How strong are your doors and windows

The Coot's doors and windows seem to be over-built compared to most other recreational boats. Still, I don't regret them.

The rest of the question is "how strong is the structure the doors and windows are mounted in ?"

The reinforcement of the joint between PH and the vessels deck is also a concern.

Imagine the vessel being picked up and dropped on its side , a breaking wave coming aboard is moving so might have more force.

Wonder why blue water boats cost 3X brown water , this is part of the answer.

Remember the engine and everything else has to stay in place during a wave hit..

FF said:

Imagine the vessel being picked up and dropped on its side , a breaking wave coming aboard is moving so might have more force.

Remember the engine and everything else has to stay in place during a wave hit..

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Until the "big one" splits the San Andreas fault there isn't much chance of breaking waves on the rivers and inland waters around that area.

Plywood and drywall screws could be used to build safe and dependable boats for the bay and delta.

Yes the Coot is built more solidly than most of the rest of us. More Diesel Duck-ish in finishing touches.

Mark - I hope that is an old photo and you don't still have the delivery plastic covers on your seats.

1/2 temper glass windows up front I don't every want to have to patch up one in storm.

AusCan said:

Yes the Coot is built more solidly than most of the rest of us. More Diesel Duck-ish in finishing touches.

Mark - I hope that is an old photo and you don't still have the delivery plastic covers on your seats.

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Makes also me smile;

I have been told that these windows were knocked in many years ago coming into the bay when it was prawning.

maxhopper502 said:

I have been told that these windows were knocked in many years ago coming into the bay when it was prawning.

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I love your table!

The door on my boat (GB) is built similarly to an average house door nothing special and I doubt it is robust. That said, I haven't heard of a GB having any issues with it. If I was in the market for an ocean crosser then I will accept the compromise to have an ugly robust door that looks like it belongs in a submarine. They should make these doors to where it can take a wood veneer on the inside. Just sayin.

The Diamond Seaglaze doors and windows on our Nordic Tug are very solid. It is amazing how quiet it is inside once we close them. We often get comments from people when they come aboard and see the stern door from the cockpit (the one we use the most). Makes the boat feel like a small ship, but I hope to never find out just how strong they are.

AusCan said:

Mark - I hope that is an old photo and you don't still have the delivery plastic covers on your seats.

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The first two photos were taken before the Coot was shipped to the States.

RickB said:

Plywood and drywall screws could be used to build safe and dependable boats for the bay and delta.

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Please tell us more about your SF Bay experience and safe boat-building theories.

Maybe Rick is eluding to the San Fransisco Pelican. Certainly known for its rough water capabilities...

FlyWright said:

Please tell us more about your SF Bay experience and safe boat-building theories.

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More than a few years of sailing in and out of the Bay to Oakland, Hunters Point, Richmond and through Carquinez in all weather and seasons.

There isn't a lot of heavy seas or white water on the rivers around that area so paddeling a cement trough would probably work just as well as a steel hulled boat with forward slanted windows and ocean rated doors on the days when toyboat drivers venture out.

HOME MADE BOAT 3 SHEETS OF PLYWOOD 2 TUBES OF LIQUID NAILS AND A GALLON OF FIBERGLASS - YouTube

For those into electric propulsion, take a look at this one. It's the best of both worlds, built of plywood and you can use the screwdriver to power it when you are done!

Mark, Coot's doors and windows will be well suited if you find yourself in rough conditions when we exit the gate. If my boat goes down due to its flimsy doors and windows, it's comforting to know you'll be there still floating for the rescue.

Buddy boats

Recent dismastings in the Delta:

Latitude 38 - 'Lectronic Latitude

markpierce said:

The Coot's doors and windows seem to be over-built compared to most other recreational boats. Still, I don't regret them.

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Why would anybody regret over-built doors and windows?

Nsail said:

Why would anybody regret over-built doors and windows?

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RickB?

markpierce said:

RickB?

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Who said anything about "overbuilt" doors and windows? Not me.

I just said that a cement trough or something built of plywood and drywall screws would serve quite well in the inland waters of the Sacramento delta, Carquinez Strait, and SF Bay in the conditions most toyboaters choose to recreate.

If you really want "bragging rights" or need assurance you can survive anything the river can throw at you, there might be a USCG 47'MLB on the market some day. Or if you want to project a real manly image, you can grab one of these right now:

For Sale- TYNES

Why would anybody regret over-built doors and windows?

Sea rated exterior doors and windows would be purchased from a source , not shop created by most boat assemblers.

