Which way should my door swing?

[mermod]

I was Showing off my newly fitted door on my mini tug when I had it pointed out that it probably should swing out and not in, is this really a thing? I can understand the arguments for and against but I'd like some other opinions.
Swinging in means it's against the inside of the back wall and out of the way whereas swinging out would see it encroaching into my already small cockpit area.


Phill

[Favorite]

Swinging in means it's against the inside of the back wall and out of the way whereas swinging out would see it encroaching into my already small cockpit area.

Mine slides, but if it's out of the way when swung in, I'd definitely leave it that way. Doing tug stuff, you don't want a door in the way.

And what good is a tug, if you don't do tug stuff ? Don't forget the tires ! Pushing things is half the fun

p.s. If you're still in building mode ? Add a nice 6" x 6" to backup the stem. It'll make you feel better when you bonk into stuff.

[WX]

Which way would you like it to swing?

[Ian McColgin]

It's easier to make the door fully weather tight if it swings out. In practice, a mini tug is not meant to operate in conditions where that ultimate difference makes much practical difference.

[ufi73]

From a safety point of view I think I would have the door open inward: If you capsize the water pressure might help you open the door. I assume you have the fuel tank close to the outboard, so in case of fire you want to get away from the source fast and get the extinguisher, which should be stored a save or safe(?) distance away from the fuel which would be in the cabin. Depending on your circumstances and use, other scenarios might apply and indicate otherwise.

Uwe

[StevenBauer]

Talisman’s cabin doors swing out - but they have lift off hinges to put them away while sailing.

[stromborg]

For whatever reason my head went straight to this scene from "Captain Ron"

Exit doors on public buildings are supposed to open "out" so they aren't in the way if a mass exodus is occurring, though doors on private residences usually swing in.

In nautical terms, I would probably be thinking about getting out of the cabin in a hurry rather than in and the case of a wave coming over and crashing against the door the frame stands a better chance at keeping things in place than a relatively flimsy latch. But as it is already built I say just roll with it as-is.

[Breakaway]

I don't think it really matters much aboard a boat such as you describe, as long as the door can be readily opened when more than one person is in the cabin.

Kevin

[BrianM]

From a safety point of view I think I would have the door open inward: If you capsize the water pressure might help you open the door. I assume you have the fuel tank close to the outboard, so in case of fire you want to get away from the source fast and get the extinguisher, which should be stored a save or safe(?) distance away from the fuel which would be in the cabin. Depending on your circumstances and use, other scenarios might apply and indicate otherwise.

Uwe

Swing-in is what I first imagined as the more important direction if you hit something hard, hole the hull, and need to leave Dodge in a hurry.

Fire from fuel leak/ ignition of course is the other big concern.. but assuming you are running an outboard, and you keep the tank outside the bilge/ cabin, the time saved in swing-out is sort of moot.

[Ian McColgin]

In these trans-anything days, your door can swing however it wants.

[Bob Cleek]

Ian's sage wisdom notwithstanding, I belong to the "swing out" school of thought. Getting out is a lot more important than getting in when you really have to get out of a boat in an emergency. Collisions often spring things and can make doors and hatches jam hard. If you have to apply force to a door to get it open, you want to be on the side of the door that swings away from you so you can put your shoulder into it. You don't want to go down with the ship while futilely yanking on a door knob.

[Canoeyawl]

you want to be on the side of the door that swings away from you so you can put your shoulder into it. You don't want to go down with the ship while futilely yanking on a door knob.

Like a car then... nobody ever got trapped in a car underwater.

[mohsart]

I understand that door openings in is a thing, though I've never experiensed it, living in a civilized country.
I read somewhere that in the US it was enforced to make the doors swing in because it would make it easier for the police to kick in the doors.
Personally I'd never make a door open inwards.

/Mats

[jsjpd1]

On a tiny boat or a boat with a tiny cabin I’d want a door that slides. Anything else is just asking to be in the way when it’s least convenient. Sliding doors also happen to be a time honored tradition.

[mermod]

Wow, so many valid trains of thought, it looks like there is no wrong or right way then...
Sliding would be awesome but I just don't have the room for sliding tracks.
Sealing an inward opening door is going to be a pain in the butt, I can see that and was worried but as mentioned its only a mini tug not an ocean going vessel even with a foam seal I still expect to have to check it even after rain.
Lift off hinges would be great and I did consider it but once again I have no where to store it.
The reference to Captain Ron made my day, still my favourite movie of all time
As for the comments about being all modern and allowing it to swing whichever way it so chooses, does that mean I would have to lubricate the hinges with gender fluid? (see what I did there)

Phill

[Favorite]

As for the comments about being all modern and allowing it to swing whichever way ...

Over here those are called saloon doors - as in "Who's the feller owns this sh1tthole ?"

[tanujagdale]

Great information

[Oldad]

Over here those are called saloon doors - as in "Who's the feller owns this sh1tthole ?"

