Hatches at Night, Open or Closed

[sailcrazy]

We've spent the past 7 seasons cruising the NE Caribb. We are almost never in a marina....usually either on a mooring or at anchor. We always close the screens I made and mounted on the inside of each O/H hatch, but leave the hatches open....until the rains start and we get a wet bed!!! We've never had an issue with anyone coming onboard or trying to break in-that we know of. We've seen several cruisers with "Stealy Bars" over the hatches, but have never felt the need. Before the Caribb, we spent 4 years in the Medd, and 11+ years in Asia...again, never once had an issue. And while the screens do keep out most of the bugs and no-see-ums, they do seem to reduce some of the night-time breeze coming down! (Our hatches all open forward).

[jim King]

In the Caribbean you are not going to sleep at night without open hatches or AC. There is almost always a 10 to 20 knot breeze coming from the east and it keeps us cool at night. We also have screens over the hatches which might also prevent unwanted entry. When we leave the boat to go ashore we always lock up tight. Security depends a good deal on where you are anchored. I prefer out of the way secluded bays which may be more open to unwanted guests, but the tourist is so important to most of these locations that policing the marinas and anchorages is a priority and any minor theft is delt with severly so we usually feel quite safe.

[Shrew]

Hatches in berths and staterooms double as emergency exits. The problem with restricting ingress is potentially restricting egress as well.

This becomes the challenge. Ideally, you'd want security bars that can be opened easily from the inside in the event of fire or flood, but not able to be opened from the outside.

[C420sailor]

As someone who lived in a country that did not permit ownership of self defense weaponry, keep a few big cans of Wasp/Hornet spray around your boat. In case you happen to come across an intruder who isn’t deterred by your presence, a shot to the face with the above will turn the tide of the fight.

[Sailor647]

Open hatches with stainless steel security grates. The grates rest on lag-bolted supports and are padlocked from the inside. For emergency exit, the padlock keys for each hatch are close by, but out of reach from the outside. We leave the hatches open even when leaving the boat. Not a single intrusion/theft in 7 years. (Knock on wood.)

Industrial Velcro attached screens also keep the bugs out and the corners can be pulled back to adjust the hatches.

We heard a story a few months ago about a huge snake crawling into the open forward hatch of a sailboat at night and killing a cat that was next to the sleeping owner, who woke up suddenly and witnessed it. Attached is a pic of the snake making its escape out the companionway. The boat was docked at a marina. Wondering if my screens would help keep this monster out.... yikes! Doubt it.

[Nicholson58]

Ours are always closed at night or away from the boat. We hate doing the “rain dance” every time it rains AND it rains a lot in the Caribbean. We open only the hatch over our bed at night. We seldom lock. Unauthorized entry, Boarding is rare -or you are anchored in the wrong places.

[CarinaPDX]

For the most part my hatches are closed and locked at night. Especially in the tropics during the storm season it is just too much a PITA to be getting up in the middle of the night to close them, and a lot of rain can get in before the job gets done. Having been boarded late at night at anchor, and having them try the hatch, I would never want to confront a thief below decks while I was trying to wake up. But my classic boat has all opening portlights, and large cowls feeding two dorades, so ventilation at anchor is reasonably good even in rainy conditions. I also have a fan over the berths, which is great for cooling off before sleep (and gets turned off later as things cool down).

As for leaving the boat open when not aboard: are you guys nuts??? Sneak-aboards and swim-aboards are not at all unusual throughout cruising areas. And of course the possibility of a shower has to be considered. Of course I won't bother locking her if I am nearby, but away I always do. I have seen too many boats burgled to think that it wouldn't happen to me.

Greg

[Marathon1150]

We have sailed and cruised for extended periods in western Canada, the US, Mexico, Indonesia and French Polynesia. We never locked the hatches at night and did not have bars. I have seen plans for making bars and my response was I don't think that I want to sail there.

In Indonesia, Mexico some of the time and French Polynesia it is too hot to contemplate closing the hatches at night. And bars would make an emergency escape even more fraught than it would already be.

[Tom and Maje]

Leave everything open and get a dog. When we were in the Caribbean we never had a problem. If anyone got too close to the boat she’d bark.

Maje

[gonesail]

i close them to keep the extreme humidity out of the boat.

[zstine]

We keep hatches open all over the Caribbean and have an awning/tarp over the forward hatch to allow it to stay open during rain.


Regarding safety bars, they can be made to open from the inside without a key so you can always get out. They also can serve as a ladder when open and also provide a place to hang wet laundry right in the wind... That said, we did not have safety bars.

[conchaway]

If you are hot, open the hatches. Keep your Remington Mariner next to you while you are sleeping.

[C420sailor]

Originally Posted by conchaway

If you are hot, open the hatches. Keep your Remington Mariner next to you while you are sleeping.

This is the way.

[captlloyd]

Originally Posted by conchaway

If you are hot, open the hatches. Keep your Remington Mariner next to you while you are sleeping.

Very problematic in most tropical areas. Not much breeze in those jail cells.

[s/v Jedi]

Put some decals from your battalion, fleet, escadron etc up... use an NRA sticker when you didn’t serve... pretty effective

You have to consider burglary everywhere... it becomes more serious with robbery. Security bars are a smart thing to have, just like fire extinguishers, alarm siren, lights etc.