In my job as a police officer, I routinely come across some very inventive ways that criminals have learned to conceal contraband. But it’s not just the bad guys hiding things…the good guys have some clever methods of hiding valuables in attempts to thwart criminals. It’s the age-old tug of war between good and bad, I guess.I was doing some research on some concealment methods in order to stay current [and safe] on my job and I ran across a website that offers furniture with hidden compartments. This furniture is marketed to those who desire to hide firearms, but it got me to thinking about the possibilities of using it to hide valuables when you’re away from the boat. The company [which I have no affiliation with] makes several different pieces of furniture such as bed headboards, chest of drawers, bookcases. But what caught my attention as probably most useful on a boat is the magazine rack.

safe

Are your onboard valuables safe?

Magazine Rack

Covert Magazine Rack

This magazine rack looks like it might be large enough to conceal a laptop or valuable papers or other smaller items that you wouldn’t want to be stolen even if a boat burglar was able to make it inside your living space. This furniture is quite expensive, but I’m sure with some good old-fashioned ingenuity, some handy person could engineer something like this for much less money. Here’s a photo showing the closed and open position for some inspiration.

What do you think? Would something like this be useful while living aboard?