slat replacement

[QuickMick]

Ive got those drop in slats as my companionway door--which are not very convienient--especially if there was ever an emergency evac situation. Any reccomendations on a replacement? is it a difficult project to put in 'saloon' style doors? best material? if possible i would like to keep the track the slats slide into to outfit it with a slide in/out screen for the summer...

thanks

[PorFin]

Quinn,

You'll probably get several opinions on this one.

Depending on what you're starting with frame-wise and how complicated you want to make them, swinging doors may not be difficult. Materials are up to you. You can go with pretty much anything from Plexi or Lexan, to StarBoard, to wood. Personally, I'd use a species of wood that matches the frame of your opening.

Here's a recommendation on a hinge:

Marine Hardware. Latches & Piano Hinges & Face Hinges For Boat Doors & Armstrong Swim Ladder Mounts



I'd strongly recommend that you NOT alter the frame in anyway that will prevent you from inserting the dropboards in the future. If you ever get into a heavy weather situation with waves breaking into the cockpit, those pain-in-the-ass dropboards will do a much better job of keeping water out of the inside of your boat than a swinging door.

[sailingdog]

I'd also point out that it can be harder to secure the saloon type doors on a boat, since the frame is not as secure as it would be on a building—since the top is a sliding piece.

Having both is nice, especially if the doors are screened, since that can give you a lot of ventilation. However, as Porfin points out....when crappy weather hits, you really want dropboards.

[CaptainForce]

We sandwiched a little art work between polycarbonate layers, but we do keep the crib boards for heavy weather.


'take care and joy, Aythya crew

[CaptGriffiths]

Go with what has worked for the last several hundred years..to keep them as they are. In bad weather, there's nothing more secure than traditional "duck boards", (drop boards). Do not use hinges.

[DwayneSpeer]

PorFin hit directly on the head. You can install salon type doors outside of your existing drop boards that way you have the best of both worlds.

[CaptGriffiths]

I would agree to that.