Deck house access?

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scotty123

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Most of the Fisher range, have deck house access via doors from the stern, the exception being the Northeaster 30, which has side sliding doors similar to some Nauticats. what are the advantages/disadvantages of these different styles?
 
scotty123 said:
Most of the Fisher range, have deck house access via doors from the stern, the exception being the Northeaster 30, which has side sliding doors similar to some Nauticats. what are the advantages/disadvantages of these different styles?
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Under the old French rating rules the side entrance boats e.g. Nauticat 38 did not have ocean rating (category one).
 
With the Fisher style, it is quite awkward to get from cabin to foredeck, but you get a handy little cockpit aft. The Nauticat, of which I only really know the 331, is easier in some ways, but less seaworthy in theory, though this didn't prevent someone I met from sailing to Greenland and back solo. They both work, so it's a matter of preference.
 
Aft facing doors are much more sheltered, both underway and when on a mooring or anchored. Side doors impinge on the internal design of the deckhouse much more, because there have to be two of them. I would go for an aft facing door every time.
 
NormanS said:
Aft facing doors are much more sheltered, both underway and when on a mooring or anchored. Side doors impinge on the internal design of the deckhouse much more, because there have to be two of them.
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Are you sure? I have helped several boats this year which only had access on the starboard side and there is a motorsailer close by with the single door on the port side. When they are single handed they need to be the door side too in the locks so that they can get access to their lines, I presume the same applies when berthing.
 
Quandary said:
Are you sure? I have helped several boats this year which only had access on the starboard side and there is a motorsailer close by with the single door on the port side. When they are single handed they need to be the door side too in the locks so that they can get access to their lines, I presume the same applies when berthing.
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Maybe some designs do have a deckhouse with only a door on one side. I've never seen one, but if so, just think of the disadvantages. How do you get out when the boat's heeled over?

From personal experience, my last boat was a large converted MFV. The deckhouse had a "back" door and also a side door. The only time that the side door was used, was at the beginning and end of a trip, for unlocking and locking the boat. The back door was pretty much open all the time.

My present boat, a Deck Saloon ketch has an aft-facing door, and I wouldn't have it any other way, not on a sailing boat anyway.
 
The deck saloons with side doors tend not have a deep and secure aft cockpit and more likely to have a raised aft deck to accommodate an aft cabin.

The Northeaster 30 Fishers were discontinued in the 1980's whilst the rest of range carried on.
 
E39mad said:
The deck saloons with side doors tend not have a deep and secure aft cockpit and more likely to have a raised aft deck to accommodate an aft cabin.

The Northeaster 30 Fishers were discontinued in the 1980's whilst the rest of range carried on.
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Why, were they discontinued?
 
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