[C38] Companionway doors

Thu Jul 9 11:01:16 EDT 2009

Hi gang,

I forgot all about those steps on my swim ladder in the picture.

I bought my boat in 1993 and immediately ordered the ladder from Catalina Direct and was very displeased with the pain using it.  I welded plates to the rungs that hold teak treads.  You can buy aftermarket treads but and they are great but you will want to weld the brackets because they will swivel when you use them, no matter how tight you mount them.  You could rivet the strap but there would be some loss of strength.

If I had to do it over again, I may buy the ready made steps and just pop rivet the strap and be through with it.  I have a weld shop but it was still a hassle to bring the ladder home for the upgrade.

Tom Troncalli
Renata (hull 95)

----- Original Message ----- 
From: PAUL NOTTE 
To: Catalina 38 Listserve
Sent: 7/9/2009 10:30:32 AM 
Subject: Re: [C38] Companionway doors

Hi Tom  
   I agree with tom on the steps nice touch. I was going to get a side mount ladder that attaches to the toe rail . Also I hang my ladder with a bungee when I'm sailing just in case.
 Paul Impulse

----- Original Message -----
From: William Knowles <whk1965 at gmail.com>
Date: Thursday, July 9, 2009 6:57 am
Subject: Re: [C38] Companionway doors
To: tdtron at earthlink.net, Catalina 38 Listserve <listserve at catalina38.org>

> Hi Tom Bill Here I noticed in the photo that you have steps on 
> your swim
> ladder. Where or how did you install them. It just kills or feet 
> getting in
> and out of the water.Bill KNowles
> Flying Goose
> 
> On Mon, Jul 6, 2009 at 10:09 PM, Tom T. 
> <tdtron at earthlink.net> wrote:
> 
> >  Hi gang,
> >
> > I started to build companionway doors but decided on the 
> Sunbrella option
> > instead and we love it!  Going in and out of the boat is 
> much faster and
> > easier than using crib boards or hard doors.
> >
> > Our companionway Sunbrella door is Pacific blue on the outside 
> and white on
> > the inside with a 1/8" of foam sewn in between.  The 
> white inside gives a
> > lot of light to the cabin and the insulation is wonderful in 
> the Florida
> > heat.  The crib boards and hard doors get really hot in 
> the sun.
> >
> > The top of the soft door is attached to a plastic bolt rope 
> extrusion> purchased from an RV store.  In the bottom edge 
> of the soft door is a piece
> > of 3/4" PVC plastic pipe sewn in to give the door some weight and
> > stiffness.  Even in a tropical blow the door stays in 
> place because the PVC
> > acts like a batten keeping the door from coming inside from 
> wind pressure.
> >
> > We have two nylon straps with buckles mounted under the 
> extrusion on the
> > top so we can roll up the soft door and strap it to the 
> sliding hatch while
> > underway.
> >
> > For you racers, this door is very lightweight and you can 
> still mount
> > the companion way crib boards under it.
> >
> > The picture attached is not very good but you can get the idea 
> anyway.>
> > Tom Troncalli
> > Renata #95
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > *From:* William Knowles <whk1965 at gmail.com>
> > *To: *Catalina 38 Listserve <listserve at catalina38.org>
> > *Sent:* 7/6/2009 6:19:13 PM
> > *Subject:* Re: [C38] Companionway doors
> >
> > Max I made a set of doors out of glued pine, with screen and 
> Plexiglas> inserts they fit in the hatch board slots and are 
> held in by cotter pins.
> > They work pretty good however the pine warped so I am making 
> new pair out of
> > plywood. Some of the people at the marina have soft doors ( 
> sunbrella) with
> > foam insulation. They work great. May have one made for Flying 
> Goose. I will
> > take pictures if anyone is interested .
> > Bill
> > Flying Goose
> >
> > On Sat, Jul 4, 2009 at 3:25 AM, Joseph Launie 
> <jlaunie at cox.net> wrote:
> >
> >> Max,
> >>     I designed a set of doors and had a 
> shipwright build them. They have a
> >> 3 inch wide piece that slides in the bin board slot with a 
> bolt sticking out
> >> the bottom. The bolt fits in to a hole cut in the sill on 
> each side. The
> >> board is held in by a small brass sliding latch bolt at the 
> top. The doors
> >> which are teak with a plexiglass interior are attached to 
> this outer board
> >> and the whole thing just slips in and out. They can be 
> removed in one minute
> >> and there is nothing to catch sails on. I do not have to bend 
> down for this
> >> so hope to take pictures Sunday when the crew tells me we are 
> racing. Joe
> >> Launie, Macavity
> >>
> >> Max Soto wrote:
> >>
> >>  Hi everybody,
> >> I just got an a/c unit for Estancia, but I need to do 
> something with the
> >> hatch boards issue. I'm thinking about installing 
> companionway doors in a
> >> way that will be possible to retrofit to the hatch boards.
> >> Any comments, recommendations and of course some pics will be
> >> appreciated!!
> >> Go Larry!!
> >> Regards,
> >>
> >> Max Soto
> >> C38 #198 ESTANCIA
> >> Puntarenas, Costa Rica
> >>
> >> ------------------------------
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Listserve mailing 
> listListserve at catalina38.orghttp://catalina38.org/mailman/listinfo/listserve_catalina38.org>>
> >> ------------------------------
> >>
> >>
> >> No virus found in this incoming message.
> >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> >> Version: 8.5.375 / Virus Database: 270.13.3/2217 - Release 
> Date: 07/03/09 18:11:00
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Listserve mailing list
> >> Listserve at catalina38.org
> >> http://catalina38.org/mailman/listinfo/listserve_catalina38.org
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > W H Knowles
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Listserve mailing list
> > Listserve at catalina38.org
> > http://catalina38.org/mailman/listinfo/listserve_catalina38.org
> >
> >
> 
> 
> -- 
> W H Knowles
> 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://catalina38.org/pipermail/listserve_catalina38.org/attachments/20090709/f0796bc3/attachment-0001.htm>