Stern Door Hold Back Methods

[Sea Dog]

I have cabin hooks as door holdbacks on the doors to my steerer's step, stern deck, quarterdeck, or whatever.  I am, shall we say, not fond of the arrangement which chips paint, catches on clothing, rattles and generally looks a less elegant a solution than I'd prefer.  I've scratched my head, Googled and EBay'd looking for something better - caravan door hold backs, magnets, car bonnet straps and the like - but nothing seems to fit the bill.  It would be good if the rtainer was strong enough so that it didn't come loose should attempt to grab the doors with a steadying hand.  I expect many of us are suffering cabin hooks in silence, others might quite like them, but does anyone have a better arrangement that I might be able to retrofit?

[WotEver]

Magnets were the first thing I thought of but they don’t fulfill the “strong enough so that it didn't come loose should attempt to grab the doors with a steadying hand.” requirement. 

[nb Innisfree]

On Innisfree I made a pivoting ramped catch out of plywood. Vertical edge of door acted against ramp which pivoted aside against a small stainless steel return spring, ramp ended in a step which then clicked around edge of door. Pivoting ramp away from door released it. 

Hope OP can follow that, difficult without a piccy. 

[ditchcrawler]

I have one of these on an internal door on my boat and its quite surprising how strongly it holds the door. https://www.toolstation.com/shop/Ironmongery/d170/Door+Stops/sd3184/Magnetic+Door+Holder/p62145

 

on the back doors we have these https://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/store/category/1415/product/cf-154.aspx

[Ryeland]

I use Midland Chandlers cf171 spring catches very successfully.

Richard

https://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/store/product/cf-171.aspx

[bizzard]

There's always Velcro.

[Sea Dog]

21 minutes ago, WotEver said:

Magnets were the first thing I thought of but they don’t fulfill the “strong enough so that it didn't come loose should attempt to grab the doors with a steadying hand.” requirement. 

My first thoughts too - same issue, but not dismissed.

 

6 minutes ago, nb Innisfree said:

On Innisfree I made a pivoting ramped catch out of plywood. Vertical edge of door acted against ramp which pivoted aside against a small stainless steel return spring, ramp ended in a step which then clicked around edge of door. Pivoting ramp away from door released it. 

Hope OP can follow that, difficult without a piccy. 

I'm in my garage as we speak making a mock up - so far it looks like something to keep chickens in! 

 

5 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I have one of these on an internal door on my boat and its quite surprising how strongly it holds the door. https://www.toolstation.com/shop/Ironmongery/d170/Door+Stops/sd3184/Magnetic+Door+Holder/p62145

 

on the back doors we have these https://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/store/category/1415/product/cf-154.aspx

Found stainless versions of the first, also seen the second and thought it would work.  Just a bit worried about the sticky out bit, but certainly not dismissed.

 

2 minutes ago, Ryeland said:

I use Midland Chandlers cf171 spring catches very successfully.

Richard

https://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/store/product/cf-171.aspx

Yeah, I'd seen those too and they also look quite practical.  Bit bothered about the pointy bits, but again promising and not dismissed.

 

 

Thanks for those fine ideas fellas.  Good to see that the things I'd looked at you have actually used successfully in the real world.  I have a purpose made canvas cover over the back doors when the boat is all tucked up, so I'd be keen not to have sticky out bits under that as they might rip it, but there's udeful stuff there for me to ponder.  I suspect this thread might be useful to others too.. 

[WotEver]

Some of those neodymium (sp?) magnets are really strong, and they’d be low profile to boot. 

[ditchcrawler]

31 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

 

 

Yeah, I'd seen those too and they also look quite practical.  Bit bothered about the pointy bits, but again promising and not dismissed.

 

What pointy bits, the end of one bit is rubber the other is just a saddle 

[MCFastybloke]

Speaker magnets from the scrappers in a sock

[BruceinSanity]

1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

Bit bothered about the pointy bits, but again promising and not dismissed.

We have those, work well. If you go for them, watch out for the rubbers coming off. You can get spares from MC, but gluing them in with SikaFlex is a good idea.

[ditchcrawler]

9 minutes ago, BruceinSanity said:

We have those, work well. If you go for them, watch out for the rubbers coming off. You can get spares from MC, but gluing them in with SikaFlex is a good idea.

Gave up on the rubber ends, 

[jonathanA]

2 hours ago, Ryeland said:

I use Midland Chandlers cf171 spring catches very successfully.

