Doors for boats

[Eric D]

any good sources of doors for boats? I need one that will be varnished and able to be locked (to help keep honest people honest)

Thanks.

[Paul Girouard]

any good sources of doors for boats? I need one that will be varnished and able to be locked (to help keep honest people honest)

Thanks.

Build one ! Easier than finding one door that will fit, I would think.

[kc8pql]

I've never seen a source for stock companionway doors. There are just to many variations from boat to boat. You'll have to build them. I just finished these. The drop boards were a pain for weekend liveaboard use.

http://i13.tinypic.com/5y30qao.jpg

[Jim Ledger]

Very nice KC. Are those olive knuckle hinges?

[Paul Girouard]

Very nice KC:cool: yanno it's nice to see some one else can still build and install doors . Not crazy about the Oak which looks like Red Oak , but the details are exquiste :cool: Nicely done!

[kc8pql]

Yep, olive knuckles. I used them so the port door would kick out past the frame and open flat against the cabin. It's white oak. All the brightwork is. The original idea was to paint it all (that's still probably gonna happen) but in a fit of delirium I used Cetol. I didn't have any Cetol for the doors so I varnished them.

[Eric D]

Thanks guys.

My plan was to build one, then my wife in her interesting ways, asked if they were commercially made. It got me thinking, and I searched the net the best I could and came up with nothing so i just wanted to check it out here, seems that if there is a source for something, someone here knows of 2 of them ;)

KC, very nice doors, I like those a lot. I am a wood kinda guy and I think it would be a shame to paint them, however, I hear you on maintaining that look on a boat.

[JimD]

Nice doors!

[kc8pql]

Thanks for the kind words all. Louvers are a time consuming pain to make (19 separate pcs. in each door) but the look is worth it in the end, and a little more ventilation is always good.

[Jim Ledger]

KC, would you mind posting some construction photos?

[kc8pql]

Jim, sorry, didn't take any construction pics of the doors.

[marsbar]

KC.....Simply fantastic doors and workmanship! I made a louverd companionway hatch and followed "Norm" of New Yankee Workshop's method. Very tedious and not nearly as nice as yours. Can you explain how the louvers are fitted into your doors?

I have to make another set for a new-old starwind 19 that I just bought. It has a tapered opening to increase the challenge. Would really like to follow your construction method.

Thanks....

Mark

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pa1d0051bb7730d5e5eca2619ad60bb5a/e8e1834f.jpg

[marsbar]

KC..can you elaborate on your method of fabricating the louver doors?

Thanks...Mark

[Paul Girouard]

Mark why not post a photo of your situation, with a little detail of the challenges (things in the way , odd shapes, etc).

KC's door look to me to be a mortice and tenon joint frame with a floating panel ( I'd assume that panel was about 1" thick , hence that rabbit detail allows for that thickness) that appears to be at least a single rabbet panel , the bottom rail appears to have a slanted top edge so it acts like the first slat of his louver system. The louvres themselfs would be free floating in there own little mortice.

I don't see how he's holding the door closed? No handles , no lockset , maybe ball catches at the top ? That wouldn't allow for security , maybe he took the photo before he installed the latching details ?

One area I'm interested in is that groove the panel is in , how is that sealed? Can / will water get into that area and find it's way inside? Swell the panel ? I guess IF it swells the panel the leak would stop , BUT a door isn't always wet so it would always be moving. I wonder IF that top edge of the middle rail should have been left open and cut on a slant like the lower rail? To ramp / shed that water instead of holding it?

[David G]

Mark why not post a photo of your situation, with a little detail of the challenges (things in the way , odd shapes, etc).

One area I'm interested in is that groove the panel is in , how is that sealed? Can / will water get into that area and find it's way inside? Swell the panel ? I guess IF it swells the panel the leak would stop , BUT a door isn't always wet so it would always be moving. I wonder IF that top edge of the middle rail should have been left open and cut on a slant like the lower rail? To ramp / shed that water instead of holding it?


Paul - I've only done one set of companionway doors, but I'd love to do more. White oak. I was a bit nervous about moisture issues. One thing I did was to drill 3 weepholes per door. They were approx. 3/16" diameter, and slanted up from the backside (inside of cabin) into the groove in the bottom rails. Prior to assembly, I used a sliver of foam to hotcoat 3 layers of epoxy into the groove, inside the weep holes, and also just the end grain of both door panels. That was nearly 10 years ago, and no reports of problems. The owner, however, described his sailing as "sedate", so the doors may not have had much of a test.

I wasn't totally satisfied with that scheme, so I'd love to hear better ideas.

"Natural abilities are like natural plants. They need pruning by study" -- Sir Francis Bacon

[kc8pql]

First, sorry about the delay in answering your post Marsbar. We've been away on the boat more than we've been home for the past several weeks. I guess I just missed it.

Paul has it mostly right so I'll just elaborate on his post:

"KC's door look to me to be a mortice and tenon joint frame with a floating panel ( I'd assume that panel was about 1" thick , hence that rabbit detail allows for that thickness) that appears to be at least a single rabbet panel , the bottom rail appears to have a slanted top edge so it acts like the first slat of his louver system. The louvres themselfs would be free floating in there own little mortice."

Close. The frames are mortice and tenoned. Stiles and rails are 1" thick. Panels are 1/2" thick, no raise or rabbet. Top of bottom rail is beveled 45 deg. to match louvers as is the bottom edge of the center rail.

"I don't see how he's holding the door closed? No handles , no lockset , maybe ball catches at the top ? That wouldn't allow for security , maybe he took the photo before he installed the latching details ? "

Yep, just hadn't put any on yet. Also note that the doors are easily removeable. Dropboards are used when security is needed.

"One area I'm interested in is that groove the panel is in , how is that sealed? Can / will water get into that area and find it's way inside? Swell the panel ? I guess IF it swells the panel the leak would stop , BUT a door isn't always wet so it would always be moving. I wonder IF that top edge of the middle rail should have been left open and cut on a slant like the lower rail? To ramp / shed that water instead of holding it?"

The panel floats in a snug 1/2" groove. The top edge of the center rail is chamfered 45 deg. to shed water, with only a small flat, less than 1/32" at the panel. Weep holes are drilled down through the center rail in the center the groove. Any water entering the groove runs out the bottom, drips onto the slanted louver below , and is directed back outside. I should also note that the doors are protected by a companionway dodger.

[Stiletto]

Also note that the doors are easily removeable. Dropboards are used when security is needed.[

That answers a question I was going to ask as to whether the open door would obscure the instruments while under way.

Nice Job!

[Paul Girouard]

Not bad eh! Even a blind squirrel gets a nut once in awhile. Glad to hear you got some boat time in this summer KC.

[Eric D]

Thanks to all of you on your additions, definitely have me going in the right direction now.

Eric