When to Batten Down the Hatches ?

[svHyLyte]

To hold the drop-boards in place on our boat we have small pad eyes beneath the inside sill on either side of the companion way and hammock hooks oriented up-wards on either side of the top of the lower drop-board and the bottom of the upper drop board. With this arrangement, we use 1/4" diameter shock cord hooked to the sill pad eyes and stretched over the lower drop-board hooks if only one board is needed or the hooks on the upper board if both are required. The tensile load of the shock-cord is more than sufficient to hold the drop-boards in place yet allow the boards to be lifted without undue difficulty when necessary.

FWIW,,,

[zeehag]

if enough water comes over my fomosa to get into the companionway, i am in more serious trouble than open hatches. lol. i have doors there and a bit of an elevation between the cockpit sole and the entrance to inside cabin . and more freeboard than god...the oerforance cruiser onboard which i was pooped by a quartering sea had an elevation to the companionway as well, and the sea didnt find its way inside that way--- it sloshed into the cabin space via the cockpit lazarette doors on top --on which we sit during normal seas and sailing conditions--next to yanmar engine. they were dogged tight as possible, but the rain gutters allow water into boat. salt water inside a boat is less damaging than fresh water inside a boat. unless your interior is mahogany. mahogany diesnt like any kind of water. teak dislikes fresh water. rots well in it
' but teak loves salt water and thrives on it .

[David_Old_Jersey]

YouTube - Seadog - self-stowing Washboards

I've posted it before, but............

[goboatingnow]

Just a point, In a knock down in my experience, its the crew on deck that get injured, not those below ( in general, if all is well stowed). IN a roll over the crew on deck can get really stuffed.

If you have a decent bridgedeck ( sadly missing in most modern yachts) you can sail a little longer with the companion way open, I like MarkJ tend to sail with teh hatch pulled over , but rarely with the full length washboard in as it make access to the cockpit really slow and handling these heavy full sized washboards is a PITA.

Dave

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Just a point, In a knock down in my experience, its the crew on deck that get injured, not those below ( in general, if all is well stowed). IN a roll over the crew on deck can get really stuffed.

If you have a decent bridgedeck ( sadly missing in most modern yachts) you can sail a little longer with the companion way open, I like MarkJ tend to sail with teh hatch pulled over , but rarely with the full length washboard in as it make access to the cockpit really slow and handling these heavy full sized washboards is a PITA.

Dave

Then do what the rest of us do... convert it to 3 parts.... or 2 even... easy to hop over to make a coffee... unless your old n stuffed

[Bash]

In three meter seas the main hatch is still open, by the time the seas build to four meters, it is closed.

[goboatingnow]

Then do what the rest of us do... convert it to 3 parts.... or 2 even... easy to hop over to make a coffee... unless your old n stuffed

Thats even more of a PITA and not easy to hop over as thers no place to land on except the first step going down, to easy to fall

Dave

[Auspicious]

Boat rule on my boat, and on my deliveries, is that the watch in the cockpit should pull the top board for anyone coming up. It's courteous and safer.

[capt_douglas]

I've always prepared for the worst - hatches and portlights closed and dogged, drawers secured and things put away. If the weather's nice I'll have the dorades open and one washboard in. If I reef then it's time for both washboards and closing the companionway hatch. I find it far more enjoyable to head down to a dry interior than skate along in the water, wondering how I'm going to get the salt out of ....

I dislike wet bedding and items clunking and clanking.

[sailingaway221]

Just before I get scared is a great time ! Just after I get scared is usually a little late!

[Chief Engineer]

If you are going to close things up have a CO detector onboard

[sabray]

THe ugliest weather Ive been in and I can't remember what we did with the companion way. I m sure the boards were in as the cockpit was getting a foot plus of water when the waves rolled over I think we just slid the hatch over. Which seems pretty dumb considering that rolling the boat was a matter of the watch screwing the pooch on every roller. I have no idea what would have happened had we rolled but the hatch would have most likely opened up but maybe not. No deck hatches or ports were open. The wind was tagging around 85 knots. Even with all that shut it was wet below I think my bunk was dry but everything we wore after the 3rd day was damp or drenched.
On the chesapeake here I didn't shut things up tight. were healed but its not a squall just really good sailing.

[barnakiel]

We sail with the washboard in, but the hatch open. In real rough conditions we will sometimes slide the hatch closed (not locked). Otherwise we count on drivers good reflexes if a wave elects to pass over us rather than under us.

I think, if I were alone, I would slide the hatch shut any time I were down below, sleeping. (Well, maybe except for those calm and flat nights in the tropics).

b.

[ozskipper]

If there is anychance of a knockdown, all entryways should be locked in place. Make sure there is a system in place where anyone trapped inside can get out in a hurry if needed. Obivously, you would close it in rainy weather anyway.

[rebel heart]

Maybe I'm the only guy who gets humidity in the boat but often when it's raining and you have wet gear inside the idea of keeping everything locked up is just crazy. The boat turns into a sauna. If you need to keep things locked up to prevent water egress or spray that makes sense but don't treat leaving the harbor like rounding Cape Horn.