Replacement salon hatch doors

[Ned Blake]

Good evening: The companionway doors to the salon on my 26C are crumbling at the bottom and need replacement. I have two quotes from my marina: (1) a 1/2" solid plexiglass no vent for $1000; or 2) fabricate 2"  mahogany, seal with epoxy, Cetol (4 coats) and using my louver vent on the top panel for $2360. I believe the current doors were made of a teak veneer.  

I like the look of the wood and will probably go for the mahogany but wanted to see what others have used. I searched but didn't find much.  Thank you for any info!!

Linda Blake

S/V Silent Way NS26C #36

Cataumet, MA

[Richard Templeton]

Ouch! Ouch! I'd do it myself or get a practical bid from a carpenter! who doesn't gouge. or someone you can teach to cut it out.

Swell, 26U,Richard Templeton, Annapolis

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[Ed Cook]

Noah's Marine Supplies Online Store - Contact Information Page (noahsmarine.com)

 

 

Above is a link to a supplier in Ontario, from whom I purchased a nice 4 X 4 piece of teak plywood back in 2006, I believe.

 

I made my own hatch board replacements out of this, using what I salvaged of the original hatch louver pieces and hardware. The piece was large enough that I could cut the two boards from areas of it that allowed me to match the grain in a kind of “butterfly”, or mirror image matching pattern.

 

If you’re not going to fabricate the boards yourself, still you might want to use this supplier. Shipping was reasonable, and their service and quality was excellent. Back then the delivered cost of the board was $55 – if you can believe that.

 

If you supplied materials like this to a competent, trusted carpenter you might get a great result for a fraction of what you’ve been quoted.

 

Good luck,

 

Ed Cook

Chat-eau N26C, #173

Middle River, MD

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[Bob Neches (Me Gusta, Nonsuch 26U #233)]

Linda,

Just to be clear, are you talking about drop-down companionway hatch boards that are divided horizontally into two slats that stack, hinged companionway doors that divide vertically and open out toward the cockpit sits, or (as some boats have) a larger privacy door that resides entirely inside the boat interior?

The marine guys charge a lot in part because they're coming to the boat.

You don't need a marine carpenter for any of them, just a carpenter or shop who understands material quality (solid wood or veneered marine plywood, topped with coats of a good varnish like Epifanes).   You could easily make a pattern and bring it to them for a quote.  It's basically a quadrangle that's wider at the top than bottom.  If you gave a wood products shop the vertical height, the top and bottom widths, and the measurements of the angled sides, they could probably build it sight unseen.

There's an article on the Good Old Boat website at https://goodoldboat.com/a-more-companionable-companionway/, that shows in detail how to measure and build a hinged set of doors.  I personally would adapt their design rather than use it as is.  They chose to use cheaper hinges and position them less elegantly than I would if I were doing it.  But it's a good introduction to what's involved.

Even if hiring someone to do it, it's worth looking at to understand what you'd be paying them to do.

The companionway entrance drop-down boards are, I believe, typically 1/2" to fit in the hatchway slots.  Some might be slightly thicker with the edges routed down to half inch to fit in those slots.   I don't think the hinged doors would need to be any thicker.

If you're talking about 2" mahogany, it sounds like you're talking about an interior door.  Or was that a typo?  Two inch thick mahogany, even if just plywood with mahogany veneer would be really heavy.  None of the boat's interior bulkheads are that thick.   I'm pretty sure they're 1". 

My vague recollection from making companionway hatchboards for the 26C I had when I did it eight years ago was that the companionway measured something like 24" wide at the bottom, 28" or 30" wide at the top, and (here, I'm really guessing from fading memory) maybe 32" high. 

The material for 1/2" plexiglass, probably using two 24" x 36" slats which would be ample for making companionway drop-down doors, runs about $350 in my (Los Angeles, CA) neighborhood.   If you have the measurements, a plastics shop would probably charge you at most $10 per cut.    Buying the materials and having them cut it would involve at most 5-6 cuts, so I'd think that $400-450 price for going that route is viable.  Plexiglass looks nice, but it's prone to scratching.

