Swinging Door vs Sliding Door

[delmarrey]

I'm in the process of putting in a forward bulkhead, on this old racer, to build in a full size head/shower (stbd) and hanging locker (port). I'm considering putting in a sliding door for the head and hanging locker but was wondering if there are any disadvantages and why One doesn't see them much in the boating market.


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[daddle]

Had an athwartship sliding door on the old Cal 36. That thing was lethal in a sea. But it was heavy. The fore-aft sliding door on the SC50 head is light and not-lethal.

I replaced the Cal 36 slider with a curtain. Light and pretty.

[delmarrey]

Lethal! Yeah, I've considered that. I would put in a good locking device. But these would slide fore & aft.

[bobconnie]

I put two sliders in my colvin, both of them were Pocket doors in that they sild into the Bulkhead, and latched in both directions. one could do it with framework and save some wood work. We liked them mostly because you could leave them open at sea till ya needed them, or shut and latched if ya prefer! easy to slide and we never found them to be unsafe, and quite because of the latchs keep them from rattleing or slaming ! sounds like a good idea to us LOL

[delmarrey]

I have a source for some ball bearing SS drawer sliders. I'm thinking one on the top face and another on the bottom face. A nice smooth action without the rattle.

[SkiprJohn]

I'd like to know how the installation goes if you decide to go this route. I've been considering it for the head door also. The thwartship doors will be singers but the fore and aft could definitely be a slider.
kind regards,

[hellosailor]

del, I've seen some accordion-type folding doors used. That's common in the RV industry as well.

Hinged door, easy, conventional. Sliding door...you find out that you can't put a coathook or anything else on the wall it runs on. Or it bangs around in a seaway. No reason why you couldn't have tracks at both top & bottom on a boat though.

Sometimes the hinged door is set up so it becomes a "partition wall" opening up the space but giving privacy when it is open. Looks like that wouldn't apply to you and the only question is, will a "barn door" be a nuisance because it blocks off the rest of the bulkhead when it is open? No pictures, no barometer, can't hang anything where it will slide.

[SabreKai]

I think you mostly see swing doors because they can serve two purposes. Mine close off the head and locker but then swing to close off the main cabin from forward with the head or the foreward cabin from the main and head.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

del, I've seen some accordion-type folding doors used. That's common in the RV industry as well.

Hinged door, easy, conventional. Sliding door...you find out that you can't put a coathook or anything else on the wall it runs on. Or it bangs around in a seaway. No reason why you couldn't have tracks at both top & bottom on a boat though.

Sometimes the hinged door is set up so it becomes a "partition wall" opening up the space but giving privacy when it is open. Looks like that wouldn't apply to you and the only question is, will a "barn door" be a nuisance because it blocks off the rest of the bulkhead when it is open? No pictures, no barometer, can't hang anything where it will slide.

I've planed the door for the head to be on the inside so the shower can't shoot threw the seams, But the one for the hanging locker would be on the outside to keep the extra space inside.

The cutout from the fwd bulkhead will be faired in and fit to the hole after the trims are installed to create an closure for emergency situations or just to keep the inside a bit more attractive.

Each bulkhead will be fairly water tight to the next. So, if I ever get holed I'll be able to shut it off and deal with just that compartment. I'll have a bilge pump in each compartment. Everything aft of the main bulkhead will be the main concern.