The bags are for protection and carrying. Both to the table itself and to any fiberglass or teak on the boat.
It's an awkward process stowing them in the engine room as the stairs are steep, with a raised lip around the hatch area. Carrying them level is easy enough, but when you tilt them the hinging part of the handle tends to let the halves hinge open. This risks hitting the adjacent fiberglass and pinching the hands trying to carry it. If I get them in some sort of bag it'd keep them from flapping open.
They're fairly heavy, thus need for some sort of strap under the leaves when folded to carry the weight. Otherwise it'd likely rip if the handle was just along the top.
Think of a cylindrical duffel/gym bag, where there's webbing straps going round the tube, and being part of the handles. I'm thinking the same idea here, run some webbing down/under the leaves of the table and bring them up to a carry handle. That and have two grab handles on the ends to aid two-person passing up/down the steps.
This is sort of a rough idea. I'd likely add a velcro wrap of some sort on the handle, the help keep them together for carrying.
Doing fabric mock-ups in Sketchup isn't exactly ideal, but is helpful to have a visual representation.
__________________
-- Bill Kearney
2005 Eastbay 47 FB - Solstice, w/Highfield CL360 tender
|