Does your boat have a really shallow “locker” (using the term loosely) behind one or more of your settees? If so, use it to create a great can pantry!
This is another one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” ideas. Aboard their liveaboard sailboat, Ever After, Sami and Barry Shreve created the can pantry shown in the photo. The best thing about it, says Sami, “was being able to see and access cans at a glance.” Although she pulled the settee back down totally for the photo, in everyday use she could just tip it forward a bit, see what she wanted and grab it.
One thing that immediately struck me was that it removed one step from my whole “putting away the provisions” routine: labelling the can tops. Not a monstrous task, I’ll admit, but one that added a half hour or so to the chore when we did a big provisioning run.
And I love that you can totally see what you have! The close-up at right shows just how easy it is to find what you want, with all the cans in a single layer.
I kept my cans in a top-opening locker, with two layers. So if what I wanted wasn’t in the top layer, I’d have to start pulling cans out to look underneath them until I found what I wanted.
Sami and Barry liked the system so well that on their current boat, a trawler named Deja Vu, they’re going to build a similar pantry this summer.
If you find that your cans roll a bit particularly as you take a few cans out, you can toss a few rolls of toilet paper onto the shelves, as Sami did. Other options would be to glue foam to the settee back or putting a few rags between the cans and the back.
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Nita Knighton on Facebook says
great idea, Thank You. . I am lucky enough to have a full pantry on the boat , it is next to the head. . .we have learned to multi-task.
Jill Glover says
I currently own the boat, “Ever After” with the can pantry. My husband and I bought her from Sami last April. This was a selling point that caught my eye. One can never have enough storage on board. I love this as we can provision enough to last 6 weeks or more without overcrowding. There is also a storage near the table that I can store several bottles of wine that ride great when under sail.
Mid-Life Cruising! says
Great idea! This year we’ll be getting “Nirvana” ready for cruising, and this is something we’ll have to add to the list. Thanks!
Mid-Life Cruising! on Facebook says
Great idea!
California Delta Magazine on Facebook says
That’s very cool. I have the perfect spot on my boat for a pantry. Thank You
Candy Ann Williams on Facebook says
Such a neat idea…love it!!
DeeDee says
AWESOME, just awesome!!!
Darien says
This is a fantastic idea! Thank you so very much for sharing. The only question is that we have a catamaran. These types of boats are typically so sensitive to weight. I wonder how this same concept could be applied to both hulls using lighter weight shelves… Your site offers so much along the lines of galley tips/tricks and well, common sense boating tips. Thank you – you’re doing an OUTSTANDING job!
Darien Vaught on Facebook says
Fabulous! Keep the ideas comingl you’re tips are invaluable!
Nita Knighton on Facebook says
not sure what happened to the rest of my comment. . I Love all of your ideas and can’t wait to put many to use this Sailing Season
The Boat Galley on Facebook says
Sometimes FB totally confounds me! Oh well . . . technology!
Brittany and Scott says
Love love LOVE this!!!! Definitely stealing this idea!! Thanks Carolyn!!
Robert VanBurkleo on Facebook says
Great idea! Since I am refitting the boat now I am going build a pantry and use the shelfreliance can rotation system. But I may also use the system you show here. Thanks! …. https://www.thrivelife.com/catalogsearch/result/?order=relevance&dir=desc&q=shelf+reliance+consolidator
Julie Sandler Lambert on Facebook says
Ok, now it’s on the to do list! Great idea.
Louise Kennedy on Facebook says
Wow! Love it! It’s on our wish list now!
Richard Van Voris says
Brilliant concept! I am in the process of building my dream boat, a 32′ Jay Benford designed trawler style called a “Friday Island Ferry”. I have finished hull, decks and infrastructure and I am currenty starting on the galley and head fixtures as well as the ongoing electrical system. This idea for the cans behind the seating on the dinette is spot on; perfect for my project. I am so glad I saw it before I built the piece. Thanks again
Richard Van Voris
West Falmouth
MA
Ken Arnold says
I use the shallow soda can/bottle type racks (quasi Milk crates) in those lockers to keep things organized and use plastic wrap around the cans to keep the moisture off the labels. Tuna and similar size Ham cans wrapped 3-4 together then stacked.
Marsha Dickgieser says
This is so awesome I can’t even begin!
The Boat Galley says
Our boat had a spot this would have worked perfectly in . . . but did we think of such a thing?? Heck, no. But I love it — very glad Sami shared it!
Ellen Barrios says
I LOVE THIS IDEA!! But…how do you secure this wonderful can pantry in the event of a knockdown?
Carolyn Shearlock says
It’s in a shallow locker behind the settee, so it should already have hardware to secure it. But if not, you could use screws like you’d do to secure the floorboards but here, to secure the settee back to the compartment behind it. OR you could do a locking-type latch on it.
Sami Bolton says
Its always so cool to see this! It was such an easy project, but my husband makes everything look easy!
The Boat Galley says
Thanks so much for sharing it Sami! I think I may do a variation on the idea on our new boat, but have to wait until we’re on it and how the “real life” organizing goes!
Jan Bogart says
we did that on our sailboat….now have loads of room under the settee on our trawler.
The Sea and Sailors says
It is a very good idea!
Jan Bogart says
My husband built a great one on our S&S sloop.
Colin Mombourquette says
A great idea; it should work perfectly on my Alberg 29 sailboat.
Terry Bogart says
My husband built one similar to this on our last boat.
Sailing With Bloom says
Looks like a great idea
Gayle Fox says
I LOVE this post but>>>as I sit here with two hand towels clothes pinned to my portholes.. can you share what the coverings are here? Yes? Love your tips and tales!!
The Boat Galley says
Sami Bolton Can you help out here?
Sami Bolton says
Well you’re not going to believe this but they are foam placements. This was 12 years ago but I think I found them at Bed Bath & Beyond, got the colors that I liked and then just held them up to the window made a pattern and put the little dots of Velcro on to hold them on and presto. Possibly one of the easiest, best-looking, least expensive ideas I’ve ever had. They were really easy to take off and clean and I think the whole thing was under $12.
Sami Bolton says
They were the kind that had tiny holes, so some light came through but no way anybody could see in. Plus it gave some really pretty lighting down below. Almost like a stained glass effect.
Sami Bolton says
I keep thinking of other positive things about these. They never ever got funky or had anything grow on them. If I needed to wash them I just pulled them off and rinsed them under the water let him dry a little bit put them right back on. I think I only had to do that once in four years. This is a great example of something that I did as a temporary solution that ended up being maybe one of the best ideas I’ve ever had 🙂
Amanda says
If the space is VERY shallow and won’t even hold a can, you can build something similar for spices. Being able to carry a large variety of spices really improves our quality of life.