Hi
On my boat and all other Lancers I have seen the door sving open from one side. You can't use it as a passage to the bow since the step up to fore deck is to high. The opening is simply to get better access to the cuddy. But it's also nice to open up and feel the wind when you are cruising.
You can see the difference in deck design between the early Lancers and the Lancers after 70 or 71 (just a guess, I don't have the essential guide). If you look at the pictures in Paul's earlier post "23' Commander ~*~ 23' Lancer (a photo essay) PART- I I". The first boat looks exactly like mine and I think mine was built december 71 (hull no ORA230024V), the picture below shows an early Lancer and the deck is different. The early Lancer has for eample a more raised deck around the glass. I think the Commander 23 has the same deck design as the early Lancers except for the longer rear deck on the Commander 23.
Rickard