I’ve seen collapsible crates in the past and they always looked like such a great idea for boat storage. But I was afraid that the realities of boat life would just be too hard on them and they’d fall apart. At inconvenient times, of course.
So I never bought any and just stuck to my regular Sterilite bins. I like them, but I can’t just pop them open when I need them and stash them away when I don’t. And since the side walls are slightly angled, they don’t make truly efficient use of some spaces.
I was pretty excited when I got this email from Mark, aboard Cream Puff (he did a great post on their blog on determining what stuff is worth saving in storage and what isn’t — read it here).
We have been searching for sturdy folding collapsible storage creates. We had purchased some in the past but they turned out to be flimsy and broke apart at the hinges. We are so happy we found these awesome crates at Costco.
The construction is excellent and the hinges are strong. We hope these will last for many years!
They’re called Clever Crates and come both in “solid wall” versions (shown in the photo at top) and “slatted walls” (shown at right). Mark has been using the solid ones; the slatted ones carry someone less weight (see below for the sizes and weight capacity). All fold to about 2″ thick when collapsed.
IMPORTANT NOTE: what you see next to the crate in the pictures is NOT a lid, but a collapsed crate. They do not have lids, but do stack on top of each other with interlocking bases.
When carrying a crate, you must use the hand-holds in the sides (or the handles on the basket). If you try to carry the box by putting your hands under the bottom, or with one hand against your hip as you open a door, the crate will collapse and the contents will spill.
I think they’d be great to hold extra provisions when the need arises (say on a longer trip) and then as you use them up, you can fold the crates up one by one and reclaim the space where they were. They could also be good in the dinghy, where you could pop one open when you needed to carry stuff and collapse it out of the way when you didn’t.
Clever Crates come in several sizes — 62 liter, 45/46 liter, 32 liter and 16 liter — and colors. The 16-liter crate (slatted only) is called a “basket” and comes with a carry handle, shown in the photo at right. All can be washed out as needed.
Sizes and weight limit:
- 62 liter solid wall: L 23″ x W 15.4″ x H 12.8 — 132 pound capacity
- 46 liter solid wall: L 20.9″ x W 14.2″ x H 11.4″ — 88 pound capacity
- 45 liter slatted wall: L 20.8″ x W 14.6″ x H 10.6″ — 66 pound capacity
- 32 liter solid wall: L 18.7″ x W 13.8″ x H 9.3″ — 66 pound capacity
- 32 liter slatted wall: L 18.7″ x W 13.8″ x H 8.6″ — 35 pound capacity
- 16 liter shopping basket: L 15.4″ x W 10″ x H 8.3″ — 22 pound capacity
Mark bought his at Costco online, but they are not being sold there any longer. The best source I can find now is Amazon:
NOTE: I have not used these myself; I am passing on Mark’s recommendation. Next time I need to get some crates, I’ll probably get some since the collapse feature seems so great for boat life. If you’ve used Clever Crates, please leave a note in the comments with your opinion.
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Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Diana K Weigel says
Great find!
Stephan Nothnick says
But not as sturdy – risk that they will collapse at the wrong point in time
Stephanie says
I have a couple, not super sturdy but good for taking all the little things back & forth from the boat to the house.
Jan Bogart says
The fold up ones are great. You just have to empty them…..lol
Beth Hipp Tyler says
We have several in two sizes, they work great
Donna Chiappini says
I use them for the items we store while underway like the coffee pot and decorative items we don’t have stuck down with Earthquake Putty. Easy to put up and easy to take down and store.
Wheels To Keels says
What a great idea!! Thanks for sharing!
Tony Hill says
They work great, and fold easily. Can hold a fair amount of weight.
Linda Fritz says
Check out CRESBIcrates too – American designed and if you use code in video you’ll also be helping Special Olympics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6kn03WvziE
Mathew Estes says
product links don’t work for me. i use collapsible produce crates. they work very well and are pretty cheap if you shop around.
The Boat Galley says
Sorry about the product links not working: they’re now available from Amazon. I updated the links in the article, but here they are as well: https://amzn.to/2tExmJK
Mathew Estes says
thanks!!😁
Dave Waterman says
Agree with Lewis. A great product but I don’t think it would take a lot of weight.
Carolyn Shearlock says
No, that’s why I listed the weight limits for each size in the article.
Ellen Barrios says
I was in Costco last Tuesday and someone was checking out with 3 of them. She said they were $7.99 each. Now I wish I had gotten out of line, picked up a couple, and had been late for my meeting!! 🙂