Cockpits get cluttered underway or at anchor. Inevitably someone steps on that wayward tube of sunscreen, someone else sits on your sunglasses, and small stuff goes missing. If you want to keep everything within reach and handy, you need pockets.
You can buy ready-made mesh pockets with suction cups, but these don’t fit everywhere, and those suction cups always come loose at the wrong time. Custom canvas pockets, on the other hand, can be made to fit in most out-of-the way places and can be secured with snaps, straps or Velcro.
When creating new pockets, I start by measuring each likely space and drawing up a few different designs that I think might work. I then mock up each piece in a cheap material, like old bedsheets, that I can quickly pin or staple together. Once I’m convinced a design is sound, I make my pockets out of Sunbrella, which can withstand all kinds of abuse.
