Companionway

[Figment]

The trim at the trailing edge of my companionway hatch has been absent for godknows how long. Pic from my prepurchase visit to the boat:



I know it's a stupid hunk of trim, but it's really starting to bug me. Can someone post a pic of what's supposed to be there so I can try to replicate the original?

Many thanks in advance.

-MH

[The Good Goose]

My boat had a piece of one quater by one and one quater teak bent to follow the curve of the hatch. held in place by small screws. A horrible setup in my opinion. I replaced it with a piece of mahogany three quaters of an inch by aobut one and one half inches. I scribed it to the curve of the hatch and got a profile that stands up about three quaters of an inch in the center. I cut a radius onto the ends and screwed it in place from under the hatch. Works and looks great and no broken fingernails trying to pull an a quater inch thick profile.

Brock

[dasein668]

Mike,

I had a piece of trim similar to what Brock describes. Useless and stupid, imo. This winter I tossed the old and made a new mahogany trim piece not much different than what Brock described for his new trim. I milled a cove onto the back side to make a nice finger pull.

[Tim]

Yeah, don't bother replicating the original "trim". It was junk.

However, for posterity and for your interest, as of course we all want to know what was originally there, here are some pictures of my old, original trim. (I just had a trip down memory lane while searching for these photos. Wow...is that really my boat? Seems like so long ago, on on hand, yet still so fresh somehow too.)






The new trim I put on is, with hindsight, decidedly inelegant and was sort of a rush job in a flurry of punch list projects back in 2001 at the "end" of my restoration. Looking at it now, I realize that it could benefit from some finesse at this point. (see? There's never an end to the projects!) I also installed a single grab rail, which I do like, especialy since my slide works so poorly to begin with. That said, I really like the trim Nathan put on his boat this year--mighty fine! That one is worth replicating.


Whatever you do, something more substantial that you can grab onto is awfully nice. And some extra wood trim is only a good thing on a Triton.

FWIW, those original swash boards shown in the photos, which look terrible, cleaned up quite nicely for varnish and are the ones I still use today. I was looking for a picture, but all the photos I have looked at have the boards out. Even though no one asked, I'll try to take a picture of them next time I go out.

[Tim]

Here's that picture, which nobody asked for but I'm posting anyway, of my swashbaords after being cleaned up and varnished. These are some of the only bits of original trim left on my boat.

[Figment]

Thanks guys.

Nathan's trim profile was pretty much what I'd assumed would be there. It's been a while since I rummaged through the mahogany scrap pile, but I think I have just the piece....

Tim, are your swashboards solid or plywood? Mine are ply, and I'm considering replacing with solid.

[dasein668]

Hey Mike,

I think Tim's are solid, as are mine. I wonder if yours were replaced at some time?

When are you going "sploosh"?

[Figment]

oh, I've been splooshed for weeks now. I think 4/16 was my launchday.

Yeah, the fit of my boards is sloppy enough that I suspected them to be replacements. Also, the face veneer has been sanded down to within a few microns of its life, so replacement will be necessary the next time they need refinishing.

No ventilation in your boards?

Mine have a few skilsaw plunge-cuts for ventilation. (They do a great job of conducting wind-driven rainwater too) I also have a nicro-vent solar fan in the foredeck hatch, which I love. What do you guys do for cabin ventilation?

[dasein668]

My center washboard has an opening approx 4x6 inches which I rabbetted to take a small frame of trim. The trim holds a piece of fiberglass screen in place. Does that description make sense? Not sure if I have a pic or not...

I also have a solar nicro in the forward hatch, which we like, but will not be installed (at least there) when we replace that hatch with a Lewmar Ocean....

[Tim]

Mine are plywood of sorts, but the face veneers are 1/4", with a 1/4" inner core of some sort or another. Sanding was no problem. They fit a little loosely, and the edges (corners) are all rounded from years of ins and outs, but they do the job.

I haven't yet found a huge need for additional ventilation when away from the boat. The fit between the top board and the sliding hatch is open enough to allow some air flow, and the forward-facing vent on the foredeck provides plenty of fresh air flow. Being on a mooring means always facing the wind (when there is any), so that works well.