Companionway Modification for Offshore

[Heathenly Twins]

Hello fellow Coronavirus shut-ins!

I have recently acquired a 1976 Westerly Centaur which needs a pretty extensive refit in preparation for offshore sailing. Thus far, time and financial constraints have limited me to 50 days of inshore sailing in generally extremely light winds. I'm not sure how far I'll go in this boat but since I have to refit it I might as well prepare for extensive cruising.

My main concern is the companionway closure. I have a sliding hatch and louvred saloon doors; great for inshore, rubbish for all else. Even sailing in rain is problematic as I'm generally singlehanded using Navionics to navigate so once the rain flies I have no protection for my tablets.

I think the most effective solution would be to install a hatch garage to reduce the likelihood of waves coming over the bow ending up below decks. For the drop board a single piece of transparent acrylic behind which I can have two tablets on swing out mounts acting as chart plotters or instrument readouts (I'm assuming the latter is somewhat easy to set up). Of course, at anchor when the bugs are out for blood and it's hot and humid this is no good but I figure a removable bug screen and privacy cloth in conjunction with a boat cover will keep the sun, bugs and prying eyes away.

More experienced people's thoughts?

[SVTatia]

Nice little boats, and very capable. Have you considered a dodger or a spray hood? At the extreme end is a permanent one like Mingming's....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQAwvunzM_E

[Heathenly Twins]

Yes, overall I'm very happy with the boat. So much more seakindly than anything else I've sailed in a similar size.

I'm trying to avoid a dodger as the boat already has a ton of windage and I don't like having to hold on to rickety pipes when going forward in rough weather I really like the security of my cabin top grab rails for that . I'm also very tall so dodgers make going below extra tricky for me.

That boat you posted looks bombproof! Impressive.

Edit: looks like I have a new YouTube channel to watch, thanks!��

[roverhi]

If you are going anywhere you'll kick yourself for not having a dodger. Windage is not a problem with all the other crap a cruising boat accumulates. Might design a semicircler design to give height at center to make it easier to duck under without creating a huge dodger. It's just so nice to sit in companionway under cover while the spray is blocked by a dodger.

You can use larger tubing and/or corner bracing to get a more stable structure. 1" ss tubing has worked for me on a conventional dodger. A handrail welded on to the back frame is really nice to grab onto in the cockpit. Of course, getting a really sturdy offshore dodger built is not cheap.

[gonesail]

and if you build a dodger make sure it comes back far enough to shield folks sitting out of the weather. just make sure winches are not obstructed

[AmericanVagrant]

I'd also no doubt go for a dodger. After a significant amount of time at sea, some with a dodger and some without, I'd consider it one of the best modifications I've made. The others would be the roller furling and windvane.

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by Heathenly Twins

...

That boat you posted looks bombproof! Impressive.

Edit: looks like I have a new YouTube channel to watch, thanks!��

His "cruising grounds" is not where most of us would prefer to go, so it needs to be strong. Roger Taylor is special, do watch and read his work.

Please consider a dodger, if not soft, build a hard one. Going to sea without one is painful!!

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Heathenly Twins

.........

I think the most effective solution would be to install a hatch garage to reduce the likelihood of waves coming over the bow ending up below decks. For the drop board a single piece of transparent acrylic behind which I can have two tablets on swing out mounts acting as chart plotters or instrument readouts (I'm assuming the latter is somewhat easy to set up). ........
More experienced people's thoughts?

IME, you need three things.
1. Hatch garage
2. Drop in board(s) - clear or otherwise.
3. Dodger - soft or hard, big or small.

Don't leave home without these three. Anything more is simply nice to have.

Once off-shore you really don't need to see instruments / plotters etc from the cockpit; again nice but not essential by any means (IME).

[Paul Kelly]

Originally Posted by Wotname

IME, you need three things.
1. Hatch garage
2. Drop in board(s) - clear or otherwise.
3. Dodger - soft or hard, big or small.

Don't leave home without these three. Anything more is simply nice to have.

Once off-shore you really don't need to see instruments / plotters etc from the cockpit; again nice but not essential by any means (IME).

Absolutely agree with the above. But as you say you will be single-handing, there's one other vital thing you need to add to the above list. That's a reliable form of autohelm or tiller pilot, if you don't already have one.

Even if you have tablets on swinging arms and a sprayhood to shield you and them from the worst the sea can throw at you, you will from time to time need to go below to rest, get a brew and check your charts.

Tablets are wonderful until they fail.

But yes get a sprayhood, you can keep it dropped on deck until you really need it. I spent five hours last 'Summer' motoring one filthy grey Sunday from Cowes to Poole in a F6 from the West. I was very glad of my sprayhood.

[George DuBose]

I don't know if this is the right thread, but I am looking for a way to lock my companionway boards, so if the boat was inverted, they wouldn't fall out.

The locking mechanism would have to be lockable and unlockable from the cockpit and the cabin...

[Paul Kelly]

Originally Posted by George DuBose

I don't know if this is the right thread, but I am looking for a way to lock my companionway boards, so if the boat was inverted, they wouldn't fall out.

The locking mechanism would have to be lockable and unlockable from the cockpit and the cabin...

Many boat companion door locking systems have that. It was possible on my last boat and my current one. I can't give you a lock make I'm afraid, but look on the Internet or go to a good Chandler (if/when you can get out).

[Heathenly Twins]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

His "cruising grounds" is not where most of us would prefer to go, so it needs to be strong. Roger Taylor is special, do watch and read his work.

Please consider a dodger, if not soft, build a hard one. Going to sea without one is painful!!

Yes I do find that style of companionway tempting but I think it would make coastal sailing a lot less pleasant as I like to wedge myself in the forward end of the cockpit against the cabin. My boat has such a high cabin top I can barely see over it as it is. The rare times spray has come over the bow I can just duck slightly. It's a pretty great design as it was intended for the North Sea which typically has steep chop.

I had a dodger on my last boat and it didn't work for beating. I had to look around the side to see forward and got splashed in the face constantly. Mind you, that was a much wetter boat in shallow waters with constant steep seas. I think in order to buy a dodger I'll have to get a lot of seawater in the face first.

I also nearly fell overboard a bunch of times because of the dodger, so that sucked.

[Heathenly Twins]

Originally Posted by Paul Kelly

Absolutely agree with the above. But as you say you will be single-handing, there's one other vital thing you need to add to the above list. That's a reliable form of autohelm or tiller pilot, if you don't already have one.

Even if you have tablets on swinging arms and a sprayhood to shield you and them from the worst the sea can throw at you, you will from time to time need to go below to rest, get a brew and check your charts.

Tablets are wonderful until they fail.

But yes get a sprayhood, you can keep it dropped on deck until you really need it. I spent five hours last 'Summer' motoring one filthy grey Sunday from Cowes to Poole in a F6 from the West. I was very glad of my sprayhood.

Yes, I think the hatch garage will be a brilliant addition and I'll be buying an electric autopilot as well as wind-vane self-steering gear

Yeah I'll probably invest in some paper charts for places I intend to explore thoroughly.

I think if I end up installing a dodger I'll make a rigid one. But that will have to wait for a "I guess the forum members were right" moment, Haha.