the opening neck of the bag underneath.

On the other hand, if you're a dedicated foe of the KISS Principle, you could

1. put a recessed hinged door just inside the top of the box, hinged at the back, like a safe deposit box, and

2. add a latch on the drawer lid, and

3. add a cam lock on the drawer face, and, finally

4. lock your valuables in the drawer, including whatever fell out of the TomCat's drawers.

Joe.

[Matt Gurnsey]

Question for my knowledge- are these boats built with the "stick built" interior or the fiberglass interior like the 2009's?

[Larry H]

Another possible fix is to add a thin plywood 'top' to the drawer.

This 'top' is only added to the back 1/4 to 1/3 of the drawer. This will prevent the 'stuff' from going up over the top of the drawer at the back.

[Captains Cat]

[matt_unique]

Mine definitely does not have any openings to the sponsons in the cabin except for the forward bunk hatches.

[Matt Gurnsey]

I'll have to go look at the 2009 again- I don't recall any opening without hatches into the sponsons.

[Doryman]

[thataway]

There is solid material under the water heater, which is located below this drawer. There is quite a bit of space between the water heater and the hull outboard.