BOAT DOCTOR /// WEEKEND WORKBOOK
46 | BOATINGMAG.COM | JUNE 2019
DIY
+ Weekend
Workbook
TOOLS AND
SUPPLIES
SKILL LEVEL
FINISH TIME
You don’t find many
new boats with teak
companionway hatches or
console doors these days,
and with good reason.
While freshly oiled or
varnished teak trim lends
a touch of class and visual
warmth to an otherwise
stark-white fiberglass boat
interior, the wood requires
constant maintenance or
else it weathers, turns gray,
and eventually detracts
from the boat’s appearance
rather than enhancing it.
If this sounds familiar,
you can spruce up your
boat by replacing the old,
faded eyesores with made-
to-fit doors that are crafted
from King Starboard, a
high-density polyethylene
material that’s durable,
available in a range of
colors, and requires
virtually no maintenance.
Ocoee, Florida-based
Boat Outfitters’ website
(boatoutfitters.com)
allows you to spec out new
custom doors, complete
with frames, choice of
hardware and other
options, that can serve
as straight replacements
for the old doors. Once
you place your order, Boat
Outfitters will mill and
assemble the doors and
frames, hinges and latches
to your specifications.
Boat Outfitters also pre-
drills and countersinks
the frames for fasteners
(not included), then ships
the items to you for DIY
installation. Here are
the key steps based on
replacing a door for a
14-inch-wide-by-16-inch-
tall opening in the helm
console of a dual-console
boat. —Jim Hendricks
REPLACING OLD TEAK
DOORS AND FRAMES
ILL
US
TR
AT
ION
S:^ T
IM
BA
RK
ER
Give your boat a fresh look with new custom doors.
- Boat Outfi tters King
Starboard Boat Door
($161.44 for base door
and frame for an opening
measuring 14 inches
wide by 16 inches high,
boatoutfi tters.com)
- Measuring tape
- Power drill and bit set
- Stainless-steel fasteners
(to fasten frames)
- 3M Marine Grade
Silicone Sealant
($24.99/10-ounce car-
tridge, westmarine.com)
- Phillips screwdriver
- Socket or box-wrench set
- Shop rags (to wipe
excess sealant)
Approx. 1.5 hours
(per door)
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