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Bladeswell
Captain

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USA
490 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/16/2017 : 10:34:01

Hi Again,

I need to replace my companionway hatch boards. the ones I currently have are made of pine and warped. Thats the way I got the boat. I can make them myself for a lot less than what they sell for but my question is this. I can make them from teak, lexan or acrylic. I can make them in three sections, two piece or one piece. 2 or 3 piece might be easier for storage while under sail while 1 piece would be stronger during heavy weather. I am open to your ideas and suggestions. Thanks again.

Bladeswell

C25 TR FK Hull #973 1979 L-Dinette. So.Cal.

dasreboot
Admiral

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803 Posts

Response Posted - 05/16/2017 : 10:58:05

smoked acrylic looks great! ( made by the PO ) 2 pieces with a teak trim piece at the top. I dont think there would be any appreciable loss of strength going from 1 to 2 or 3 pieces.

Todd Lewis
Eowyn 87 TR/WK C25 #5656
ARWEN 84 TR/SK C25 #4031
www.mainsailsailingschool.com

Edited by - dasreboot on 05/16/2017 11:00:09

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 05/16/2017 : 11:26:43

Clear or smoked acrylic hatchboards have a neat appearance, but they let the sun's rays pour into the boat and heat up the interior. If I don't cover the smoked opening hatches on my C&C, the AC can't keep it cool inside. IMO, Wood is more functional, but you could use acrylic if you devised sunbrella covers to use in sunny conditions. You'll have no privacy with clear acrylic.

Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore

Bladeswell
Captain

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USA
490 Posts

Response Posted - 05/16/2017 : 11:55:01

Hello All,

And thanks for your views. I would never have considered clear as just as stated there would be no privacy. I think I can get the acrylic for a lot less than the cost of teak. Though the cost may equal out after buying the Sunbrella cover. Again my thanks.

Bladeswell

C25 TR FK Hull #973 1979 L-Dinette. So.Cal.

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 05/16/2017 : 16:40:01

1/2" plywood makes an inexpensive temporary replacement while you are getting permanent ones made. Have you considered king starboard? Expensive, but it does not rot, warp, or fade. I recommend 2 pieces, plywood or starboard, with the joint cut at an angle for drainage. Lay your present boards on the plywood, draw it out and cut one piece. Trim to fit, then make the horizontal cut. For starboard, I would order 3/4" for rigidity, then bevel the vertical edges down to 1/2".

DavidP
1975 C-22 SK #5459 "Shadowfax" Fleet 52
PO of 1984 C-25 SK/TR #4142 "Recess"
Percy Priest Yacht Club, Hamilton Creek Marina, Nashville, TN

Edited by - dmpilc on 05/16/2017 16:42:35

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 05/16/2017 : 16:49:46

Several years ago, I made a one-piece companionway board out of plywood for our C-22, then made a door cut-out and secured it with hinges, then did two cut-outs in the door portion for screens. worked fairly well. Still in my garage somewhere!

DavidP
1975 C-22 SK #5459 "Shadowfax" Fleet 52
PO of 1984 C-25 SK/TR #4142 "Recess"
Percy Priest Yacht Club, Hamilton Creek Marina, Nashville, TN

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9014 Posts

Response Posted - 05/16/2017 : 18:40:03

Starboard works like very hard soap, with virtually any woodworking tool. (The slower, the better.) If you have a router, you could probably make the boards with "lap joints" as on the teak originals to keep the weather out. Straight miters probably won't work as well in a blow.

I know people who have one Lexan board on the top, with wood boards under it--for light and a degree of privacy. It might stay a little cooler than all Lexan.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

WesAllen
Navigator

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USA
222 Posts

Response Posted - 05/16/2017 : 19:38:33

I have used White Oak w/stain. No good there after a couple of years they split and warp.

Then I tried the acrylic (gray) and they warp under the Florida sun.

Now I am using Mahogany and the looks are much better

. I don't know how long they will last but it is a lot cheaper than Teak. I also made them 3 piece just as the originals.

Wesley Allen
"Breaking Wind"
1982 C-25 SR/TR/SK #2773
Hemlock, MI

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5232 Posts

Response Posted - 05/17/2017 : 20:24:55

Mahogany will work as well as teak and if you're clever you can get mahogany to more or less match the color of teak. Stain your teak dark with teak oil or Cetol, then don't stain the mahogany at all, go natural. You can get 9-10 feet of 5/4 x 6" mahogany, use a table saw to cut the angles and joint the pairs of 6" pieces together to make three 12" slats. If you need the pattern please let me know. You can do it all on a table saw and glue the pieces up using title bond

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Bladeswell
Captain

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USA
490 Posts

Response Posted - 05/19/2017 : 08:49:55

Hi Again Guys,

And thanks for all the input. As it turns out, I can't get the acrylic or the poly in the correct thickness. I had toyed with the idea of using mahogany in the past and while it would surely be cheaper, (by about 2/3) and the color would be close enough, the grain would never match. So I have decided I will just bite the bullet and stay with teak. I can get the teak for about $250.00 and I have all of the wood working tools needed for the job. Thanks again guys.

