U-505, Chicago

[Growler]

Originally Posted by Neptunus Rex

US watertight doors are oval so they can be removed and repaired off ship if necessary.

Tough to do with round doors that are larger than the exterior hatches.

I'm 6'3" tall and had no problem negotiating those doors in my five years on boats.

Yeah, my first day on the job on Torsk some five years ago, I had to haul it through the boat from ATR to FTR because the docent, and older guy in his seventies, who was supposed to be topside wasn't answering radio calls, and we were afraid he was in trouble. We found him in FTR - giving a guided tour. My 6'4" fits through the doors well enough, but that's largely because I'm well-used to them by now. I can still get through the boat pretty quick, but then, I've always been fairly agile, once I quit growing, that is.

As to removing the doors for repair - that makes sense, though I wonder what it would take to damage a door that badly - they seem pretty solid, and not overly complicated. The circumstances under which you'd haul the whole thing off the boat must be exceptional, I would guess. (Don't mistake me for doubting you, because I don't - it makes perfect, clear sense to me that they'd be done that way, now that you mention it.)