Companionway doors

[Phil Spicer]

   Gunner, does the 1/4" starboard sag with age? I have thought about starboard hatch boards.
I have changed all my teak to plastic lumber except for the hatch boards because I think it will sag.
   I like your boat name, my nephew was an instructor for 3 years.

[scgunner]

Phil,

No sagging at all and I've had them in place for 5+ years. You'll have to shim the boards to fit the wider hatch slots but that's no big deal, a strip of starboard on the edges of the hatch boards. I've also replaced all the exterior teak with a combination of starboard and stainless steel, it makes the exterior practically maintenance free.

[Ted Pounds]

On my little Gloucester I replaced the teak handrails with PlasTeak, https://www.plasteak.com/ .  They're also zero maintenance, but retain the look of wood.  I liked the look so much that I added PlasTeak toe rails and hatch sliders.  I also did the decks in PlasDeck, but that was a whole different ball game....

[scgunner]

Phil,

My bad, I said 1/4", that was wrong, I actually used 1/2" starboard stock to make the new boards. I could see where 1/4" might sag or flex. Another option if you want to stay with the teak boards is to router out the back of the teak boards to about half the thickness while keeping the borders intact, it will lighten the boards and still maintain board strength.

[ChrisOB]

Thanks for the advice, I will check that company out.  The air conditioning is installed under the vee berth with all the plumbing and electrical, however I still need to do the ducts and vents.  I hope to complete that this week and will report back on the results. 

[ChrisOB]

Also- To reply to Randy: We left NY in 2017, sailed the East coast to the bahamas, spent 3 months there, then back to east coast, and then Bahamas again for 2018-2019 winter.  We then sailed south around the Keys and Dry Tortugas, across the Gulf and are now docked at the new Municipal dock in from the the NOYC on Lake Ponchatrain. 

[Rortega46]

Wow, that's quite a journey.  I look forward to meeting you at NOYC for a beer once the new normal allows.

[Phil Spicer]

  Gunner, thanks for the tip on using a router to thin part of the back of the hatch boards. Had thought about running the boards through the planer to clean up the outside face, but your suggestion sounds
interesting.

[scgunner]

Phil,

I did that to my original teak boards and used them like that for a couple of seasons before I made the replacement starboard boards. The advantage is you don't have to buy anything or build anything and they work just fine. The reason I decided to go with the starboard is it's essentially maintenance free and if your boat is like mine, there's always something else that needs attention.

[Ekutney]

I made my own doors & took ideas from many others.  I ended up using 3/4" PVC trim material which I selected instead of Starboard because it could be painted.  I painted a compass rose design on the outside & got chose to a match on the inside.  I made a single bifold door on removable hinges & did a number of measurements/mockups to make sure it fit just the way I wanted it.  I am still able to use the hatch boards because I would not trust the door in any type of weather because it not as structurally sound as the original hatch boards, it would not withstand a rush of water in the cockpit.

Pics of the project are below.