Help finding a sailbox for a trailer

Offsetting the box to one side can help with dolphin striker clearance depending on the box- Don't ask me how I know--

Kirt

Correct, put the sailbox to one side. On the other side I put 2 pieces of metal conduit about 16" apart. The cat trax go there. Easy to slide in and out under the boat from the front or back. Tie the trax to the trailer frame, lock with a bike lock.

I've built two different boxes out of wood. (Two different boats and trailers). The first was bascially 3/4 inch marine plywood. Treated 2x4's, SS screws, etc.

Trailer shapes are basically a rectangle with a triangle, or trapezoid on the front end of it.

I always built using all available space, as in the rectangle 4' x 8', by 12

high, with an additional 4' base, by 4' sides, by ~ 2ft front trapezoid. You can keep 2 set of sails, several poles, extra everything, etc. in a bos with this much Sq. Ft.

By second box was built much lighter, out of of 2x2's frame 12' long, x 4' wide (fender to fender), by 12

tall, A series of two doors, that always stayed relatively water tight. I used T=111 treated siding sheets, lasted for years, never rotted. It had a spine in the middle, so you could easily stand on it, dance on it, etc. The guy I sold it to took it off, not really sure why, it was very functional.
It was the the 'table' at many a regatta on the Tx Gulf coast for skippers meetings, award ceremonies, and many an after regatta dinner table, etc.

I always strapped the cat wheels to the bows, underneath in front of the box, lock to the trailer, an never had a problem with it.

You have had some great suggestions, go for it!

I used 1/4" construction grade ply, and aluminum channels for edges and corners. It required some internal bracing. I wanted access when the boat is on the trailer, so there are doors at both ends and a sliding hatch on top at one end. This has not proved entirely satisfactory, due to leakage, but a cheap tarp from Lowe's has solved that.

So check this one out,did it for fun as I do this for a living. It's 1/2

marine ply which is Duglas fir with a better adhisive, ext. is the same but has voids marine has none. It has 1'x1' ribs to make it stronger they are oak and about every 16

the conners are Mahogany as is the door at the rear. The lid opens with a hydrolic piston so it will stay up. The bottom has cedar 1x4 planed down to 1/2' across the 1x1's so as create an air space to keep the sails out of any mositure on the bottom, lets the air circulates around the sails or what ever is inside and is lite as it is heavy enough, also helps keep the bugs out, not that they can get in but you know bugs, a little over built but it will last a life time. The thing was coated with west system epoxy and the 207 or 205 hardener can'y remember it's there best hardener with the UV protecter about 4 coats sanded between each and buffed after but be warned it must still be covered or the sun will eat it up as it did the first time I could paint it but wouldn't be as pretty I'll try a clear allgrip next time and see what happens.

sweet~ and you can be buried in it when your

all done

Here are a few more pic of the interior as it is trick. And I didn't mention but the 1

x1

ribs are only on the top and bottom and yes you can not only stand on it but do an Irish jig if you so desire.the interior is coated with 2 coats of Helmsman polyurethaine/spar varnish for protection against the moisture. good luck and have fun building yours..
Alex/ Blindmonkey: cause even a blindmonkey can find a banana in the wood every now and again

Well at 12' long and 32

wide it would make a rather large

coffin"!!!!! but it would work LOL. ALex

I don't know if I would ever want to have a sail box that was prettier than my boat.

Good Lord! That's a piece of furniture and fine furniture at that!

Mine is just a box. . .that leaks. <img src="<>/frown.gif" alt="frown" title="frown" height="15" width="15" />

25 years ago, I built a box similar to that - it's still on my trailer going strong.

It's required a fair bit of maintenance along the way.

A sail box endures some of the worst conditions you can imagine. High winds, driving rain, lots of UV exposure, dirt, soot, flying objects (rocks), vibration, you name it. All we ask that it keep $1000's of dollars of sails and equipment dry and clean.

It's a tough mission statement. Bright finished wood looks cool, but not for long. At least not without a s**tload of maintenance.

