Washboards

Removable boards or panels fitted in a companionway opening to limit water entry into the accommodation.

They normally stack or slide into side grooves below a hatch and may be timber, composite, acrylic or metal. Multiple sections permit partial closure and can incorporate ventilation, glazing or locking arrangements.

Washboards contribute to weathertight or watertight integrity only to the standard of the complete design, including grooves, hatch and securing. They must be accessible and restrained against loss or inward displacement, with seals, cracks, swelling and orientation checked before heavy weather.