New roof box finished in time for cruise

There's nothing like a deadline to make you finish a job.  We move back on to Herbie on Monday for our summer cruise, so the new roof box has to be ready.  And apart from fixings for the cover, which have to be done in situ, it is ready.

Just a couple of points on the construction in case anyone is interested.  My joinery skills are very poor, so there are no joints.  The sides and ends are simply screwed and glued to the square leg posts.  A rail runs along the bottom of the insides, and supports slats which are merely glued down to it.  I used one of these fancy new super strong glues from Wickes.

The blue masking tape is not holding the box together.  I'm not quite that useless!  It's for painting purposes.

Thin plywood sheets were then glued on top the slats to form the floor of the box.  I drilled a few holes in the floor to let any water out - there shouldn't be much as it will have the waterproof cover from the old (rotting) box.  All the internal and underneath surfaces have several coats of exterior varnish to try to protect the wood. (I still pessimistically fear that it'll de-laminate and fall to bits in a couple of years, plywood ain't what it used to be).  The outside of course has the fancy paint job that I have bored you with in previous posts.

I have had to make the box as near as I can in dimensions to the old one, so that the old cover should still fit, also the removable triangular end pieces that hold the ridge pole.  Removable for getting under low bridges!   Here's the old one so you can see.

 I bet I still have to make minor mods to make it fit when we get out to the boat.

The box measure 130 x 89 cms which gives a good capacity while still leaving room to walk carefully down the sides of the roof  which you occasionally have to.

What goes in the box? I hear you ask.  The anchor (except when we're on rivers, when it is out ready for emergency use), folding chairs for picnics, our water hose and the odd spare bag of coal in the winter.  It also forms a strong footing for the TV aerial pole using a couple of brackets

Note the cunning angle on the base of the legs.

This is to accommodate the curvature of the boat roof. I hope I've made the legs long enough or the middle of the box won't clear the apex of the roof.

Making a box like this is not cheap when you add up all the wood, paint, screws, glue, and varnish costs. I could probably buy a stronger box for no more than this has cost me, but it wouldn't be so pretty, or so tailor made.  We think the roof box has become an integral part of how Herbie looks.

Oh one last thing.  I did have to measure the car to make sure we can transport the box out to the boat!  It fits.