Night time companionway hatch lock ideas?

[Solemn Silence]

Looking for ideas to install a locking device on the companionway sliding hatch for night use. Hunter 356 with plexiglass sliding hatch. Thanks!

 

[Sail123]

I built this for my Mac 25 because the hasp (gate Latch) was made out of zinc, put on wrong, and bent to make it work. To hide the holes on the material, I added to the structure. Two locks was to give it strength to hold materials on both sides, more so than to lock up the boat. This locks from outside or inside.

I cannot do this to my 32 Aft Cabin as I am trying to make her all original. Her SS hasps are installed correctly.

 

[Buck420]

I use a piece of 3/4" PVC tubing held up by a couple of pieces of velcro.
Same idea as a dowel or 2x2 length of wood that you would use at the base of a sliding glass door at home to prevent it from being opened.

 

[whatfiero]

night time companionway hatch lock

a stick wedged in there keep it simple

 

[noprob2]

I use pvc and I put a chair leg white cap on each end.
Size to snug between hatch teak pull and boat.
Works great and in emergency quick pull down and you are out.
Have anothe one sized to fit and span space under seat walkthru
keeps little people from climbing under seat !

 

[Jerry Clark H356 SV Persi]

I made a special stick with a barrel bolt on one end, the female part attached to the underside of the teak on the companionway slider, and the other end of the stick has a U. I attached a mating inverted T to the fiberglass forward part of the companionway opening. It attaches by using the barrel bolt (stern end) with the forward end (toward the bow) resting on the inverted T. It can't be shaken loose due to the distance between the inverted T and the lexan. The barrel bolt can be unlatched easily and the stick falls out, making a fast exit easy if we need to get out.

I store it under the top step just inside the companionway and above the stairs using a heavy duty hook and loop fastener made by Radio Shack.

If I think about it this weekend, I will make some photos and post them. It was a fast and easy solution.

 

[Bill Roosa]

Please consider the need to leave the vessel quickly. the last thing you want with a boat fire is to be trapped below because the keys to the door are in your pants in the room that is on fire.

 

[Sail123]

Please consider the need to leave the vessel quickly. the last thing you want with a boat fire is to be trapped below because the keys to the door are in your pants in the room that is on fire.

It is key locked on the outside and not key locked on the inside, like a typical dead bolt on a house. Very easy to lock and unlock inside without a key. I have lock smithing experience. If anyone were to want to do this to their boat, show this photo to your locksmith. It is a job to install a deadbolt on an undrilled door, but it is art to do the same thing to a boat entryway and have everything look good afterwards. I would do it again to a boat I was not restoring to original, but it does involve specialty tools, experience and some head scratching.

 

[Mike H.]

Stay somewhere where you're safe. Locking yourself in is dangerous.

 

[Sail123]

Stay somewhere where you're safe. Locking yourself in is dangerous.

Is the easy opening from the inside deadbolts on your house dangerous? Something must be getting lost in communication, nothing dangerous. Lol

Very few nights in the boating season where I personally would like to block the fresh air. AC in plans for dock only.