That reminds me, I have built many outhouses here in Vermont and the question has always been, "should the door swing in or swing out?"
Now, if it is a nice sunny day and you would like to bask in the sun while doing your business an inswing would be best since you can kick the door closed if you hear someone coming.
If it is an outswing you don't have that option. So many things to ponder.

[Baltimore Lou]

and if you fall asleep on the seat of an outswinging door outhouse, and the big blizzard hits, you could wake up to find yourself drifted in for the duration.

[Canoeyawl]

I'm a fan of Bi folding doors

[mohsart]

Having an inswinging door allows one to have an outswinging storm door. It also facilitates opening the door after a big snow storm. Of course that's not much help if the storm door is in place for the winter.

Typically, we have a basement that is only half way under ground, so there is a set of stairs to climb to get to the main door. That takes care of the blizzards.
When I was young it was popular with two doors (which made sense due to poor quality of the doors and the insulation benefits), but only the front doors, if you had a balcony or a door to the garden it was always single doors.
I actually have two doors into my basement, and it's big enough that I don't care too much about it, but the in swinging door do take away quite a lot of space.

/Mats

[Favorite]

Kinda late to think of this now but what do you need a door for at all ? It's a mini tug. Make a rollup canvas curtain for too much sun or a rainy day and call it good.

I'm a little puzzled about how there can't be room for a slider - mine takes up an inch and a half of space behind the wheelhouse. It's totally not in the way, ever.

[mermod]

I'm a little puzzled about how there can't be room for a slider - mine takes up an inch and a half of space behind the wheelhouse. It's totally not in the way, ever.[/QUOTE]

My mast runs down the back of the wheelhouse...

[Favorite]

My mast runs down the back of the wheelhouse...

I see. That's a bit of a pain. My stack is right aft of the wheelhouse also but at least it's not glued on

But if I may presume ... put a big window in that door. 2/3 of the fun of having a tug is doing stupid tugboat tricks. If you do that, you're going to want to see every part of your boat very clearly. That solid door is going to bother you because with a tug, you get close to stuff. You'd like to see it instead of hearing the crunch of splintering wood

[Niho]

It's generally considered safer for a door to swing outwards in a maritime setting because it allows for easier exit in the event of an emergency. If the door were to swing inwards and become stuck, it could block the exit and make it difficult for people to escape.
The skillful locksmiths se20 specialists say that door should ultimately swing depending on the layout and size of your vessel and the needs of those who will be using it. If the door swinging inwards works better for your particular situation and doesn't pose any safety risks, then it might be the better option for you. It's always a good idea to consider the potential risks and make sure that any doors on your vessel are easy to open and do not obstruct escape routes.

[Peerie Maa]

Generally, interior doors will swing into the room, opening towards the nearest perpendicular wall in the room. You'll want the door to allow the most open space in the room when the door is open.

Wedlcome to the forum.
A word to the wise.
At the top left of every post you will see the date that the post was put up.
Just sayin.

[Paul Pless]

Wedlcome to the forum.
A word to the wise.
At the top left of every post you will see the date that the post was put up.
Just sayin.

a word to the wise peerie maa. . .
you are speaking to a bot

[SchoonerRat]

A door that swings out exposes the hinges making it easy to pop the hinge pins and gain access without a key. You can fix this using security hinges. Just another factor to consider.

[Peerie Maa]

a word to the wise peerie maa. . .
you are speaking to a bot

May be the forum needs an "I am not a robot" function for new signings?

[Don Z.]

I read somewhere that in the US it was enforced to make the doors swing in because it would make it easier for the police to kick in the doors.


/Mats

Ii know this is old, but... not sure in which comic book you read that, but that is certainly not a thing. Perhaps in Russia, or some European police state, but certainly not in the US. If it helps, you can re-read the 4th Amendment.

While this has nothing to do with tugs, it is helpful to remember that an in-swing door, by its nature will have the hinges on the inside, which, from a security standpoint, makes it really difficult to remove the hinge pins to gain entry.

[Oldad]

Slider

[wizbang 13]

Slider

[Nicholas Carey]

The front and back doors of our house swing out and get dogged to,the wall with bronze cabin door hooks (Thanks, Davey & Company, no longer of London!) it's a small house and given the layout, out-swing doors make a lot of sense.

As far as security goes, they use secure hinges designed for out-swing doors.

On a boat, out-swing. Or sliders. Easier to open in a hurry, harder to get stove in by waves. And if somebody really wants to break into your boat, a brick through the window will be faster and easier than removing hinge pins.

[Boatbum]

a word to the wise peerie maa. . .
you are speaking to a bot

How can you tell???

[Paul Pless]

very generally bots have a post count of one
they often bump an out of date thread
often they are clearly esl
and they always include a link to an service (in this case an emergency locksmith service in the uk)
truly absurd when the original poster is from tasmania