What happens without a coffin ?

[Keith Knecht]

Just got an 87 222 CCP.  No coffin.  Has a cavern of a fish box under the deck instead.  Not much of any storage space without a coffin. The fish box seems a little useless since it is not dry.  What does everyone else do?  I always thought the coffins were pretty neat for storage.  I do like the splash gate configuration better than the earlier models.  Suppose I could use a large cooler.  How about it?  Anyone come up with a way to use the fish box as storage.

[John Jones]

I think you know I took my coffin out ;)
I took it out because NOTHING was dry in the coffin.  I put an Igloo 162 qt. Marine cooler (the one with the rope handles and skids on the bottom) in front of the console for dry storage.  The optional cushion makes a good seat.  A 90qt. cushion snapped to the console makes a good backrest.

[Keith Knecht]

Hey John,

Thanks! I remember you put in the coolers.  Just wondered if anyone else had some other suggestions or if they had used a rack or something in the fish box to keep things up off the bottom.

[John Jones]

I have that front compartment in the deck.  I assume it was a fishbox?  It has a drain.  I have "Dry Deck" squares in the bottom.  I store stuff in there but only stuff that it does not hurt to get wet.  I have never seen water in there but everything stays really soggy damp.  I have spare prop, 2-stroke oil, steering fluid, etc. in there but the dampness doesn't hurt them.

[Wayne'sWorld]

I'm not getting it   I think this post is saying that the 22 CCP has a place to store fish, you're calling it the coffin, right, under the deck fore of the console?  Isn't this the best place to stash your catch?  What are the pros and cons of having a fish box below deck?
Why I ask... I have the 200 with the fish box above deck in front of the console.  It takes up a lot of space.  I would think the better design would be to store fish in the deck and have a seat in front of the console with a cooler underneath.  About the only thing I can't find room for on the boat are the PFD's and I've resigned myself to taking out one PFD per person only (we fish two to four adults/children off this boat) plus a Jim Bouy.  Dock lines hang from the gunwales.  Spare anchor, tow line and fenders stow in the anchor locker.  Main anchor on the bowsprit.  Raw water hose in the starboard transom storage.  Rods in some launchers off the baitwell and the back of the leaning post and tackle in console side storage.  Other side of console holds safety flags and pyrotechnics.  There is gunwale storage port and starboard where I fold up some crab nets if I'm in the bay and I've got a hankerin' for some blue claws for dinner.
I'd be interested to know how others set up their boats for storage and ease of use.  And, again, the pros and cons of in-deck fish boxes vs above deck.  What do you say?

[Capt. Bob]

WW,
I have the coffin on my CCP and unlike JJ, I find it works well in keeping stuff dry under normal conditions. I don't leave anything in the coffin when I'm done fishing and remember it wasn't designed as dry storage. It's a dolphin condo (back in the days when catching 50 fish was looked upon as great angling).
I use an expandable rubber plug in the drain and a closed cell foam cushion on top. It takes a heavy squall to get things wet (starting in the back corners by the console). The lids are inset in an attempt to keep water out but  the insets fill with water faster than they drain and then overflow into the box. The key is to limit the water to the top of the box. The closed cell cushion does a fair job.
I have a 54qt. igloo in front of the coffin for food and stow the life jackets in the deck hatch in front of the cooler.
No doubt a good cooler will do a better job and allow much easier access to the goods stored below. If I didn't have the coffin, I'd have a cooler. The coffin is wide enough for two fit people to side side by side when underway (though the closed cell is harder than the standard foam cushion). All in all, each to his own  
Me personally, I'd use the fish box for dive gear (we have 3 bags plus the hoses for the Brownie's Third Lung). At the end of the day, we re-arrange the stuff in the coffin to limit wetness from the gear but by then, who cares.

Good luck.

[Wayne'sWorld]

Good to hear from you again, Capt Bob!  

Man, I'd like to see a photo of the bow deck area on a 22.  Here's what is in front of the console on the 200... a fish box above deck, nothing below, and then a short no man's land to the anchor locker.  I'd post up a pick but the boat's a mess because that fish box is sitting on top of the bow right now, the console is facing almost 90 degrees starboard, and the fuel well cover is leaning against the port gunwale.  Fuel tank is out of the boat on a pair of sawhorses.
Back to topic... no dive gear for me to stow.  I just need some room for two fanny's on the way out and a few fishies on the way in.  I'd love to put in some below deck fish storage and lose those above deck coffin fish boxes.  Anybody do this and have photos?