Ahoy Skippers— In my last two posts in this series I looked at what I had done in the quarter berth and to create a chart locker to starboard of the head. I also suggested that I would link them.
It is no secret that Flickas, for all their incredible capabilities stuffed into 20 feet, lack horizontal surfaces below. The stock swing-up table is great for at anchor or tied up, but it stops all movement forward below; not good underway. B. Bingham in Sabrina created a bi-fold affair over the head of the quarter berth, which seems like a good idea, but I might have a better one. You decide.
I came up with a solid panel that can fit either over the quarter berth head or forward of the head, opposite the galley. It stows easily under the head of the quarter berth cushion. That it can be mounted in either location is what links the previous posts. I find that my table is almost always deployed to starboard opposite the galley (just over the chart locker), not stowed, since it is rarely in the way of anything and is so useful. If a chart needs to be positioned where it can be seen from the cockpit the quarter berth position is better, obviously. Every skipper will find their own patterns. Not to be overlooked is that since this a single panel there is no central crack to bother the navigator while chart plotting.
The key to this arrangement is the ‘socket and tab’ hardware. I bought two pairs, and used both pairs of sockets but only one pair of the tabs, on the table. The aft end of the panel is supported by a short chain when over the quarter berth, and the forward corner by a little bent aluminum support when to starboard. A barrel bolt locks the inside corner. As can be seen, the chain is attached to the bottom surface; this is so that when deployed in to starboard the top surface is clean with nothing to impede parallel rules or protractor. There is no fiddling for the same reason, but I suppose that removable sections could be easily fitted.
I no longer recall where I sourced the hardware, but a google search for ‘marine removable shelf brackets’ was productive. Remarkably, the prices varied from $75 (Perko @ West) to $7 (AliExpress), quite a range!
