I am looking for ideas that anyone here might have about securing companionway dropboards from faling out in a knock down.
I have seen the line trick that passes ORC rules but I would like something a bit more user friendly. Someway to open them from out side as well as inside.
Thanks,
Companionway drop boards
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bcooke
- Master of the Arcane
- Posts: 2272
- Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2003 10:55 pm
- Boat Name: Jenny
- Boat Type: 1966 Pearson Triton
- Location: Rowley, MA
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By the line trick I think you are refering to a line attached to the top board and tied off to a cleat or something below the companian way. I thought that method was pretty user friendly as it is. You don't need to figure eight around the cleat just a couple of circular wraps will keep the boards in place. You don't even need a cleat, a dowel or nail (which is too crude to seriously consider really) would work as well. There isn't a lot of force acting on the boards and it isn't there for too long we hope.
The only way to secure them from the outside I can think of without making it overly complicated is to secure the sliding top hatch. With the hatch closed the boards can't come out so keeping the hatch in the closed position is the key. I think the hatch could be secured with a line somewhere or a sliding pin along the rear edge.
If you wanted to complicate things a sliding latch with handles protruding both inside and outside the cabin that would engage the top board would also keep the assembly in place.
If you are outside when the knockdown occurs and the boat doesn't right itself immediately, you probably won't be worrying about the hatch sliding forward and releasing the drop boards much :-)
-Britton
The only way to secure them from the outside I can think of without making it overly complicated is to secure the sliding top hatch. With the hatch closed the boards can't come out so keeping the hatch in the closed position is the key. I think the hatch could be secured with a line somewhere or a sliding pin along the rear edge.
If you wanted to complicate things a sliding latch with handles protruding both inside and outside the cabin that would engage the top board would also keep the assembly in place.
If you are outside when the knockdown occurs and the boat doesn't right itself immediately, you probably won't be worrying about the hatch sliding forward and releasing the drop boards much :-)
-Britton