Classic SeaCraft Community - Poll: Seafari door opening in or out?

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- - Poll: Seafari door opening in or out? (http://www.classicseacraft.com/community/showthread.php?t=28978)

After a bit of hiatus, and some beautiful October days on the water instead of working on her, I got back to the installation of the door. Removed the old hardware, screen, trim and sanded, trimmed and sanded. Then a few coats of Cetol stain, then sanding, then trimming.

Epoxied in the door frame, and installed the door for a test fit, then trimmed and sanded some more. The door is now functional, and lifts off nicely from the lift-off hinges. Here are a couple of shots of the door closed and opened with the screen open and closed.

As I put the boat away for the season, I will have to wait for the Spring to install the knob hardware, and then finish the stain and then Cetol gloss coatings for both the frame and door. I had the boat cover partially on and the sky was very gray, so the beauty of the outside of the door did not show in the photos so well, but the inside grain showed better in the photos.

Very interesting door. Nice job on the refurb.

Very nice! I love the door within a door feature.

Nice !
May I suggest some air louvers with "NoSeeUm" screen backing in the solid bottom piece ;)

Very cool dammit .... Now you have me brain storming a door mod.....

Thanks, Guys.

Chuck: I would have to separate the stiles of the door in order to slide out the lower solid panel, so I think I will keep the lower part solid for now. I think the upper screen is enough ventilation for me - it stays cooler in Jersey anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bushwacker (Post 253748)

I would mount it on right like Potter did. Reason is if you need to open door to get something out of cabin, you can't get it anyway when driving, so passenger has to do it and door won't be in their way if it's hinged on right. I have done that myself when going slow however. It's ok to leave the wheel then for a few seconds, since it's hydraulic steering so it doesn't move when released.

As far as a cooler in the stepdown, that's a cool feature of the '72 and earlier models with the big stepdown, which is big enough to hold a 70 qt Coleman cooler with the door in place. I've personally never found a need for a larger cooler, and I've stayed on the boat for as long as 3 nights at a time. My 65 qt Engle cooler will keep ice for 5 days in the S. Fl. summer! Putting cooler in stepdown improves the ride noticeably when it's rough.

I believe the early Moesly models used double doors with half mounted on each side and latching in the center (see pics below from '69 brochure) but it's not clear if they open in or out. Seems to be a clever arrangement, but if they opened inward, you would not be able to mount a board between door and lid over the head to hold 4 scuba tanks like I did.

They opened to the inside.

Hell was just looking at that great door and thinking with a lil work you could make a inside table out of the top section

Interesting. But then the first mate would not have the ability to close it when she uses the Loo.