David, you wrote about Fanshi:

«That kind of hinge-down door doesn't suit me, and I wouldn't choose the watertight hatch kind of companionway, either, for easy coastal cruising, though I might for more serious offshore cruising.»

So there you are, very close to my original thinking. Actually, I think you made a fine combination on Tystie, by both having a conventional companionway, plus that PJR-style pramhood fitted to the sliding hatch.

Even Badger was modified with a small companionway, back in 1999 (Read Alan Parsons’ story in NL 41): They had to cut out a little aperture in the bulkhead anyway, to allow the new diesel to come aboard. Then followed a sliding hatch. They kept that companionway, and later, after having returned to England, they built a hard dodger with proper windows. The photo below of Robin Blain on Badger, in Stavanger 2006, shows how it looks.

For my modest needs, I have recently gone for “a poor man’s inside steering position”: Last summer I simply made a companionway seat, which lets me sit sheltered, and in easy reach of charts, binocular and coffee, and still have a 360° view. Having no windvane, I will instead lead a couple of steering lines forward.  This lets me sit snug and warm most of the time, in contrast to when sitting at the tiller. No need for more than a sweater and a windbreaker to keep me dry and warm.
Then it was that glass windscreen  -  not quite as easy to get right...

Arne

Robin on Badger in Stavanger in 2006

May 2019: New companionway seat for Ingeborg...

David, you are right in more than one way.

However, I have nothing against the pramhood, quite the contrary. It is rather that little door between the cabin and cockpit which makes me wonder. I used to think that the pramhood would be fitted on a sliding (or hinged) hatch to ease moving to and from the cockpit. As it looks now, there will only be that little, low door. That seems to be very awkward for any but small and soft-limbed people.
My first boat (26’ double-ender Maggi) with a cabin (cuddy, rather) had such a low door. No problem for little me, being young and slim. However the first thing the next owner did, was to bring out the saw, and next time I met them, there was a brand new sliding hatch in place.

I would think that a boat like Annie’s would see quite some traffic between the cockpit and the cabin, so therefore I suggest to her that she keeps a possible Plan B in cold standby.

Some Swedish yacht builders have got it just about right for coastal cruising: Many of their boats have glass windscreens with a sprayhood attached. That gives great protection against cold wind and spray, and the view forward is a lot better than with sprayhoods alone.

Arne

Annie,
When seeing the cockpit and hatch layout, I start to wonder what your boat is meant for. I thought it was meant for coastal sailing and living on board in safe harbours. Now it looks as if you are mainly having ocean passage making on you mind.
Is it only me?

Arne

David wrote:

How do you solve:

• Security.  How do you replace it with a hard hatch locked from inside?

PJR describes a flat disc of plywood, which can be on hinged legs as Annie is doing, if the aperture is in the deck, but this can't be done with a hood mounted on a sliding hatch. In that case it is loose but on a lanyard, and needs to be stowed below.

• Annie you are doing a pram hood and a dome.  From what I can see on your old Badger pics the dome was on legs that flipped over and sat on top of your pram hood?  Is this what you are going to do?  How do you secure all that?

Annie says she is going to use over-centre catches to secure her dome, and the same would apply to a flat cover. I would want these to be recessed into the frame of the aperture, to be less snaggy.

• My Badger has a conventional sliding hatch and companionway hatch boards?  Would you consider installing the pram hood on that sliding hatch?  Could the hatch still slide w this hole in it?

Yes, so long as the hatch doesn't slide into a garage.

• Everyone talks about a nav station seat but I have not seen a pic of one other than the swing on the North Atlantic 29.  Would love pics/ ideas of that.  Annie again COMBING  thru my Badger manual, sorry  I meant you book, I see somewhere foot holes in the walls to climb up but what are you climbing to?  And can you control sails from sitting down?  One would think you occasionally need to get more torso over the cleats and winches when reefing etc.

In my pramhood article, the final photo shows a seat at such a height that I could sit on it with the aperture at shoulder height to keep watch, or kneel on it with the aperture at waist height to work the rig. There is also a lower platform (the top of the motor compartment) that I could stand on with the aperture at a suitable height for working. Yes, you need to be half out of the hole to work effectively.

Dying to see what Annie does for a pram hood/ dome arrangement/ watch keeper's station so I can steal her ideas for my Badger.........  I have a conventional sliding hatch with hatch boards (?).  I want companionway protection, a seat and ability to reach sail controls dryish NOT in a solid dodger.  The Golden Globe boats had some interesting dodgers that had backs on them for warmth/ spray protection.

Have a look at the pramhood I made for Tystie, David. It uses standard 3/4" sprayhood fittings and 3/4" aluminium tube that can be easily bent by hand around a MDF former.

Annie and David I totally get the spray hood design and benefits.

How do you solve:

• Security.  How do you replace it with a hard hatch locked from inside?
  
• Annie you are doing a pram hood and a dome.  From what I can see on your old Badger pics the dome was on legs that flipped over and sat on top of your pram hood?  Is this what you are going to do?  How do you secure all that?
• My Badger has a conventional sliding hatch and companionway hatch boards?  Would you consider installing the pram hood on that sliding hatch?  Could the hatch still slide w this hole in it?
• Everyone talks about a nav station seat but I have not seen a pic of one other than the swing on the North Atlantic 29.  Would love pics/ ideas of that.  Annie again COMBING  thru my Badger manual, sorry  I meant you book, I see somewhere foot holes in the walls to climb up but what are you climbing to?  And can you control sails from sitting down?  One would think you occasionally need to get more torso over the cleats and winches when reefing etc.

I was not going to ask about this after I deluged you all with dinghy and self steering questions to get working on things before boat arrived, but Annie's pics made me curious.

I am definitely going to just live with my conventional companionway for a good while.  Its there, it's easy in and out, it gives good ventilation especially as my Badger does  not have dories or opening portholes.

We will see.....but any ideas on somewhere I can sit and twiddle my Aries toggles 6 degree at a time in the dry will be welcome.

And then Kim is going to want to poke her head out as well!  Need a double hatch.

Thanks, David.