Bladeswell

C25 TR FK Hull #973 1979 L-Dinette. So.Cal.

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5232 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2017 : 07:01:54

Bladeswell,
Good to hear you're going with teak. Will you use 1" or 5/4"?
Are you going to reconstruct the original design (2 slats with the edge trim x 3 sections) or using another approach? The original design is incredibly rugged.

Are you planning to include the louvered vent slots in the top section? If anything, that's where I might include a small window.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - Voyager on 05/20/2017 07:07:18

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9014 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2017 : 08:25:10

If you're investing this much in the wood, and have the woodworking equipment (and experience), since you don't have the originals, I'd look hard at the design of Catalina Direct's boards--particularly how they're pieced together to prevent warping (2 horizontal pieces with alternating grains per board, framed by vertical edge pieces). This is the original design--not simple to do, which probably explains a lot of the cost above the raw material. Plain "boards" will probably cup from sun exposure and end up a waste of $250. And the fewer/larger boards you have, probably the greater the risk of warping issues.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 05/20/2017 08:30:16

Bladeswell
Captain

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USA
490 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2017 : 09:09:40

Hello Everyone,

And thanks for your interest. My current boards were made from 1x12 pine. with no verticals on the ends but the center board does have the louvered vent slots. I did look at the boards available from CD and though they appear to be well made the cost would be prohibitive. My current boards are 3/4 as are the boards from CD. The slot they fit into at the companionway is also 3/4.
So I will be staying with 3/4. As for the louvers, the boards from CD do not come with them. A shame for the money. though I would very much like the ventilation they would provide, I have not yet decided weather or not to include them. I will let you know when I start to build them. Thanks again everyone.

Bladeswell

C25 TR FK Hull #973 1979 L-Dinette. So.Cal.

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9014 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2017 : 12:08:54

It would be tough to make louvers that would keep heavy weather out (without some sort of cover)--mine didn't. It might have been a little easier if the companionway was on a vertical bulkhead. I suspect that's why CD opted to omit them from the design. But it might be possible to leave a tiny gap at the very top, where the sliding hatch overhangs it, or even bevel the top edge, to allow air in while keeping rain out--especially if you have a solar vent pulling air out of the cabin.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4275 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2017 : 13:13:02

It's hard to explain, but the top of my second board has an area approx. 10" wide side to side centered in the middle of the board that is beveled from the front to the back side of the board which allows air in and only occasionally allows mist in when it's raining really hard with the wind blowing against the companionway. The bevel is up under the lower side of the top board.

I'd post a pic but don't have one and I'm not sure when I will be down to the boat.

Association Member

GaryB
Andiamo
'89 SR/WK #5862
Kemah,TX

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3993 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2017 : 13:19:02

Gary, Mine are like you describe and doesn't have those louvers. I'll call it the mail slot.

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

Edited by - islander on 05/20/2017 15:00:36

Bladeswell
Captain

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USA
490 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2017 : 15:47:53

Hi guys,

Yes, I've seen the "mail slot" and will likely go that route. the process is much easier to do than the louvers. But Dave's idea would definitely be the easiest.

Bladeswell

C25 TR FK Hull #973 1979 L-Dinette. So.Cal.

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2017 : 16:30:16

One thing to consider about acrylic - if you plan to live aboard for a night or two - is that wood provides privacy when in place, while the acrylic doesn't...

Jerry

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5232 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2017 : 18:23:34

Here's a pic from the past

https://flic.kr/p/69d5jJ

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1736 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2017 : 19:00:30

Getting in here late, but . . . . I would stick to teak, and look on-line for parted out boats to see if yo can get cheaply hatch boards and then take them to a carpenter to have modified to fit. The teak WILL clean up well and that would be the cheapest way out. Second option is CD replacement hatch boards. Measure and they can be ordered and again, may require a carpenter to "fit". If you want ventilation slots, anyone with a router can add them. As previously reported, you will trade off ventilation for water dripping in. Early on I discovered that marine carpenters, off season, are not the expensive for this type of project. Equally, like you, I do not like acrylic that lets in sun/heat. And, always check Ebay and our Swap Meet forum for parted out boat options.

Peter Bigelow
C-25 TR/FK #2092 Limerick
Rowayton, Ct
Port Captain: Rowayton/Norwalk/Darien CT

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