Steve,
My old South Bay had a shelf along starboard inside. It ran a tad longer than the cockpit. It was affixed to the underneath of the ?topside? like you plan to make. It was perfect for a box of shells, a can of Pepsi Cola, a pack of nabs, a pair of binoculars, and keeping a cased shotgun out of the way of any bilge that had accumulated due to re-entering the boat while setting my stool or my hide. It was only 5? or 6? deep/wide. Even so, the room it took up was really negligible, and the ?lift? it provided was perfect. It was angled a bit more than slightly down and back (not 90 degrees) to keep valuables form rolling off. I can?t wait to see your take on it! Keep us posted.
