My dog is getting old and has developed arthritis in his hips and it is a real struggle getting him on and off of the boat. I took the decision to cut a door into the side of my boat.
I first researched other boats that had after market doors fitted and went about finding out what needed to be done prior to just attacking the side or transom with a jigsaw.
The second item on my list was how would the hole affect the structural integrity of my boat. I had initially intended to cut a transom door figuring that due to the width of the boat being much less than the length there would be less structural stress applied to the area where the strong gunwale holding the boat together would be compromised. Also this would be mitigated by adding additional stringers and supports to reinforce the area around the doorway. After further discussions with laminators who did this sort of thing for a living I was informed that having a doorway in the side of my boat would have no more negative affect structurally than a transom door as the keel running the length of the boat would still support the main structure of the vessel and that the doorway only coming partway down from the gunwale would not have too much effect on the hull especially when properly supported by additional stringers. Also if the doorway was further back than midships there would be less stress on the area in heavy seas as the weight if the engine would be on the same side of the opening as the weight of the main mass of the boat reducing the effect of the boat trying to break its back (keel).
A side door on reflection would be much more practical for me and my dog boarding and disembarking while on a pontoon and in fact getting in and out of the dinghy when needing to go ashore for exercise would also work just as well. This would leave more seating area at the stern and create less upheaval when needing to use the door.
Starting The Work
I first measured the area I wanted to cut out and marked out the proposed site of the doorway. After several repositioning’s taking into account where the current handrail supports attached to the gunwale and where the openings in the awning were located.
I finally decided on a door position and height which tied in with the height of the boat deck and the pontoon height.
I then bought an 8’ x 4’ sheet of 18mm marine ply and cut out two u shaped doorways that were 60mm thick and screwed them together to make a 60mm x 36cm doorframe. Then rather than use the cutouts as the actual door I cut a new piece of 12mm Marine Ply about 5mm smaller than the original cut outs and used this as the actual door.
Then I engaged the services of an experienced laminator to laminate the two u-shaped ply pieces together and then laminate them into position on the inside of the hull.
Once the frame was secure and cured the laminator cut out the door way which was 80mm smaller than the laminated frame. This section of the hull and gunwale was then laminated to the 12mm plywood cutout. The door was then secured into position by four flat sliding bolt latches. A rubber seal was attached to the opening to make the whole set up watertight.
I attached a stainless-steel handrail on the inside to assist with lifting the door in and out as it turns out the door itself with the plywood and cutout section of the hull and gunwale are a lot heavier than I had imagined they would be. This is mostly down to the heavy lay up and build of my boat.
The end result is I now have a useable door in the side of my boat and my dog is able to get on and off without any worries at all we even took him out to test getting in and out of the dinghy, and while I was getting the outboard ready to put on the dinghy I turned round to find he had climbed in by himself without any encouragement or assistance. After a short trip around the anchorage, he stepped effortlessly back aboard.
The Door is not really finished and during the next out of the water refurb I will get the laminator back to add some finishing touches to make the opening a bit more aesthetically pleasing. However for now I am just happy to have a boat that I can enjoy and my wife and dog can enjoy as well.
