Secondary escape route

Have you ever considered how you would get out of your sleeping quarters if you couldn't go through the salon?
Many aft cabins have an exit to the rear but what about all the others with forward quarters as much a a full deck below?
No way I'm fitting through an 18" deck hatch, if there is one.

The KK42 has an "escape hatch" above the berth in the forward master state room, but you really need a ladder to use it properly...unless the rising water level pushes you out. It is a problem if there is a vessel fire.

I know one owner who has installed a telescoping reboarding ladder for this purpose.

Jim

I never thought of it as such until the surveyor called the hatch over the V berth an "escape hatch". I have never used it as such but once I was in severe weather and realized that a line had been left on a bow cleat and was now overboard and might possibly get tangled in the prop so rather than walking the side deck I went though the hatch to secure it.


You might try it to see if it you could fit through in an emergency.

We sleep up forward and I just measured our "escape" hatch; 13" by 18". I hope we never need it!

I've tried the "escape hatch" that's over the forward berth and even an old, overweight gummer like me can fit up through there.

Abyc h-3

Boatpoker that is well and good but 18" is not going to work for most in this country.

I am not going to get my shoulders thru the listed requirements.

On my boat there is only one way out for me, my wife MIGHT be able to get out of the hatch if I help and she is 5' 8" and 127 lbs.

Doomed I tell you.

Fear is a powerful motivator.... that said, if you don't fit through an 18" hatch you 1: Lose weight or 2: Get a bigger hatch.

This is not rocket surgery.

Yes, every boat, house, RV I've owned I've asked the question.... "what if" ????

Larry M said:

We sleep up forward and I just measured our "escape" hatch; 13" by 18". I hope we never need it!

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The only time I used the "escape hatch" was to "Inscape". I left my boat key at home. It was a tight fit alright.


Jim
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Perhaps, one of these days I should attempt to transit the forward cabins' hatch to see if it's possible. And if that is not possible, what should be done? So far, the hatch provides natural light enter the cabin.

markpierce said:

Perhaps, one of these days I should attempt to transit the forward cabins' hatch to see if it's possible. And if that is not possible, what should be done? So far, the hatch provides natural light enter the cabin.

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Well, if you're comfortable with one way out...... don't worry about it.

JDCAVE said:

The only time I used the "escape hatch" was to "Inscape". I left my boat key at home. It was a tight fit alright.


Jim
Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

Click to expand...

That's a thought!

JDCAVE said:

The only time I used the "escape hatch" was to "Inscape". I left my boat key at home.

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Why bother locking it up if you are going to leave a hatch unsecure and tell us all?

I know the Fleming 55 has a dedicated escape hatch and ladder built into the forward cabin.

Our Nova sundeck has the same size escape hatches in the bow and in the transom. We fit through both easily.

Some PO had removed the escape hatch on the sundeck on our boat. One of the first things that I did was cut it open and installed a hatch. It is somewhat in the way on the sundeck, but I don't fit out through any of the port holes in the aft cabin, so we will just have to live with it being under foot on the sundeck. Yes I can get out through the new hatch pretty easily.

Our previous boat, a 35' Senator, had three escape hatches...one in the stateroom, one in salon, and one in the galley. Our current boat, 42' Navigator, really doesn't have any. There is a hatch in the forward stateroom that could be an escape. The main living area has sliding doors and windows. Nothing in what we consider the master stateroom, amidships.

Great question though.....if you turn turtle, how are you getting out?

A young liveaboard couple burned to death on their boat about three years ago when a fire in an old condo boathouse in our harbor started to burn and took all twenty boats inside it with it.

The couple's boat had a main door and and an aft cabin door. When the noise and flames and smoke awakened them the fire was too far along to let them get out through the main cabin door.

But.... they were in the process of doing some work on their boat and had piled materials and other stuff outside and on top of the aft cabin door and so could not get it opened. They burned to death while they were on their phones begging friends for help.

So having mutiple means of leaving your boat is a great idea but they won't do any good if you can't use them.

Great question though.....if you turn turtle, how are you getting out?

Guess we'll need to find space for a moon-pool.

Ted

We all have an ending....

Jetstream said:

I know the Fleming 55 has a dedicated escape hatch and ladder built into the forward cabin.

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Yes, that is a pretty nifty rig and great forward thinking.

Because we leave our escape hatch on our Krogen 42 open 24/7 we have installed a bar across the hatch to prevent someone from entering while we are off the boat. Unlocking the bar and removing it is a nightly routine before we go to bed. Since both of us are short we have step stool next to the berth to climb into the berth. The step stool would make it easier to get out of the hatch.

Not perfect but a fairly decent arrangement, and the hatch provides a nice breeze.

We have a tarp which is fitted over the foredeck to prevent rain from coming in the hatch. The tarp is high enough off the deck that we can crawl under the tarp if we needed to escape.

Hawgwash said:

No way I'm fitting through an 18" deck hatch, if there is one.

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I can fit through a 20" square hatch, but have not tried an 18". I can't see that it would be a problem though if you go through one arm first, not sideways.

What size hatches do others have that they can fit through?

Hawgwash said:

Have you ever considered how you would get out of your sleeping quarters if you couldn't go through the salon?
Many aft cabins have an exit to the rear but what about all the others with forward quarters as much a a full deck below?
No way I'm fitting through an 18" deck hatch, if there is one.

Click to expand...

Lose some weight..?

"Great question though.....if you turn turtle, how are you getting out?"

Swimming thru the huge holes where the picture windows or wooden doors used to be.

A knock down would do major damage , never mind a full rollover.

and for many a comber breaking on deck would probably be a life or death situation.

Love the loose weight comments, like we are all one size only some are fat.


Next time someone speaks of needing help changing battery's I will suggest to them lifting weight and getting in shape and not being a skinny man.

SCOTTEDAVIS said:

Boatpoker that is well and good but 18" is not going to work for most in this country.

I am not going to get my shoulders thru the listed requirements................

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The diagonal measurement is larger. I suggest trying to see if you can fit through before there's an emergency. You might also put your arms through first.

The Monk MC 42 has no escape path in the aft cabin. A friend with the same boat stages a hammer in the aft cabins so he can smash out the aft stationary windows to get out.

boatpoker said:

Abyc h-3

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How old is that reg.? My 1989 boat in no way meets it.

Hi Scott, what do you think about those fold-up helm chairs? I have a pilothouse which is rather tight, but it's interesting to think that I could reduce the depth of the PH and still have proper seating. I'm losing about 2ft because of the need to walk behind the helm chairs.

SCOTTEDAVIS said:

Next time someone speaks of needing help changing battery's I will suggest to them lifting weight and getting in shape and not being a skinny man.

Click to expand...

Interesting idea. Next time I hit the gym I'll suggest they buy some 8D's instead of the big Eleikos!