Marine plywood, without a nice veneer, would cost in the $120-150 range around here.  Even with veneer, wouldn't get near as pricey as plexiglass.  Depending on skills and interests, you could varnish yourself or pay someone around the docks to do it.

-- Bob

   Me Gusta

   Nonsuch e26U #233

[Ernie Abugov P/O NS22 o/b #56 "Moustaches"]

Linda -

This marina has "seen you coming". Those prices are outrageous. The "marina" will sub out the work and make, sincerely, 100% +  profit on this. 

Take a breath, think about what you are hearing here and get someone to fabricate them. Warning - 1/2" plexi is REALLY, REALLY heavy and awkward (and will show every little bit of abrasion, etc.). 

I'd go with teak ply to match other exterior wood.

Can you do us a favour (and yourself) by grabbing a couple of photos of your present doors ?? It's very possible that the only the bottoms of each door may need replacement and that is do-able.

BTW - My former boat (Moustaches - NS22) came with plexi doors. They were AWFUL to deal with.

Ernie A. in Toronto

[Joe Valinoti]

I replaced my hatch boards with two doors made of Starboard.  Best thing I ever did.  Minimal expense and I just used the old boards as a template.

 

Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA

~~~~~(\_ ~(\_ ~(\_~~~~~~~~~~

[William Evans]

I would think you can take them to a local cabinet shop or carpenter shop for their opinion.

William Evans
“Companionship “ 30U #465
West River MD.

On Mon, Nov 13, 2023 at 6:15 PM Ned Blake <blake...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Bob Neches (Me Gusta, Nonsuch 26U #233)]

Joe's post reminded me that I left out Starboard (purchasable from other sources as "Marine-Grade Moisture-Resistant Polyethylene (HDPE) Sheets") as an option.  Which is actually kind of embarrassing.  Should mentioned it, since that's what I used, too.

If you went that route, materials would run you (again, this is Los Angeles and may differ in your area) about $220-230.  Cut charges would be similar to plexi or wood.  Available colors I've seen include Beige, Black, Blue, Green, Orange, Red, White, and Yellow.  If you're environmentally inclined and ok with black, you could use recycled HDPE sheets and cut about 10% off the price.

[Randall Baldwin]

I used teak plywood 1/2 inch.   I glued solid teak at top and bottom of each section to avoid splintering of the plywood and wicking of rain water.  Was able to easily remove old teak louvers and place in new upper section.

Then drilled two holes in door sill and placed short teak dowels with about a 3/8 protruding.  These keep the lower door away from moisture that would otherwise collect at the bottom.  

Four coats of spar varnish and add a coat each year for maintenance.  Still look new after five years of exposure

Randall Baldwin.  CABADY 30U #372.  Westport, CT

Sent from my iPad

On Nov 13, 2023, at 8:07 PM, Joe Valinoti <joes...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Mark Powers La Reina 26C Vancouver, B.C.]

The early posts have covered most of the considerations. 

1/2" plexiglass doors will be very heavy. If you decide to go that route, consider tinted plexiglass to increase privacy.

I have made a couple of sets of drop boards for companionways using marine grade teak plywood. I had to buy a full sheet 4'x8' so went with 1/4" and glued (waterproof glue) two pieces together to make 1/2". Of course in Canada the plywood is metric so what is listed as 1/4" is actually about 3/16" so I had to glue mahogany (Philippine or Meranti) door skin in between to get the full 1/2" thickness. Trimming the boards with solid wood as suggested by Randall does help prevent splitting of the edge of the plywood. All of the bare edges of the plywood should be sealed with epoxy. 

I have also made a set of drop boards out of solid 1/2" African Mahogany.

Mark Powers

[Paul Miller]

I’m still not sure if we are talking about drop boards or doors. If it’s drop boards the prices quoted are (IMHO) ridiculous. I have to think for those prices they must be referring to hinged doors. 

If in turn that is the case I would agree that seeking out a good wood craftsman, shipwright or not and dealing directly with him / her would be the best bet. However I wouldn’t suggest asking them to work from your measurements. There are way too many variables. I’ve done this for a living most of my life and wouldn’t take that risk. Not only would I want to make my own measurements but I would be making at least one trial fit during the construction.

