Folks,

If any of you have any experience (positive, neutral, or negative) with the Performance Catamaran Sport Lockers, I'd really appreciate any feedback.

I need a new storage box for my A-Class trailer and would prefer not to re-invent the wheel with a custom box. This locker seems pricey but if it is durable and easy to use, I think the price could be justified.

Thanks very much!

Bob Hodges

I used to have one of those 'beach chair' fibreglass boxes, and it really sucked. I had to install louvres because it stayed damp inside. The lid wasn't well thought out and I had to tie it to keep it from flying off. The whole thing was flimsy.

There's a guy here who goes and picks up two aluminium truck-bed-style tool boxes, cuts off one end of each, and has them welded together. Prolly the same price or less, if you're connected to someone in fabrication, and I think you are, yes?

Bob:

They are $800 now. I have one. As Tami says, stuff will stay wet unless you dry it before storage and you must lock lid. I pick mine up off highway once already. I would build this and go to construction site and get scrap black drain pipe for sail. Good luck. This should be about the same size as $800 one and just glass it.

http://www.thebeachcats.com/modules.php?...r=0&thold=0

Doug

You'll be better off just going to a metal shop and having a box built. I've had boxes built for me for less than $350 out of galvanized steel, and less than $500 for aluminum. They will last longer, and are much more sturdy.

Hi Bob -

I picked up a Sport Locker used for about $200 a year ago. Despite securing the forward lid with something I was sure would hold, it blew off anyway. A new one is $170 - for just the freakin' lid. Kirk and I both ordered one, so I know he had the problem as well. I like my older, locking, vented diamondplate aluminum box much better - I think at $800 and shipping, you can get a good metal box made. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

ahhhh, but the price of steel and aluminum have sky rocketed in the last couple of years.

His latest box is about a year old.

Granted, I did the fabrication myself and paid a welder to stitch it together, but I put together a couple 10'X22"X12" Aluminum boxes for about $375 each (my cost for material and paying the welder). Before you guys get any ideas, it was a pain in the butt and I really don't care to do it again.

I had a Sport Locker on the Mainland that I stored all my non-sailing stuff in. It held up fine. I never lost a lid as I always locked it before travel. If I had to do it again I'd get the Max as the Sport Locker has to be assembled.

Reading some of the other posts an even better solution would be to fabricate one out of aluminum. It'll last for ever and it's much lighter than steel. Plus, when the angle of the sun is right you can blind the tailgater behind you.

I'm still of the opinion that building a framework of 1"x1" (or 1"X2"), skinning with luan plywood, and then giving a coat of glass will give you a light, highly customizable, storage box. Next one I build will probably be done this way.

How much weight would it support?

I had a pure wooden box on my old cat trailer, and while it began life as sturdy enough for me to stand on, left out to the elements for a season made the top soft, and the whole thing weighted a metric butt-ton. Make sure if you do go wood, you only use it as a light frame that will be covered with glass.

Was it glassed and painted on the outside and, at least, epoxy coated on the inside? You should be able to expect it to last almost as long as the boat if built properly.

How much weight can it handle? Considerably more than the sturdy (as far aluminum boxes go) .090in wall thickness aluminum boxes I built.

I have the large Sport Locker. It stays damp inside, the flap at one end doesn't seal tightly, and the top lid leaks. Draw your own conclusion.
PS It was Free.

I've got some core cell in the basement, I was planning on building a core cell, fiberglass, epoxy sandwich trailor box. Now I'm worried all the hard edges on the stuff inside will poke holes in the laminate. So, I'm thinking about adding Kevlar to the mix. I originally was going to add thin strips of Black Locust (hard, strong and water/rot resistant) to the bottom. Has anyone worked with Kevlar Veil?
http://www.fibreglast.com/showproducts-category-category-14.html
Kevlar fabric is a little pricy at $49 a yard. How about a wood skin? Can any of the engineers on this forum help me with this?

Sorry for hyjacking your thread Bob.

By the way, the vision is a box painted the same color as the boat.
Bill

.25oz veil? Wow...that's whisper light - not much meat in there. It might have some use in the model boat we're constructing but that's pretty thin to consider it 'structural' in anything human-sized. I've got some 1.5oz e-glass cloth that is like silk.

Seriously, what I said before, build a stud based wall with 1X's flat. Connect the ends, sides, and bottom (perhaps build the top with the 1X's on end on the inside of the side walls thereby forming an inset lip for a lid). Horizontally knee brace the major corners up high and down low with small triangle pieces of plywood. Skin that structure with thin plywood (luan is fine). Fiberglass the exterior with 5oz cloth or better (polyester resin is fine if you are going to paint). "paint" the inside with epoxy resin (better moisture resistance if you are not going to paint the inside). Then sand and fair (if you care) the exterior and paint with a decent urethane.

I would consider building an entire trailer wide box under the cat with two lengthwise top lids and maybe one rear access hatch. Maybe even seal up one side / 2/3's of the box with a drain for stowing wet gear for the ride home.

It would weigh a little more than an aluminum box but it will cost a little less and be highly customizable.

Jake,

I don't know much about it since I inherited the box from the boat's previous owner. I know it was huge, wood, painted and thats about it.

Now that I've got some creative juices flowing, I'm feeling like putting together a box using all that 2" structural foam I've got in the garage. Kate would kill me.

I've had the sport locker box for years. I've been very happy with it. I've never lost my lid since I always lock it. If you forget to lock it you would lose the lid.

The Max is only slightly bigger. The freight to get the one piece box was outragous and that is why I bought the one that you put together. For your Acat I'd expect the regular box to be plenty. However, if the Max is not much more money I'd go ahead and buy it.

I like the Sport Locker because it never rusts or deteriates. I did have to patch it a couple times with some fibreglass but that was easy.

If you get the assemble yourself box make sure you use the backing washers for the rivots. The washers help spread the load. I've seen lots of people have problems that just used the rivots without the washers. The rivots will pull right through the fiberglass.

Mike Hill
www.stlouiscats.com

oh yeah, I meant to mention that I've found the fiberglast site to be chock full of information but also full of very high prices. For more reasonable supplies, try www.aircraftspruce.com or US Composites at http://www.shopmaninc.com/index.html

Jake - you're right on. That's what I did, and despite my amatureish woodworking skills, I had a sizeable, lightweight, box I could stand on that held up very well for two seasons. Cost was under $100

1"x1" frame covered in doorskin (1/8"?). I rounded the edges with a router, laid up a bit of glass on the edges, and coated the whole thing with polyester.

The only spots that got ugly were the drop doors on the ends because I didn't glass them right.