Sealing companionway doors

We are liveaboards in southern New England and it is getting cold, Brr.

Is there a product or technique that can be used on the inside of a companionway door to stop the drafts ?
We have replaced the weather stripping over the summer.
I use the clear heat shrinkable plastic on the inside of the windows to stop drafts but the door has difficult geometry.
On my President there is a top cover that slides back and underneath that there are 3' foot high outward double swinging doors.
I would like to find something that is removable and pleasing to the eye.
I will not use Velcro strips.
I would like it to be clear, preferable but not mandatory.

I use gray foam pipe wrap at night or when the door isn't in constant use.

Squeeze it and slip into the space. 2 pieces fit my doors perfect with only a tiny gap.

Makes a huge difference...especially on the windy side.

@Psneeld, will you upload a pic of what it looks like, please? Not for aesthetics, but just to understand exactly how you squeeze it in. We're closing on our trawler next week and i can see a bit of daylight through our companion doorway.

psneeld said:

I use gray foam pipe wrap at night or when the door isn't in constant use.

Squeeze it and slip into the space. 2 pieces fit my doors perfect with only a tiny gap.

Makes a huge difference...especially on the windy side.

Click to expand...

MindiAndPete said:

@Psneeld, will you upload a pic of what it looks like, please? Not for aesthetics, but just to understand exactly how you squeeze it in. We're closing on our trawler next week and i can see a bit of daylight through our companion doorway.

Click to expand...

I'm going to figure out to use this, yet...!

Greetings,
M&P. Welcome aboard. I suspect Mr. ps is using this stuff to simply jam in the cracks:
Armacell Tubolit 1/2 in. x 6 ft. Polyethylene Pipe Wrap Insulation-OEP05838 - The Home Depot

Or you can get similar material in a variety of diameters at HD for cheap. It's called backer rod:

Frost King E/O 3/8 in. x 20 ft. Caulk Saver-C21H - The Home Depot

Just jam it in any cracks similar to the pipe insulation. Both are very soft and deform/compress quite readily.

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
M&P. Welcome aboard. I suspect Mr. ps is using this stuff to simply jam in the cracks:
Armacell Tubolit 1/2 in. x 6 ft. Polyethylene Pipe Wrap Insulation-OEP05838 - The Home Depot

Or you can get similar material in a variety of diameters at HD for cheap. It's called backer rod:

Frost King E/O 3/8 in. x 20 ft. Caulk Saver-C21H - The Home Depot

Just jam it in any cracks similar to the pipe insulation. Both are very soft and deform/compress quite readily.

Click to expand...

Thanks RTF...

The insulation in the first link......squeeze and stuff.

Just bend around corners and stuff a little harder.

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
M&P. Welcome aboard. I suspect Mr. ps is using this stuff to simply jam in the cracks:
Armacell Tubolit 1/2 in. x 6 ft. Polyethylene Pipe Wrap Insulation-OEP05838 - The Home Depot

Or you can get similar material in a variety of diameters at HD for cheap. It's called backer rod:

Frost King E/O 3/8 in. x 20 ft. Caulk Saver-C21H - The Home Depot

Just jam it in any cracks similar to the pipe insulation. Both are very soft and deform/compress quite readily.

Click to expand...

Ooh, thanks and thanks!

I used the poly pipe wrap on the pilothouse doors of my Nauticat 44. It also had unusual angles, thicknesses and a roller track to seal. I was concerned about the aesthetics until the first snowfall. Then it was duct tape and heavy plastic.

The new masking tape can be removed after Months,no problem.

If it seals drafts it gets easier to not notice.

I wish I had a picture but I'm on the road right now. I use bronze metal weather seal. It can be formed to any contour and is saltwater friendly. Available on amazon. It's also aesthetically pleasing.

Deano said:

I wish I had a picture but I'm on the road right now. I use bronze metal weather seal. It can be formed to any contour and is saltwater friendly. Available on amazon. It's also aesthetically pleasing.

Click to expand...

Never heard of it, but looks like it would stop most of the drafts and should last as long as the boat; https://thecraftsmanblog.com/how-to-install-spring-bronze-weatherstripping/

Acheron2010 said:

I used the poly pipe wrap on the pilothouse doors of my Nauticat 44.

Click to expand...

If we ever went back to sail, the Nauticat 44 is one of the boats at the top of my list. Nice cruising boat!