Making Doors

When we hit the snag, one of our doors was torn apart. I decided it would be best to replace both doors. And, this was yet another first for me. The building and setting up of doors is a bit of trigonometry, a bit of physics, and a bit of good old fashion trial and error. Two lines are stretched out behind the boat and connected to each of the two doors by a series of four chains.

Each of the four chains are set in various, but precise lengths so that the doors and net may work as units. As the boat moves forward and the lines tighten, the doors are pulled through the water. The varying chain lengths pitch the door so that the port side door moves further out away from the port side and the starboard door slides further starboard, thus pulling the net's mouth open.

The door must lean back and ride slightly nosed down along the bottom while angling out away from the boat. Think about that three times fast! 



Josiah is sitting beside the door so you can see the differing lengths of chain, and how the door pulls at an angle from the boat. You may also see the dark and lighter areas of the wood. The darker areas are where the door has been soaking in a water barrel. The soaking of the doors helps them to sink and ride along the bottom.

Even though we are but a little shrimping vessel, we carry out on a smaller scale what the bigger boys deal with in deeper water further off shore.