Paul M

NS30U #211, Sandpiper

Cowichan Bay, B.C.

[Bob Neches (Me Gusta, Nonsuch 26U #233)]

I partially agree with Paul on 2.5 out of his three points.  

For drop boards, everyone seems to agree that $1000 - $2360 is outrageous -- unless the plan is to plate them in gold rather than varnish them. 

For hinged boards, I think Paul's got a good point if one isn't going to do the work themselves.  Giving a craftsman your measurements would probably serve to get preliminary price quotes, but there are enough variables that it'd be better to make the one doing the work responsible for the final measurements.

For drop boards, I'm not sure that it's so hard to do measurements or make a template and bring it to someone.   It may depend on how much people charge in your area for coming to the boat to do measurements and other work.  Where I live, craftspeople charge for travel time to the job plus time on the job.  Those labor charges would overwhelm materials costs VERY quickly.  In California, I could probably get two sets of drop boards made at a shop to my measurements for what it'd cost me to have someone come to the boat to do their own measurements and trial fits.

Then again, if you want to salvage the louvers from the current boards, that makes the measurements more complicated.  That'd be another argument for putting the onus on the shop.

[Paul Miller]

No disagreement there at all Bob. I would make drop boards to someone’s measurements because they are simply cut pieces of plywood (give or take) and are easily tuned if they are off a tiny bit but doors get a lot trickier.

Knocking the mass produced louver panel and sticking it in a new drop board requires on measurements so easy peasy and shouldn’t affect the price much at all.

Paul M
NS30U #211, Sandpiper

Cowichan Bay B.C.

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[Ernie Abugov P/O NS22 o/b #56 "Moustaches"]

Linda -

This post has caught the interest of so many due to the cosmic prices that you quoted for "the marina" to do the work. Paul is a shipwright. He builds boats. Knows his onions. IF we are simply talking about two (maybe 3 ?? - Ya never know.) drop boards to be replaced, even if the bottoms of the existing ones are all gnarly, etc., they can be used be used as templates to make new ones. One can even check the thickness from the existing boards. OR ....... there are two ways that I know of to make HINGED doors. You simply build one full sized "hatchboard" that fits in to the original wood channels and then carefully saw out two doors right out of it. You can then slide the entire thing out for maintenance or whatever. That way, you can also decide whether the doors swing into the cabin or out into the cockpit. Or, you can simply have two doors built to cover the entire opening.

I've attached a rather crude drawing of ONE large panel with 2 doors carefully jig-sawn out of it.

I've also attached a link to Zarcor, an outfit that custom builds very slick looking actual doors for companionways. I have the feeling that they'd provide an expensive but lovely solution. This is what they do all day - they must know a thing or two.

Good luck with this.

Ernie A. in Toronto

 https://www.zarcor.com/products/c-doors/index.php

[Ernie Abugov P/O NS22 o/b #56 "Moustaches"]

Hey Linda -

There are other options.

Cruising Concepts - this out fit has a good website with lots to read and pricing. 

https://cruisingconcepts.com/companionway-doors/

Hunter Owners - I'm sure this outfit would make doors that would fit your boat (even if it's built way better than a Hunter ..... )

https://shop.hunterowners.com/prod.php?52003/Acrylic+Companionway+Doors

Ernie A. in Toronto

On Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 12:57:29 AM UTC-5 Paul Miller wrote:

[Paul Miller]

Thanks Ernie. The place you linked seems to make a nice product but plastic really doesn’t cut it for cabin doors (for me anyway). They are one of the showy things on any boat if done well. I made mine out of teak. They don’t interfere with the drop boards which I still use (inside the hinged doors) when I’m not aboard and like the Zarcor ones they lift off when you are sailing if you wish. 

Paul M
NS30U #211, Sandpiper
Cowichan Bay B.C.

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[Ernie Abugov P/O NS22 o/b #56 "Moustaches"]

Lovely doors, Paul. Simple and smart.

Ernie A. in Toronto