Cabinet And Deck Hardware Review

Summary

Cruisers and yachts have an amazing amount of hardware. Of course, the deck alone has a huge array of hinges, knobs, bolts, and other important pieces. Interiors are only more involved. Cabinets have all the hardware from knobs to rolling tracks to hinges, and any other door or closet is bound to have lots of hardware as well.

Of course, you want to find quality cabinet and deck hardware that will last. In the case of deck hardware, you should also be concerned about salt water corrosion, but even interior hardware should be stainless steel to avoid rusting.

The other issue to think about is aesthetic. Do you want your hardware to be themed so that the closet doors in the master bedroom match the hinges on the deck? You’ll have to make your own decision, but these kinds of hardware schemes do exist and are available.

Pros

• Be sure to recognize the proper order of importance here. Even if a hardware set looks great together, you should not use it unless you know it will last. In other words, think quality before visual appeal. No hardware looks good enough to justify cheap construction, because it will all be useless as soon as it rusts.
• Make sure that your hardware is well installed—especially with crucial moving pieces on the deck. If it’s a question of choosing between several hardware pieces, defer to an experienced boater on functional pieces. The most important thing is that they work well, since this can be a safety issue.
• If you strongly dislike a certain hardware scheme, consider replacing only the ugly pieces. Just because you redo your cabinets on the inside doesn’t mean you should change everything. In fact, you may be surprised to find that you don’t even notice that interior and exterior hardware is different.

Cons

• Replacing cabinet and deck hardware is never cheap—especially if you look for pieces that will withstand sea water well. Still, don’t let the price push you into buying inferior products. It is better to get something that will last than something that looks nice for a short time.
• Before buying, make sure that your new hardware fits in the place where you are installing it. Boats are tight places with close construction. You may be shocked to discover that a hinge just won’t fit where you hoped to put it.

Featured Manufacturers

Sea Dog, White Cap, Taylor Made, and Perko

Conclusion

It’s often a good idea to customize your deck and interior according to your own tastes. This is a great way to make the boat feel like it’s fully yours. The important thing is just to take time before buying and installing to make sure that your new hardware will work well. A little extra planning can make a very big difference.