..................
......................................--- Companionway Cover ---
There will probably be very few times we will have someone else on the boat with us, but for those times and for tow other purposes that I'll mention further down the page Ruth made us a cover to go on the companionway.
This is mainly a privacy cover for when someone is using the head as it has been relocated to the main cabin area................
.......
................ where it works a lot better and and also allowed us to enlarge the v-berth and add more storage under the front of it where the head use to be. When just the two of us are on the boat this isn't needed, but will still come in handy for moderately cold weather like we experienced on our first trip where it got into the low 30's at night.
...............
When we turn in for the night we would pull the top hatch shut and put the fiberglass companionway hatch in place, but before that we could use this cover and it would be easy going to and from the cockpit before turning in for the night.
...............
Ruth sewed in a sleeve for a piece of flat aluminum near the end at the top of the cover.
...............
The aluminum is bent in a small arch shape and fits into the tracks on both sides of the pop-top that the hatch slides in. The cover is the same width as the aluminum ahead of the aluminum and wider than the aluminum behind it and down into the cockpit to provide a more positive seal.
...............
Another piece of flat aluminum (arrows) with angled ends was made to hold the cover up at the entry way. It just rests in the companionway hatch guides.
...............
If the cover is in place and you want to exit or enter the cabin you just flip it to the side and take that one piece of aluminum out for a second.
...............
Here you can see how the piece ahead of the top aluminum in the sleeve goes forward onto the sliding hatch to cover that area. You can also see how the cover is wider and extends outward behind the same piece of aluminum.
...............
If you are using the cover for privacy, but would like some air and light you can just slide it forward slightly.
...............
Also if it is colder and we have the cover in place we can slide it forward a little to get some air in the cabin while using the propane stove right below it. With the cover a little forward......
...............
.....there is a lot of light that comes in as shown in this picture taken without flash. Also with it like this no one sitting in the cockpit can see into the cabin.
...............
Even with the cover completely in place there is quite a bit of light as can be seen in this picture also taken without the flash.
...............
When not in use the cover wraps up around the two pieces of aluminum and takes up very little space. We have been very happy with the head in the main cabin and are glad we did this and this cover now adds some privacy for those times someone else is sharing the boat with us. We used it on our first trip to Lake Powell where we had two friends from Belgium spend 3 days on the boat with us. Another nice project from Ruth.