Richard

https://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/store/product/cf-171.aspx

We have these on the back doors of our semi trad and they work well. Never had a problem with the pointy bits sticking out.

our tonneau cover has cutouts to clear the fittings 

 

[TheBiscuits]

I find that the combination of rust and excess paint on the hinges seems to keep the doors open

 

[Sea Dog]

3 hours ago, WotEver said:

Some of those neodymium (sp?) magnets are really strong, and they’d be low profile to boot. 

I do find that idea attractive (excuse the pun) but I wondered about rust?

3 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

What pointy bits, the end of one bit is rubber the other is just a saddle 

One of the bits would be under my canvas cover and I was thinking it might make holes. Of course, if I had holes already....

3 hours ago, MCFastybloke said:

Speaker magnets from the scrappers in a sock

Quite stylish. Do you have nettles growing in your button?  

1 hour ago, jonathanA said:

We have these on the back doors of our semi trad and they work well. Never had a problem with the pointy bits sticking out.

our tonneau cover has cutouts to clear the fittings 

 

Now that's an idea which might make a couple of solutions work. Thanks.

1 hour ago, TheBiscuits said:

I find that the combination of rust and excess paint on the hinges seems to keep the doors open

 

Still crackers. 

[WotEver]

11 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

I do find that idea attractive (excuse the pun) but I wondered about rust?

Does Neodymium rust?

Or however it's spelled. Can’t be bothered to look it up. 

[Sea Dog]

8 minutes ago, WotEver said:

Does Neodymium rust?

Or however it's spelled. Can’t be bothered to look it up. 

I dunno (either of those things). I suspected it might be an iron rich alloy.

[captain birdseye]

11 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

I dunno (either of those things). I suspected it might be an iron rich alloy.

I use Neodinium magnets with a thin piece of rubber glued onto one side of them so they stay put on the cabin and release from the doors. Both been there for two years with no problem, they are only the size of a ten pence piece

[Machpoint005]

Neodymium doesn't mither the spill chucker so it's presumably the right spilling.

[Sea Dog]

2 hours ago, captain birdseye said:

I use Neodinium magnets with a thin piece of rubber glued onto one side of them so they stay put on the cabin and release from the doors. Both been there for two years with no problem, they are only the size of a ten pence piece

Hmm, thanks for that.  You are talking outside, right? And no rust from the neo wotsit?  

No screws to penetrate the superstructure or doors sounds ideal.

[captain birdseye]

Yes, I have one on each of the bottom hinges of my back doors they aren't a strong hold with the rubber on but they keep the doors open and all you have to do is pull the door and it comes free and closes. I got mine on line from e magnets 

Edited April 13, 2018 by captain birdseye

[Sea Dog]

1 minute ago, captain birdseye said:

Yes, I have one on each of the bottom hinges of my back doors they aren't a strong hold with the rubber on but they keep the doors open and all you have to do is pull the door and it comes free and closes

Thanks - I'll have a look at what eBay have to offer...

If you bought again, would you go bigger/thicker than your 10p sized ones?

[captain birdseye]

I'd go for the 20mm by 3mm they have a 3.6 kg pull or maybe a bit smaller. a 2kg pull holds the door and comes free easy enough. they come in packs of 5 or 10 for under a tenner, so you can put one on each hinge if you need two on each door

[Opener]

Cruiser stern/big back deck.  Bi-fold back door offset to starboard opens outwards with bottom of door just above rear deck level. Door held closed/locked with bolt and hasp/staple (shed door type).  Rear of cabin roof projects slightly to provide a lip for the speedo/ignition/warning lights to live under.

There is a small hole drilled in the lip of the roof overhang.  I've got a length of fine-ish gauge bungee-type cord formed into a loop with a nice chunky knot. Feed the loop through the hole and the knot stops it coming out.  The free end of the loop goes over the top of the door and around the hasp on the opened door and the elasticity holds the door securely open (against a pad on the corner of the gas bottle locker).  

Wouldn't pass your 'grab' test but holds the door open and no unsightly additional screws or fittings to catch clothing/paintwork etc.

[ Incidentally, the sliding hatch above the rear steps is closed using a loop grab handle.  A length of the cord hangs from the handle.  If you get smacked in the face with the cord as you climb the steps you know that the hatch is closed thus avoiding damage to hatch paintwork and severe contusions to head, usually mine!!]

[Sea Dog]

4 hours ago, Opener said:

...you know that the hatch is closed thus avoiding damage to hatch paintwork and severe contusions to head, usually mine!!]

Hence, I presume, the "Opener" handle - it refers to what you do with your bonce!