The Ultimate Companionway Door and Hatch Design

We're building new doors for the Person.

The idea is to make it completely sealed against water. It sound easy.

What do ya'll think?

 

I'd suggest hinged insted of sliding ones as it's easier with gaskets..

 

I recently purchased doors from Bomon.

They are not fully waterproof, but very close. The quality is exceptional.

There is room on the front edge of the slider for a drip edge they did no include. I plan to make one from clear acrylic. Room meaning clearance as the drip edge will slide over the hinge door.

The leading edge also needs a seal at the corners of the forward labyrinth. Since that location is in the margin between the labyrinth and the sliding track; it will be tricky. A tiny rubber sweep may work. That is on the edge of a well designed wave breaker. A waterproof option might be another wider sweep atop the lead edge, but the aesthetics would suck and a breaking wave might bend or break it in horrible seas.

These were $1600 per side for cat hulls for both the slider and hinge door.

About my only complaint is I told him my opens were 18" wide and he built to 18" and a hair. In home construction, a rough open is sized larger than the doorway for insulation/install clearances. I am lucky as it appears to not be a problem for the moment, but I did need to open up the opens about 1:16" each side.

To not end on a sour note, I am buying more stuff from them for the cabin and I highly recommend them. Great guys...a little surly, but only because they understand the business better than me.

 

I agree with the previous suggestions on the hinged doors. To get a totally waterproof seal you'll have need a nice gasket hatch that doesn't distort too much under heavier loads (fun sailing conditions). Ideally, one that fastens evenly on all sides to ensure it's water tight.

Sliding hatches that try to achieve 100% water tight seals usually get stuck/jammed in place at some point.

Fair winds /) /) /)