Cuddy Doors

[pjk170]

Hi,

Can anyone point me in the direction on how to make new cuddy doors. We just bought a DSII and the doors are pretty weathered, the layers are separating and bowing.

Also, does anyone know the general dimensions for the boom crutch??

Thanks!

Paul

[Roger]

I think the length of the boom crutch was 54". The one I had fit into the rudder gudgeons. there is a scissor type as well. The dimensions were 1 x 2 and about 54".

As for the cuddy doors, I finally replaced mine with a sheet of plastic fiberboard, although initially I made it from a single piece of plywood. You could use the old ones for a pattern if that is the style you want. I installed side slides and a bottom sill much in the style of a traditional companionway. I can send you detail pics if you want, but not the measurements unfortunately.

To measure, I had a buddy hold a large piece of cardbord in place while I traced the opening on the inside of it (from inside). I cut out the cardboard and transferred it to a piece of mahogany plywood. my e-mail is roger02 att mts dott net if you want to see pictures.

[talbot]

And, of course, you can buy these parts from D&R. See how much time you want to put into it and compare the price.

I'm curious if anyone has tried to make a watertight door for the DS II tp use underway in rough conditions. In the thread on capsizing, veterans of turtlings and swampings testified that the big problem is the flooded cabin.

You can't totally seal the DSII because of the openings for the CB pennants. But having a hatch would help. The standard doors don't even keep out the rain, and I've never used them for anything except keeping stray cats and nosy dockwalkers out of the cabin when berthed.

[Roger]

I have succeeded at a dry cuddy by beveling the sil, beveled louvers on the hatch and channeled side pieces that keep out rain water. The link to the detail of the upper right portion of the hatch shows a lip that covers the top to keep rain out.



I've tried to upload a picture of the whole hatch, but my file must be corrupted or too large as I continue to get an error message. I'll keep trying, but in the meantime the above is my contribution to the thread. I did sleep aboard once, and ended up removing the hatchboard during the night as it was too hot inside. I replaced in about 4 in the morning when the night had cooled down some. The hatch was lockable and was great for keeping gear aboard so that I did not have to transport it each time. My boat was slipped at a marina during the season.

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[talbot]

Thanks, Roger. I think I may have the picture, either from your book or from another post on the forum. My concern was not actually rain. (I found a boom tent worked OK for that, and also kept the cockpit cleaner.) I was thinking more in terms of disaster -- the boat on its side, solid water pouring over the gunwale, etc.

In accounts elsewhere on the forum, survivors of knockdowns who had to be rescued said they might have been able to right and bail the boat, if only they had a few minutes before the cabin flooded. The new DS I's have a sealing hatch; I was wondering if it's possible to do the same with the DS II bulkhead. It's a big expanse; maybe there's no way to get a seal for that big an area, given the flex of both the boat and the hatch. But I wondered if anyone had tried.