Sealing/Insulating Catalina 30 companionway hatch?

[patrickkidd]

A previous owner of my C30 built a companionway door which is pretty nice. However, there are lots of gaps and slots for cold air to get through, particularly near the top where the companionway hatch meets the door. This creates a noticeable draft when trying to heat the boat.

What have others done to better insulate the companion way? I will do what I can with adhesive weather stripping for the gap in the middle, but I'm stumped on what to do for the top and bottom.

Thanks!

 

[Capt jgw]

One of my screen doors in the house has a sort of brush attached to the bottom that seals against the sill. Doesn't really seal, but does cut down on the draft a lot. That might work on the companionway door too . Look at Home Depot et al.

 

[JohnVTX]

Don't get it too tight. Otherwise your winter moisture issues will increase.

 

[Filledwithjoy]

Did you ever get this figured out? We have the exact same issue but our problem is rain coming into the boat. Would love to hear some ideas. Rags just don't cut it.

 

[patrickkidd]

Did you ever get this figured out? We have the exact same issue but our problem is rain coming into the boat. Would love to hear some ideas. Rags just don't cut it.

Sorry, no fix yet. I would really love one though. It's an awkward mechanical challenge.

 

[Filledwithjoy]

I'm wondering about taking a swim noodle and cutting it to fit into the gaps. I'll let you know.

 

[Bob4203]

We have looked at this problem ever since we bought our 1988 Mark II. We get a lot of wasps and spiders in the boat via that open companionway board slot, which was designed for ventilation. If we install an AC system in the boat (central) we will have to seal that slot, soooooo, we have looked at those new companionway doors to solve the problem, BUT they are pricey.
This is one solution, but I think sealing that slot by adding weather stripping or even fabricating an interior sunbrella shield for the framework with Velcro could be a clean, cost effective solution for the sealing of the interior portion of the companionway with the boards attached. Just throwing out another idea.

 

[Filledwithjoy]

Thank you! We are having a sunbrella cover made for the outside that we will snap in place when we leave. Should work well. Still have an issue when we are at the boat so I think I'll try the weather stripping. For the bottom portion my husband is making a new teak piece that is "taller" to fill that gap.

 

[patrickkidd]

I think that the gap on either side of the hatch near the trim as shown in my second photo is probably the biggest gap, but I am having a hard time imagining weather stripping there since it may make it hard to close (as if it can get any harder). If anyone tries that I would love to see pictures. Actually, I would love to see photos of anyones efforts on any part of this problem. It's a serious problem when it's cold out!

 

[Filledwithjoy]

OK - so I went to home depot and just starting chatting with people. For the small gaps they recommended "Backer Rod". It is a waterproof foam sort of product. (can you tell I'm female and have no idea what I'm talking about??) You could cut it to size and put in or take it out when you needed it. I think it would work for small areas to the left and right of the companionway doors. They also recommended Insulating expanding foam that you would use for windows for the bigger gap. Here is what they said. Cover all sides with a lubricant - he recommended vasoline then spray the foam into the gap. It will expand and harden. When it hardens you can pull it out and it will be a sort of plug and can reuse it. But they stressed making sure to use a lubricant or it will affix itself. Just some other ideas. Now that I'm thinking of it more as a "plug" maybe I'll have some other ideas.

 

[OS2Dude]

I made a similar setup for our previous boat, an O'Day 23. For your's, I recommend putting a strip of teak or other hardwood the full width on the inside at the bottom. Maybe 0.5" or so high, an inch wide. This will do three things: First it will brace the bottom of the doorway in case someone should try to break in. (I put a door slide bolt vertically on the inside of the outer door to lock the bottom.) Second it will brace the door in case you take a wave or something over the stern. Thirdly it will block the draft and rain water from entering that way.

If there is not a strip of wood on the outside of the doors, (Batten) add one. It will make you have to close one side before the other, but it will block the wind and rain from entering at the vertical gap where the doors meet.

I added a piece of aluminum channel that would span the thickness of the door panels to brace the top of the doors against a forced entry. A small cutout allowed it to clear the block there the hasp was mounted.



As far as the top of the companionway, that is what it is. I would NOT do the expanding foam idea. It expands a LOT and will stick very tenaciously to everything it touches. (You, your clothes, anything you did not reach with the 'lubricant', etc.) The backer rod is a better idea, or just stuff some rags or plastic shopping bags up there if the draft is too bad.

Something else you may want to consider: On our 1985 C-30 mk I, the hatch sticks and can be hard to open from the inside. I took the teak trim off the outside by unscrewing it from the inside and added a large 8" stainless drawer pull to the inside. Used round head screws on washers to mount it, so I had to mill out a little wood on the trim piece to fit it with my Dremel. Now at least we have something to pull on to open it when it is sticks.