Companionway Saloon Doors

[capt_nemo]

Just completed a Companionway Saloon Door Module for Sun Cat "Frisky".

Stand Alone Module:



Like all my other mods, it was designed to be very securely installed WITHOUT DRILLING A SINGLE HOLE IN THE BOAT OR ALTERING THE BOAT'S STRUCTURE IN ANY PERMANENT WAY. That way, if you or a future prospective Buyer don't like it, just remove it and use the standard Drop Boards!

ORIGINAL DROP BOARDS:



SALOON DOORS CLOSED:



SALOON DOORS OPEN: Notice the wood cleats at top for removing acrylic panels.



SALOON DOORS SCREEN INSERTS:



I used only common hand tools along with, a small Table Saw, a small Scroll Saw, a Drill Press, Random Orbital Hand Sander, Wood Scrapers, Wood Rasp, and lots of Sandpaper for hand shaping and sanding.

It wasn't very difficult to fabricate a set of doors. I designed it to have interchangeable clear acrylic panel and screen panel inserts that slide into place through grooved frames.

PANEL INSERT & REMOVAL:



The basic frame was formed with overlapping wood joints for maximum epoxy gluing surface and no need for fasteners.

FRAME CORNER PHOTO:



The "groove" was formed the easy way with ¼" finished wood laminated with ½" overlap on the outside and a removable ¼" wood strip with ½" overlap on the inside.

GROOVE PHOTO:



Since the "slot" for the Drop Boards secures and immobilizes the Module from fore and aft movement and athwartships movement, it was only necessary to prevent movement in the vertical plane. I fabricated  "stops" by bending aluminum bar stock in a vise and installed them as shown below.

ALUMINUM STOPS:



The opened doors do not interfere with use of my organizing Halyard Bag.

HALYARD BAG:



And, if the First Mate decides to lounge against the Cabin Bulkhead I would flip the Halyard Bag up onto the cabin Top and close the Starboard Door.

FIRST MATE SMOOTH BULKHEAD:



How's that for a good WINTER project idea.

capt_nemo

[TedStrat]

Wow- Truly Outstanding craftsmanship and functional idea capt! How is the seal....fairly rain tight with the glass panels?
-Ted

[capt_nemo]

TedStrat,

Haven't poured water over it but it should be. I certainly made it hard for water to turn 90° or flow uphill!

Water hitting the wood and clear acrylic would flow down and drain off the lower horizontal piece of the door panel. This piece DOES NOT OVERLAP the glass to trap water. Instead it is slightly tapered to assist in shedding water. Check out the last photo again.

Water getting in between the outer Teakwood trim and the module frame would drain out the bottom end scuppers just like drop boards would.

If absolutely necessary, a thin strip of sticky foam could be placed down the backsides of the doors to form a seal against the P & S wood frames.

Thanks for your interest.

capt_nemo

[rogerschwake]

  One more great upgrade to your SunCat. The winters are just to cold up here to be out working on our boats. I am ordering new parts and doing some repair to my sail cover. Liked your idea of a storage box under the tiller, hope to build something on that order some time soon. Have been trying to figure out how to hinge the door to the anchor locker, storage area at the bottom edge, then use it for a table. Just not sure how to hold the outboard end up. Priced some teak at a wood supply hear and rough sawwen was $32.50 a board foot. At those prices I'll not be in any big hurry to make any teak projects for my boat. Keep up the good work and make the rest of us jellos of you boat.

ROGER

[Bob23]

Thanks, Capt Nemo.
   Another great project...and I'm gonna steal a few ideas for the screen panels that I need to make for my 23. HOWEVER, I think it's time to spill the beans as to the REAL reason Capt Nemo refuses to drill holes in his boat. I have the utmost respect for the Capt and have personally seen his handiwork but I feel this has gone on long enough.
  The real reason: Don does not own any fiberglass drill bits! There! I've said it and the truth is out there! It's true! All of the bits in his collection are made of steel of one kind or another and there is not a fiberglass one among them. So, being the compassionate Compac-o-naut that I am, I'm gonna add to his collection by sending him a complete set of fiberglass bits from my shop along with dacron, paper and coffee bits. (The coffee drill bit comes in handy if you use sugar or cream in your coffee. Just drill a 1/2" hole in your java and pour the sugar in.)
   Not being content to stop there, I'm also enclosing a special 7 1/4" apple pie saw blade that can be used for cutting all sorts of pies and cakes.
   Now were gonna see some really incredible projects because no longer is he limited by these design constrictions. And to think he had us all fooled into thinking that these were self imposed design limitations!
   Seriously, you are one incredible engineer and I hope if I ever retire I can stay as active and creative as you! Great job on the doors.
Bob23 
   

[tmorgan]

Always neat ideas and great engineering!  You are a master craftsman!

[TedStrat]

Ahh...got it - shouldn't need that weatherstripping at all the way you designed it. That last photo shows it perfectly. Thx and again, great work. I have an Eclipse I would like to try this on for light and air flow - great solution

[Eric in Seattle]

Another beautiful addition!  Love all the pictures and attention to detail.  If my Sun Cat had a cabin, I'd build saloon doors just like yours.  I do intend to build the under tiller storage console.