We got to thinking about keeping the boat secure at anchor and in port. The main companionway door-boards should be both light and strong. I’m thinking I’ll make them from foam core with some carbon fiber, and add plate aluminum as a security measure. And for warm nights / extra ventilation we’ll fabricate open pattern boards, perhaps with vertical rods that spin so they are difficult to saw. Today we roughed in the door tracks; these are much beefier than what I see commonly. Half inch metal, and the screw heads will disappear under the final finish work.

In that photo you can also see the companionway grab-handle detail. I built the frame today for the aft cabin hatch, and as a side project made up some decorative wood inserts to make a ‘similar but different’ look for the aft entryway. All of this was after deciding to build a traditional sliding hatch and boards, rather than buying a big hinged glass hatch. Those run over $500, and would open up right in the path of the tiller arm. The slider should prove safer and more versatile for ventilation and privacy options. And hopefully everyone will enjoy the looks of the woodworking :)