Lock companionway from the inside?

[Cool Beans]

Any ideas on how to accomplish this? I currently try and spend a couple weekends a month out on the boat and wanted to try living aboard over the summer. Right now I lock the companionway closed from the outside and crawl back in the front hatch. It's not too bad for a night or 2 a week. . .but would get old quick if it was a daily thing. . .

It is just a padlock and hasp on the outside. The hatch is a couple layers glass over a 1/4" plywood core. . .the lip which the hasp is bolted to is 1/8" thick fiberglass. . .the boards are 1/2" plywood. I can post pictures if it helps. . .

Anyone who is determined can get in if they wanted, but I'm mainly looking to keep honest people honest

 

[justsomeguy]

Just the thought of having only one way out is quite distressing to me...


We need pictures of your companionway's situation.

 

[Calif. Ted]

You want to lock it while you are inside ?
I don't understand

 

[Rick D]

This Worked For Me

http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=150671

 

[Ross]

Just a lashing with some small stuff would keep visitors out.

 

[RichH]

Here ya go ... one on each far aft end of the companionway hatch, the companionway 'boards' would be kept secure by the closed sliding hatch:

http://shop.sailboatowners.com/prod.php?8200

barrel bolts are pretty standard 'inside locking equipment' on boats that voyage.

 

[centerline]

a sign hanging from the unlocked hasp saying, "this boat is occupied" will keep the honest people honest and nearly all of the dishonest people away from it.... and the ones that want to question the sign, well.... i wouldnt want to be them on my boat...

 

[Chris Patterson]

Cool Bean, I've found the simplest device to be a stick. OK, a small board is best. About 1 inch, by 1 inch thereabouts. Put velcro down one side of it. Put the other piece of velcro running fore and aft on the bottom of the companionway door, so that your "deadbolt" will now wedge between the lip of the sliding door, and the back of the opening, tada. WAY simple and quick to take down in a pinch, and put up as well. Easy enough to store, and in a worse case scenario, you can use the stick to beat Big Tyrone the crackhead all the way back down the dock..

 

[Sailm8]

Similar idea is to use closet pole hardware and a broomstick. Works fine and I wind my charts around the stick.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

You want to lock it while you are inside ?
I don't understand

Me either. In many many cruising miles, and being aboard full time for almost 6 years total, I have never felt the need to lock myself in, either at anchor (where hatches are usually open) or on a dock. All up and down the east coast, and all through the Bahamas

Anchored Hospital Point in Norfolk for three days, hatches wide open.

I sure as the devil wouldn't lock from the outside and crawl through the frront hatch.. Would feel like I was in prison

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

Oh- and if you REALLY feel the need to lock yourself in, take a look at these ideas from James Baldwin on Atom( 2 time circumavigator)

http://www.atomvoyages.com/articles/improvement-projects/243-companionway-1.html

 

[RECESS]

We have a Miniature Schnauzer alarm that sleeps at the base of the companion way steps. We have never locked our sailboats while at anchor or on the dock. Our Schnauzer alarm goes off instantly if someone walks on our deck at the dock, we also feel it. We have never had someone step on our boat unannounced while at anchor, I suspect she (Schnauzer alarm) would come out of her skin barking if they did.

We stay most of the summer on our sailboat.

 

[kito]

I thought about securing the top hatch board while sleeping overnight too but the thought of being closed up on a warm evening doesn't appeal to me. I plan on rigging a velcro screen to keep the bugs out and get some breeze. My Glock 21 will be there to keep the bad guys out

 

[Cool Beans]

Start lengthy and elegant response. . .get distracted. . .come back to finish and hit post. . .

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So, since it is late. . .I will simply thank you guys for your wisdom tonight I will post pictures this weekend.

 

[Chris Patterson]

All kinds of weird stuff, huh? I've always thought it was Phil kicking me out of the loop, hoping I'd forget my password..

 

[zeehag]

i leave hatchesopen while sleeping in safe places.

i CAN use th e included barrel lock on my companionway hatch to lock out bad guy s should i sleep in a bad place. is a good idea. some plaes are not safe for overnight anchoring due to invaders of the 2 legged variety. is a good idea to have a good way to lock self inside boat so others cannot come to hurt you. isnt necessary to use all the time, but is good to have so when needed it is there. i am getting my boat ready to leave mexico for south--need a lock in companionway to be able to work---sturdy screenwork is also a good idea. mark on sea life has a great one he made--and i have hatch screen envy from seeing his.

 

[Jerry Clark H356 SV Persi]

I made a stick from a 1x2 piece of teak that goes in the center of the slide and has a barrel bolt on the stern end of the stick. The forward end of the stick is a"U" and it goes over an inverted "T" mounted to the fiberglass on the forward end of the companionway hole. On the stern end, I mounted the female part of the barrel bolt on my teak rail attached to the lexan slider and the male part of the bolt on the stick. The stick hangs upside down - the bolt end holds it in place- so a release of the barrel bolt is quick, the stick falls away, and it then provides good emergency egress. The stick won't allow the slide to move forward, so the two companionway doors will not open. Only use it when in an unknown public place. It is backed up by a 9mm on board. If I had photo would look easy, sounds much more complicated than it is.

 

[caguy]

You want to lock it while you are inside ?
I don't understand

Dats because you live in Dana Point.

 

[Calif. Ted]

Could be, some folks don't even use locks on the outside.
BTW, if you ever lock yourself out in the rain, you can snap the swivel off the typical hasp in one quick move with a pair of pliers.

 

[Brian S]

I have hatch boards with a hasp, so the boat can be locked from the outside.

I realized one cool day while hanging out below with the hatch boards in, that I became unreasonably paranoid about someone locking the hatch from the outside while I was inside.

So, unless it's raining, I just turn the hatch boards around, so the hasp hangs down on the inside. (There's an angled bevel between the two hatch boards that could allow water to leak inside if the boards are turned around and it's raining.)

Brian