Leaky wheelhouse door - A question for owners of newer GBs please

[BrisHamish]

Hi everyone from Brisbane!

I recently had the wheelhouse door on my 2006 GB 46 re-done with Awlwood and new rubber seals etc. Looks great, but in heavy spray or rain on my recent trip from Brisbane to Sydney and back the wheelhouse door leaks around the top.

The wheelhouse door has a single handle with a lock, and it is wooden so it is inclined to 'bow' a bit and not sit snug tight against the seals at either the top or the bottom of the door even when it is snug tight in the centre near where the lock is.

So I felt the solution was to install a second catch up the top of the door, to pull it in tight against the seal.

Turns out, because my GB is a 'newer' model, the wheelhouse door does in fact already have nice latches built into the top and bottom of the door, no doubt for precisely the reason which caused me to look into this (leaking in heavy rain or spray).

And here is my question for those who know these boats better than I - the latches are each operated by some type of device (a long Allen key perhaps) which slots in through a hole on the inside of the door. Does anyone please know what the device is, or has anyone got one and could photo it for me please? I cannot find anything on my boat which might fit.

Curious question I know, thanks to anyone who may be able to help.

Hamish.

 

[Aquabelle]

Hamish...I think many of us face this issue and I for one will be interested to hear what others have to suggest. Would be good if you could post some pics of your door jambs as they are now, including the rubber seals you have recently installed.

 

[BrisHamish]

Hi to all interested,

So I think I have uploaded the photos.

Turns out a 7/32 Allen key does the trick. I hope the photos show it, the latch that the ‘locks’ fit into slopes inwards such that the more you turn the lock the tighter it pulls the door in at the top and the bottom (and compresses nicely against the seals). So it actually looks to be a very good solution to this issue.

It seems to work a treat.

Anyone who has leaky wheelhouse door in Brisbane and wants to inspect this as a possible solution, pls PM me and you can come have a look.

Hamish.

 

[Insequent]

Hamish
Glad you have a solution that works, at least from the inside.

I see daylight in places around my 1981 vintage wooden pilothouse doors, warped too much to get near door seals in places! Spray has not been much of a problem to date. There is about 0.3m overhang of the pilothouse roof above the door, so rain is generally not an issue either.

One solution, for closing either inside or out, would be to install an 'espagnolette' bolt kit. These things are often used for French doors.

https://www.finerfittings.com.au/category/8301-espagnolette-bolts

Some security screen doors use them also., with internal mechanism.
I don't have a source for marine-type ones....

 

[Aquabelle]

Hi to all interested,

So I think I have uploaded the photos.

Turns out a 7/32 Allen key does the trick. I hope the photos show it, the latch that the ‘locks’ fit into slopes inwards such that the more you turn the lock the tighter it pulls the door in at the top and the bottom (and compresses nicely against the seals). So it actually looks to be a very good solution to this issue.

It seems to work a treat.

Anyone who has leaky wheelhouse door in Brisbane and wants to inspect this as a possible solution, pls PM me and you can come have a look.

Hamish.

Hamish I cannot quite make them out from the photos but I get the idea of the progressively cramping latch from your text. Do you have a name and source for them please ?

 

[Aquabelle]

Ok, I looked into this a bit and I think these are called Compression Latches. Various suppliers but here is one: https://www.southco.com/en/product/hierarchy.html?hid=7315

 

[BrisHamish]

Thank a Aquabelle.

I was on my boat this morning and looked closely at the latches - there is not a name or logo on them anywhere, unfortunately.

Your description of a ‘compression latch’ seems correct - looking at mine carefully today you can see the door being pulled back in firmly against the seal as the latch is turned.

Hamish.