After fumbling with tools and wood screws when climbing in and out of a Haven 12½ I was building, I remembered a photograph from around 1938 that appeared in Maynard Bray and Carlton Pinheiro’s book, Herreshoff of Bristol (WoodenBoat Books, 1989) of a tool tray sitting on cross braces in a Herreshoff 12½ under construction.
Boatbuilding and boat repair are more efficient if tools, fastenings, and hardware are organized and readily at hand. Such organization is easy at a workbench, but it’s more difficult when work has to happen in the boat. Curved or slanted surfaces make tool storage a challenge, fine finishes are at risk, and space is at a premium.
Inspired by that old photograph, I designed and built a tray to meet these challenges. It can be put in place from outside the boat and then easily slid to where it’s needed, usually with one hand. Parallel rails rest on the gunwales, sheerstrakes, or coaming. Those are joined by cleats fastened below them to keep the entire assembly from sliding off the boat athwartships. The tray rides on these rails.