As bigger costs way more, the chances are the doors will be small and a PIA for an inshore cruiser.

Stooping ,ducking and turning sideways is not an adventure when dragging groceries aboard.

Many Nordys suffer from this hassle.

FF said:

Sea rated exterior doors and windows would be purchased from a source , not shop created by most boat assemblers.

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You have a good point. Seahorse just says the doors and windows are "commercial grade" they don't say they are sourced from a supplier of approved doors and windows that meet any recognized standard. They may be nothing more than cheaply built Chinese knock-offs that project the image their customers place above function.

FlyWright said:

Please tell us more about your SF Bay experience and safe boat-building theories.

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OH!~ They're theories?
OK!

What brand of doors and windows are on your personal boat, RickB? Where was it built?

Stong enough for a Dock Queen!

Since Ed Munk desinged originally as built they were fine. However after 32 years the structure might no be, but the glass certainly is for what it was desinged for. I think sturcture would be more of a concern than the window/glass?

FlyWright said:

What brand of doors and windows are on your personal boat, RickB? Where was it built?

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The doors are really cheap, lightweight, mahogany and teak things probably made in a sidewalk shop in Kaoshiung not far from where the boat was made.

The windows are tempered safety glass probably equivalent to the side windows on a car. The front windows are thicker tempered safety glass that is probably stronger than the wood frames that hold them.

They survived a few years of running from NYC out to the "canyons" and back from fishing excursions with the previous owner. They are certainly adequate for the ICW and mucking about near coastal on nice days.

Why do you ask?

Ply 1 inch.

Had water on deck plenty of times , and the door would not be my issue. The water load , on deck , headed into the next amount of water could be. In heavy weather.

Just gotta keep it closed. Glass is not as tough as ply. Glass ( windows )when twisted break real easy. Like what happens on the older FRP boats that have the Fly bridge supported by the glass glued to the light frames. As an example.

Fix the window leaks on such to protect the structure from failure.

From my experience limited as they are its the flex or the twisting of the boat / cabin, that takes out windows and door locks more so than the actual hit from water. While pleasure cruising the coast.

Mark - some questions and request for you on Ducktalk.

Mark – I give applause to your strongly constructed Coot! Now, go enjoy the mellow bay and delta cruising... that’s what it’s all about in this fantastic geographic area of America!

Heck – how many times do you hear of any pleasure boat going down cause the windows and doors were too simply flimsy to handle the seas??? Anyone who in these days of superb weather forecasting gets trapped in a sea that bad-ass should have better learned how to plan trips per the now instantly available weather predictions.

Before today’s plethora of weather prediction availabilities; 1950’s, 60’ I’ve been in some nasty seas on New England coast, in a few different makes of boats. Once at about age 12, as unexpected storm arose and we were off shore, my dad spent well over an hour getting quick as possible into Boston Harbor with breaker-white caps sometimes pounding the flying bridge. Damn good thing she was hell-a stout boat with sturdy superstructure and thick-stiff salon widows.

But – that ain’t how it is in SF Bay/Delta... specially in these days of very accurate weather forecasts!

Taken from ducktalk.net:


Seahorse Marine,
Zhuhai, China

posted 05 June 2013 19:0205 June 2013 19:02In early April David King and Jef Appel brought David's Diesel Duck 462 up from La Paz to the SF Bay area for a boat show. It was a rough trip according to Jef's note below (Jef's new 462 is the next Duck to be launched).

Off Point Reys there was only one other boat out there, an 80' tug. It sunk.

The 1300 mile trip was terrible! 17-20 foot breaking very steep short interval head seas with 30-40 knots of wind, down to 3 SOG knots at times. We were two days late to the boat show. We used bouyweather.com for our forecasts. Never again, they were completely wrong. The weather deteriorated very quickly. We could not head to a safe harbor (east) to wait the weather out because it would have meant exposing the boat broadside to these breaking swell for a long period of time. It was either head into them (north) or run with them (south). That is the bad news.

The good news is that the boat handled it with no problems. Imagine waves constantly breaking against the bow and on the salon roof and slamming against the pilothouse windows. The boat would go up the steep swells after shrugging off the last breaking swell and drop off of the back side with the bow down and then have another wave immediately break over the bow again. I am completely satisfied the boat can handle most anything. I am glad the flushdeck Duck design does not have the deep sidedecks and deep cockpit of my last yacht. That could have been a major problem with the breaking swells.

Bill Kimley