A
A long hidden bolt or machine screw can be used to pin a companionway hatch
in place and keep it from sliding open.
B
Stainless steel plates can be installed to reinforce the companionway washboard track.
C
The hinge pin on a hasp for a lock can’t be driven out if it’s fixed near the edge of the hatch.
D
An immediate show of strength might persuade a thief to try another boat.
E
A solid aluminum plate makes a very secure washboard.
F
A set of bars will keep a boat cool and secure in the tropics. Installing pipe over the bars makes them harder to cut with a hacksaw, because the pipe rolls with the saw blade.
G
The bars can be used in lieu of washboards or can go in front of them, in a separate metal track, as extra protection.
H
Some thieves use cordless power tools to break through hatches on deck. A steel strip bolted across a hatch window might thwart this.
I
If you add a couple of long angled brackets to either side of the hatch, a bar or bars (with rollers) can be locked across the opening. The hatch can then be safely left open in hot weather. The brackets can also be used to set up a wind scoop and mosquito grill. You might want to cover the brackets with bits of rubber to save bumping your head.
J
Use lock nuts or split pins on the end of exposed bolts to protect expensive deck gear.
K
If the bolt heads could conceivably be cut off, tap the fitting and add a threaded stud.
