MacGregorSailors.com

Well I really want to put shelves in those cubby hole areas under the cockpit combings of the M, port & starboard sides. Something like this:
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/cgi-bin ... record=496
or more like this:
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/cgi-bin ... record=520
I have been to Home Depot & Rona and hardware stores searching for something called "Starboard" to use for the shelf but it seems to be unheard of! I may use plexiglass in the end, but wonder if there is another material anyone could suggest, and where I could obtain it.

Try Marisafe.com - search for "King StarBoard". West Marine also carries it in fewer varieties.

Yep - west marine, but it's very expensive. For the small size of a cubby shelf,
maybe it's better to buy a large, plastic cutting board from any boxMart ... lots cheaper.

This is interesting,

You can get prices at

http://www.interstateplastics.com/mater ... rboard-SW1

Unlike most things, White is the most expensive. The colored boards are quite a bit cheaper.

I wonder how that Beige would match the interior of an M?

And if you're on the East Coast, there's Total Plastics in Harrisburg, PA.

Be warned: This stuff ain't cheap.

There is a company in Sacramento called TAP plastics. They will make just about anything out of plastic for you. It might be worth giving them a call.

TAP Plastics isn't just in Sacto - it's a west coast chain, mainly in CA but also in the PNW in Portland, Seattle and Bellevue. Great stores with very helpful folks. Check out TAP's website, not so far from Vancouver.


(but still lots cheaper to just get some cutting boards)

Starboard is a brand name for the King Plastics Corporation version of "marine grade" UV-stablized HDPE. I found another brand name for a similar (maybe identical) material is Marinaboard. Both brands are also available in diamond tread non-skid pattern which would be good for ladder treads and like that. Yet another brand name for UV-stabilized HDPE is CPG Seaboard.

King would have you believe that their brand is superior to the others. It may be so, and they certainly charge a premium price, but I wouldn't worry as long as you get the UV-stabilized version for outdoor applications. For interior applications, I would say standard (and cheap) HDPE would be fine. Buying the brand names or even the generic UV-stabilized HDPE for interior apps I believe is a total waste of money.

When I searched for Starboard, I found that my local plastics distributors do not carry that brand name.

If you fell you need the UV resistance go for Starboard or (if you can find it) its generic equivalent, but be aware many of the manufacturers (even reputable ones) of boat accesories do not spend the extra $$ for the UV-stabilized stuff and instead go with standard HDPE. Cutting board material is probably standard HDPE; it could be LDPE but for reasons I can't explain LDPE tends to be slightly more expensive for the raw material, but is inferior to HDPE in all but very low temperature -180 degrees for LDPE vs -100 for HDPE; I know, who cares? I believe all the PEs normally come FDA certified for food contact.

I used plexiglass because it was transparent. One problem as we all know with storing things on a boat, is the ease we loose track of them. Being able to look at the shelf from underneath let's me see what's in back without having to pull the stuff in front out.

Daniel

Hey....just face squarely to port, then do a 180deg....that puts you looking right at starboard. Jack

I've bought it from marine surplus stores.
About half price.

I made all of our shelves out of the white plastic cutting boards--the biggest ones I could find were in the commerical food prep. supplies at Sams. Big and only $10.