Tugmuts Archive dog-proofing cockpit doors

[strangecrew]

As a very new owner of an R-29s, I've identified a potential dog danger for the smaller critters in the cockpit door. Yes, it latches open or closed but it's possible to prop it open without the latch catching and I've already seen the door swing quickly back to the frame with wind or movement on the boat. With two smaller dogs, I can see that the door swinging shut at the wrong time could be very bad for them. Immediate friends and family can be trained to latch properly but there's always the chance of a new person onboard being unaware. Has anyone come up with a strut or catch system on the cockpit door to mitigate this? I could see a typical gas strut or some type of hinge-side brace that falls into place when the door is opened (and would have to be manually reset when closing which is fine) as a DIY solution but before I set about backyard engineering I thought I'd ask the community if this has already been solved. Thanks in advance for any insight!

 

[CruisingElvinRay]

As a very new owner of an R-29s, I've identified a potential dog danger for the smaller critters in the cockpit door. Yes, it latches open or closed but it's possible to prop it open without the latch catching and I've already seen the door swing quickly back to the frame with wind or movement on the boat. With two smaller dogs, I can see that the door swinging shut at the wrong time could be very bad for them. Immediate friends and family can be trained to latch properly but there's always the chance of a new person onboard being unaware. Has anyone come up with a strut or catch system on the cockpit door to mitigate this? I could see a typical gas strut or some type of hinge-side brace that falls into place when the door is opened (and would have to be manually reset when closing which is fine) as a DIY solution but before I set about backyard engineering I thought I'd ask the community if this has already been solved. Thanks in advance for any insight!

The Cockpit door on our R-23 came with friction hinges. It will stay in place at any position, with a few pounds of force required to swing it in either direction.


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