escape hatch

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pdecat

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The fire in So Cal. reminds me to suggest that anyone buying a larger boat insist that it have two exits from the sleeping area.
IMO the main passage from an aft or mid cabin is not sufficient. There needs to be a second exit not requiring using the main passage.
Forward berths often have a hatch overhead that would serve as a second escape point but other cabins frequently have only one way out.
 
I’ll have to do some research when and if my day settles down, but I think it is required.
 
Most modern MYs with full beam masters do not have hatches to get out of the master. Aft cabins layout usually have larger hatches on the transom
 
That has been my observation as well. I did look at a pilot house my with mid ships master where the owner had specified a hatch overhead that led to the pilot house.
 
I did extensive cruise on a Carver 57. The forward berth has a hatch overhead that would serve as a second escape but the main cabin has only one way out through narrow stairs and very difficult to negotiate in case of fire or sinking.
 
This is the main reason I don't like the express cruisers with mid/aft cabins you need to crawl into. I had a bayliner 24'er, once the twins were born, we moved up to a 28'er and we slept in the aft cabin with the twins on the V-berth...and taught them about the escape hatch. Similarly, I will not leave my dinghy on the bow and sleep overnight, you always need an escape route.
 
A hatch must have a minimum of 18" X 18" clear opening to be considered an "Escape Hatch". Many, many owners of boats and their guest will not fit through the minimum size opening. Is the over sized rear of your cousin "Eddie" stuck in a deck hatch opening the last thing you want to see as you try to escape from a burning/sinking boat?
 
I had a full beam master aft cabin. Large escape hatch on the transom. Escape hatch through the deck on the forward guest quarters. That was not as large, but thinking all of my guests would have fit through
 
Bruce
We had this discussion some years back. At the time i had my 50' Cruisers which had a layout close to my 530 having the Master SR amidship.
The solition is the same.
Use shotgun to blast threw the hull!
 
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