Winter worthy pilothouse doors?

[MurrayM]

Any tips for keeping blowing snow and c-c-c-cold winter winds from screaming through gaps in pilothouse doors?

Ours are the slide to close in a metal channel groove kind, with lots of play...like about 3/4 of an inch.

Making do for the time being with that round foam backer stuff sold for door and window frames, but would rather deal for it once and for all with a robust, weatherproof solution.

Door is wood, and would prefer not to mess with the look too much, unless the answer is bullet proof.

 

[rochepoint]

We have the same problem, will be very interested in a solution as well. I have been thinking of something like this Straight Brush Mountings

 

[Xsbank]

Pool noodles; the answer is always pool noodles.

I have the same issue - I am going to experiment with a strip of starboard on the outside of the channels to hold the door closer to the house. It won't make it airtight but it will tighten the gap.

 

[MurrayM]

It's only -7C here (20F) and it must've taken a good 15 minutes to break into our boat today. The door was frozen to the metal base plate that it's supposed to slide on because of snow that had blown up against the door, some of which melted, then ran under the door before it froze again. Grrrrrrrrrrr

Will bring a can of lock de-icer next time.

The flip side of not being able to get in fast is that one day, for any number of unpalatable reasons, we may want to get out of the boat really fast!

 

[psneeld]

I use 1" pipe insulation...it squeezes in and fits perfectly...2 per door and there's only about a 2" space that doesn't get filled on the bottom....makes a huge diff!

We mostly only use the one door but it only takes about 30 seconds per door to stuff or remove..actually about 10 seconds once you have done it enough.

 

[markpierce]

No problem with unwelcome drafts coming through these doors (rubber gaskets and dogs):

 

[MurrayM]

Nice doors for sure Mark. Sadly, ours will have to be sliding doors.

Currently scouring the web for hanging sliding doors with mechanism(s) that pull door tight against pilothouse...

 

[markpierce]

One benefit of wide decks is that hinged doors "work" and they are easily made weather-tight as compared to sliding doors. (Am I gloating?)

 

[healhustler]

Yes, you are gloating, Mark. But you know, I was actually thinking about going with the sliding doors on my own boat. I think you guys convinced me to keep the swinging dutch doors I've got. If it ain't broken......

 

[MurrayM]

One benefit of wide decks is that hinged doors "work" and they are easily made weather-tight as compared to sliding doors. (Am I gloating?)

That's okay...I live perched on the edge of Paradise;

Google 'Kitimat', click on satellite photo, pan out to see surrounding area, mop drool from floor

 

[Brooksie]

I was able to use this stuff to make a big improvement on my sliders.
Garage Door Weatherstrip | Gossen
I got mine at the lumberyard. It's plastic with a molded-in vinyl flap.

 

[Pack Mule]

Yes, you are gloating, Mark. But you know, I was actually thinking about going with the sliding doors on my own boat. I think you guys convinced me to keep the swinging dutch doors I've got. If it ain't broken......

I'm rebuilding my sliders right now . I wish I had enough side deck for hinged doors . I'm a couple inches to narrow . Mine were just hanging on and barely at that .

 

[Phil Fill]

For the pilot house door i used domestic/dirt door bottom weather stripping that is screwed to the side of the sliding door that acts like a windshield wiper. For the pilot house doors we do not use we also have a canvas cover that are snapped on the frame. The salon sliding door, the stern is canvas enclosed which reduces the raft, I made it into a pocket door, and have weather stripping on the fame the door closes on for a tight seal.

 

[fryedaze]

That's okay...I live perched on the edge of Paradise;

Google 'Kitimat', click on satellite photo, pan out to see surrounding area, mop drool from floor

OK, I looked it up. Very interesting place on the planet. I must be awesome in the summer. Then I looked up the weather up there for the next ten days. 1C to 4C almost no change from high to low each day. A little cool for me.

 

[fryedaze]

One benefit of wide decks is that hinged doors "work" and they are easily made weather-tight as compared to sliding doors. (Am I gloating?)

Sure its nice to have those WIDE decks, but look at all the cabin space you gave up.

 

[markpierce]

Sure its nice to have those WIDE decks, but look at all the cabin space you gave up.

Don't need/want the extra space. Besides, the fuel and water tanks are directly under the decks. Floors (except for the pilothouse) are below water level.

 

[FF]

2 inch wide masking tape should cover most of the air leaks.

 

[MurrayM]

I'm picking up some good tips...thanks.

The main problem is that the doors aren't on rollers; the bottom edge just glides along a metal base strip in the channel groove it rests in. When moisture is present in the channel groove and the temperature drops below freezing the door gets frozen in place.

The solution I'm tending towards will be a sliding 'barn door hung from rollers on a bar' variant, with a latch system that pulls the door (with weatherstripping) snugly against the pilothouse. Will also use them thar brush units to shed rain and snow.

 

[Xsbank]

Mine slide on starboard. I'll find out in an hour or so if they freeze shut!

 

[Phil Fill]

I'm picking up some good tips...thanks.

The main problem is that the doors aren't on rollers; the bottom edge just glides along a metal base strip in the channel groove it rests in. When moisture is present in the channel groove and the temperature drops below freezing the door gets frozen in place.

The solution I'm tending towards will be a sliding 'barn door hung from rollers on a bar' variant, with a latch system that pulls the door (with weatherstripping) snugly against the pilothouse. Will also use them thar brush units to shed rain and snow.

I screwed some UHMW strips on each side of the groove for the metal bar the door slides on. So the door does not ride on the mtal bar.

 

[SaltyDog]

Mineral oil has a freeze point of -22F. Lubricates as well. Does not evaporate (relatively).

Oh yeah - cheap.

 

[MurrayM]

Mineral oil has a freeze point of -22F. Lubricates as well. Does not evaporate (relatively).

Oh yeah - cheap.

Thanks...temperature will be just above freezing for the next few days, so I'll give that a try before the next cold snap