Cost/trouble of adding hatches to an older boat

[Jdege]

I'm not really in the market for a boat, quite yet, but I'm watching the lists to get a feel for what is out there.

I recently saw this: 2007 Kit-Kat-CRUISER

It's an odd-looking thing, but I could see how I might make it work.

I'd want to put in a composting toilet, instead of the porta-potties. But that seems as if it'd be simple enough.

But the berths look awfully contained. I'd worry about whether they had sufficient ventilation.

So I'm wondering, how difficult is it to add a new hatch to an existing boat?

[UNCIVILIZED]

As long as you're adding them in a non-structural area, they're quite easy to add. Taking maybe a day total, sometimes more, sometimes less. The biggest task is creating a completely flat mounting area for them. Seconded perhaps by building & installing any trim around the rim. Plus, of course, adding a breakwater, if any, since you’re looking at catamarans.

Do Not use 5200 as a sealant when mounting them. The stuff is just too much of a pain to remove later on. Also, avoid the temptation to add a solar vent to the center of the hatch. You'll never be able to make the hatch watertight again once you do. Well, unless you replace the plexiglass.

[admiralslater]

I did not see any ventilation . Some years ago I helped a friend put in a hatch it went very well. We did it like this .
1 cut hole in appropriate location
2 drop in hatch and draw out line around same
3 sand inside marked area to get to glass
3a dry fit hatch and drill some small holes to hold the hatch in place while epoxy cures
4 affix some sort of release material to bottom of hatch
5 mix a stiff mixture of epoxy and appropriate filler
6 Bed hatch in mixture ,use screws get it level, don't use to much pressure as you don't want to bend the frame . fillet the epoxy around the frame and leave to dry .
7 remove hatch ,take off mold release . Drill for fasteners and bed with suitable sealant .
TA DA new hatch.
Neat looking boat ,it is a bit odd looking but that will work in your favour in negotiations

[Jdege]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

[COLOR=black]As long as you're adding them in a non-structural area, they're quite easy to add. Taking maybe a day total, sometimes more, sometimes less. The biggest task is creating a completely flat mounting area for them.

On this boat, finding flat areas doesn't look like it would be much of a problem:

[Jdege]

Originally Posted by admiralslater

Neat looking boat ,it is a bit odd looking but that will work in your favour in negotiations

It's going to be a couple of years before I'm really in the market. If she's still for sale, then, I might take a closer look.

And I'd certainly use the odd looks, and the fact that she'd been on the market for that long, as a negotiating tool.

What really confuses me is that the specs say she has a 50hp diesel in each hull, but the photos clearly show a pair of outboards. I could go with either, but I'd need to understand why she has both. Or whether she has both.

[admiralslater]

Originally Posted by Jdege

It's going to be a couple of years before I'm really in the market. If she's still for sale, then, I might take a closer look.

And I'd certainly use the odd looks, and the fact that she'd been on the market for that long, as a negotiating tool.

What really confuses me is that the specs say she has a 50hp diesel in each hull, but the photos clearly show a pair of outboards. I could go with either, but I'd need to understand why she has both. Or whether she has both.

a mistake by a dealer who is not interesed

[OS2Dude]

I understand in some non-US locations you can buy Diesel Outboards. Could that be why the listings say 50 hp Diesel and yet pics show outboards?

Could also be it originally came with inboards and a PO put on outboards instead of fixing inboards... If inboards are still aboard, the listing would technically be correct...

[Cheechako]

Adding hatches is not brain surgery, but one thing to remember is to seal the deck core after you cut the hole. Gouge out the balsa or foam core and glass/epoxy the perimeter of the cutout/core so it's water tight. I don't see that mentioned above...?
Another thing is if it's very far forward or where green water comes aboard, you are better off with a slightly raised perimeter fabrication to mount the hatch on, this keeps it from dripping when doused with green water better than just flush on deck.


That looks like a cool catamaran for the price...

[George DuBose]

Skylark had her forehatch replaced and I used a vinyl foam double-sided tape. Works a treat. No leaks in 5 years. Very easy to use and remove.

I wouldn't use 5200 or epoxy to bed a hatch.

When I replaced the hatch over the salon, I couldn't buy an exact match in dimensions, so I used some HDPE to narrow the aperture and that I bedded to the deck with G-Flex after "oxidizing" the HDPE with a gas torch.

[admiralslater]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Adding hatches is not brain surgery, but one thing to remember is to seal the deck core after you cut the hole. Gouge out the balsa or foam core and glass/epoxy the perimeter of the cutout/core so it's water tight. I don't see that mentioned above...?
Another thing is if it's very far forward or where green water comes aboard, you are better off with a slightly raised perimeter fabrication to mount the hatch on, this keeps it from dripping when doused with green water better than just flush on deck.


That looks like a cool catamaran for the price...

Missed that one

[admiralslater]

Originally Posted by George DuBose

Skylark had her forehatch replaced and I used a vinyl foam double-sided tape. Works a treat. No leaks in 5 years. Very easy to use and remove.

I wouldn't use 5200 or epoxy to bed a hatch.

When I replaced the hatch over the salon, I couldn't buy an exact match in dimensions, so I used some HDPE to narrow the aperture and that I bedded to the deck with G-Flex after "oxidizing" the HDPE with a gas torch.

I agree don't bed with epoxy but you can make a level bed with it