C lectric
Guru
I'm going to comment on the "necessity" of side doors. MANY boats do not have those. I agree that they are a good feature but they are not "necessary".
I have only the rear door into the cockpit. However we have no problem handling and securing our boat. Our lines , bow and stern, come to the cockpit entry passage through the railing at the sides.
Either my wife or I, when single handing, prepare the lines ahead of time for easy grabbing. The bow is secured normally to the last rail stanchion just ahead of the cockpit entry.. The stern line, to its cleat, after wrapping through and around the rail stanchion immediately astern of the cockpit entry.
When needed the bow line is set into a camcleat [sail boat gear and a good one] . The stern line is left with one loop, not a wrap, around the cleat with the bulk of the line easily available on the deck. Both lines can be grabbed and either handed to some one or when alone I can grab and go with both.
Yes, potentially we could goof and have a line go overboard but since we have done this for more than 30 years without hiccoughs I think I can say it works and well.
The only mistake I made was not providing a camcleat for the stern line, something I think I will remedy in the near future after a few other things get remedied.
A boat without side doors can be made to work with some thought. If you can find one with then great.
I have only the rear door into the cockpit. However we have no problem handling and securing our boat. Our lines , bow and stern, come to the cockpit entry passage through the railing at the sides.
Either my wife or I, when single handing, prepare the lines ahead of time for easy grabbing. The bow is secured normally to the last rail stanchion just ahead of the cockpit entry.. The stern line, to its cleat, after wrapping through and around the rail stanchion immediately astern of the cockpit entry.
When needed the bow line is set into a camcleat [sail boat gear and a good one] . The stern line is left with one loop, not a wrap, around the cleat with the bulk of the line easily available on the deck. Both lines can be grabbed and either handed to some one or when alone I can grab and go with both.
Yes, potentially we could goof and have a line go overboard but since we have done this for more than 30 years without hiccoughs I think I can say it works and well.
The only mistake I made was not providing a camcleat for the stern line, something I think I will remedy in the near future after a few other things get remedied.
A boat without side doors can be made to work with some thought. If you can find one with then great.