Cutting into the side of the boat/deck for a door. Structural ?

[fisherman]

Yep it is a Viking 23.

Yes, but does it have that outboard configuration, is what I want to know. If so a step through either side might be a solution, given the intrinsic strength afforded by the transom corners. There is a pic with the O/B on the back of the platform.
I wouldn't worry about cutting the hull though, if it's not going to sea, as long as a deck section is bonded to the hull inside, which would double as the step. That will be messy, it seems to be lined and that will have to be ground back and all glue removed.

 

[waynes world]

if you go for it, and need the tube bending give me a shout - it's part of the day job :encouragement:

Thank you , i would of cut and weld it up. Bent would be a lot better

 

[jfm]

This will be fine Wayne imho if you do it right. It's a well trodden path. I would not use metal but would do the whole reinforcement in GRP. You ought to construct returns to line the opening imho, and the edges of the new "door" piece, angled or stepped so the new "door" piece fits and seals nicely. These returns could be made using a one shot painted mdf mould. Obviously put plenty of GRP reinforcing in, including forming GRP around foam to make GRP box sections. It will require some GRP skill to make it all look good.
Resale value is entirely the owner's choice so I make no comment, other than to say it feels unlikely to matter much and one future buyer might like the mod. I would definitely do this mod if I needed the access and GRP is an excellent material to work with in this regard.

 

[William_H]

with all respect, cutting 20% (in height and if so!) of the side of a boat is completely different to fcking completely the shell of car when you make it convertible reducing the structural side from 1m down to .1m (so removing 90% of the structural material albeit in only 5cm roof...).
Car has 4 points where all the weight goes down to the road and these are at the ends of the thing with a serious amount of load (the passengers) being exactly where they shouldn't from a loadbearing pov (in the weakest middle of it...).
Boat has a uniform area of the whole hull distributing nicely and evenly all the forces to the water. Further the main weight (if the engine of an outboard is considered so...) is not in the middle!
Too much discussion for nothing imho, although it does seem that there will be some difficulty in selling it and once a surveyor is involved (what's the point if value is so little??) things will be bad for the owner.

V.

Not so much trying to say it is like a car which is a far more extreme cut for a convertible but rather introducing the concept of a solid roof to replace structural member cut. olewill