It's amazing what a cheap tarp will do for waterproofing; I figure $15/year to keep everything dry and keep the sun off the box.

The doors and the hatch are a pita to execute properly, but well worth the trouble.

Well done Alex. I have been designing a pair of boxes and planning on using 3/4" MDO for the floor and 1x1 hardwood side frame with 3/8' MDO skin on sides & top. What is your box's height and approximate weight?

Do you do much traveling with your rig? I was planning on glued joints with brads and possibly a single glass wrap. Just worried about the box shaking apart.

Well lets see it can't weight more than about 150 to 200 # cause I can leift it by my self if I get in the right spot. Be sure to use Tiet Bond III it is a true waterproof adhisive and I have tested it to the max and it works. The box was figured to be done with 3 sheets of ply, I don't have it here but I think it is about 16

tall and 32

wide that is 48

total 1 sheet of ply the side is the fall off of the 32

and the third sheet you cut in half to make the sides and the top after you rip it at the 32" point. the end panels are solid wood for looks Spanish Cedar is just as good as Mahogany in the weather and exterior grade duglas fir ply is almost the same as marine excpt there are ocasonal voids. Have fun I was gooing to see if I could maket these but they would still coast a pretty penny the finish takes as long to do as building the box as I said I do this for a living so it didn't take as long as you would think besides if I built another one it would take less time as this is the prototype and alot of bugs were worked in my head before I went to work I have buit these in the past for windsurfing and sone of them are still around after 15 0r 20 years they are water tite and don't leak cause they are buit pretty much like a boat but for land. Have fun Alex

1/2 inch is overkill. Like a boat the strength comes from the frame not the skin. I used 1/4 birch with 1 layer of glass and it won't even twist it you pick it up by the corner. For a frame I used 1X2 fir that was screwed and glued at the corners and edges. I ran 4 support ribs across the inside of the bottom. This made it easy to seam the ply togeather to get the length and it helps with air circulation if you have to put away wet gear. Make the top curved for strength and to keep water from pooling on the top. Easy to do. Cut 5 ribs(each end and 3 in the middle) the desired curve out of 1X4, then just screw(start at one edge and work you way across) the 1/4 in ply to the ribs with some brass flat head wood screws, use good wood glue to help the bond. I finished the edges with 1X2 fir. gave it a good coat of resin then a wrapped the outside with a layer of glass. Hand painted with Gel. In 15 years I have had very little maintenance.
I prefer a lift off lid for easy access and water tight. You only need 2" clearance between the boat and the box to just slid the lid off when the boat is on the trailer.

It would fit Lurch perfect!

YOU RANG?

+1. If Trey is taking orders, those are some killer nice boxes, (and a much better value than those fiber glass jobs). I had one specially made, and have been very happy with it.

These are all pretty old posts, but the topic is still relevant to me. Where to find a storage box to fit on a catamaran trailer (Trailex or other) with oven door on one end and perhaps a hatchcover near the other end? Hobie ToyBoxes are no longer available. Sailboxes.com makes massive, heavy and expensive ones. Aluminum Truck toolboxes don't really work and fiberglass deck boxes are too tall.  Is Master Trey still making these?

Posted by: @wineme234

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These are all pretty old posts, but the topic is still relevant to me. Where to find a storage box to fit on a catamaran trailer (Trailex or other) with oven door on one end and perhaps a hatchcover near the other end? Hobie ToyBoxes are no longer available. Sailboxes.com makes massive, heavy and expensive ones. Aluminum Truck toolboxes don't really work and fiberglass deck boxes are too tall.  Is Master Trey still making these?

Aluminum boxes are cool, but because aluminum's thermal conductivity is so high, it will create more condensation on the interior and faster than other materials. Gluing some foam to the interior for insulation would help.

I've been thinking about welding up a couple of boxes for both of my cats out of 0.060" thick 3003 aluminum diamond plate. Aluminum is quite expensive these days, though!