Ever Heard of Catamaran losing its escape hatch in a seaway?

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by sparau

i'm no boat engineer but i'm sure the thickness of the bridge deck floor is for structural rigidity rather than stopping waves breaking thru.

Are good condition and within life expectancy hatches failing? Or is it just another of the boat maintenance gotcha's to look at if you buy a multi with them?

One has to believe with the 1000s of French cats in service, and the few failures reported, it's more an issue of maintenance, specifically, the lack of!

It's another out of sight, out of mind issue.

FWIW, not closing them prior to raising anchor or leaving the dock is simply stupidity, one can't blame the hatch or manufacturer for that. We have a 'checklist' prior to starting engines, and close all hatches is near the top of the list.

[hellosailor]

The discussion of hatches aging or failing reminds me of the discussions after the Fastnet Race, where some yachts had their cabin windows stove in while others actually had the cabin topsides stove in completely.

Anything the water can find, has to be structural. And strucutrally sufficient for the intended use, with intended maintenance.

All these years after Fastnet, about ten years ago I was helping to replace old leaking windows in a cabin. My friend had ordered new ones for his old boat, still available form the maker. I questioned whether they were really strong enough to take offshore and he said, oh, these are lexan, you can't hurt them. OK, he was a fairly bright fellow and experienced sailor, but we couldn't get the old ones out because they were glued in.

So I suggested we bust out the glazing, implode the frames, and just pull 'em out that way. While he was repeating the "lexan" mantra I twitched by forearm outwards and put a hammer through what used to be one old window. "I don't think that's lexan, really."

Good enough for government work, but if the spinnaker pole of whisker pole came visiting? Would have been the same problem. So hearing there's a hatch on a cat that isn't build any better? Disappoints but doesn't surprise me. That's the way production boats are kept "affordable".

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

So hearing there's a hatch on a cat that isn't build any better? Disappoints but doesn't surprise me. That's the way production boats are kept "affordable".

Better than what?

My bridgedeck hatches are built way better than the topside hatches. Much stronger frames, metal latches, etc. Never changed the glazing so I can't attest to if it's thicker or not.

The main maintenance issue is corrosion/salt build up. They get beat with/dunked in salt water continuously and people can't understand why the hinge system gets 'stiff'. Yes, they require some maintenance.

[Joe S]

In my search for a cruising catamaran, it was one of the first places I looked for what I considered a 'fatal flaw'.

I ended up buying a boat that had the escape hatches removed and glassed over. No worries now.

[Kashmir cat]

Placing hatches on the bottom of a boat is probably not the safest thing to do. On the other hand, they do provide great rain free ventilation and fish viewing.

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by Kashmir cat

Placing hatches on the bottom of a boat is probably not the safest thing to do. On the other hand, they do provide great rain free ventilation and fish viewing.

Plus, they allow the French to build catamarans!

[captainbri]

I think it was on this forum about a year and a half ago, a brand new cat and the hatch failed on the maiden voyage.

[Lagoon4us]

Leaving one of these hatches open for ventilation is courting disaster, first dinghy that goes by will soak your sole.

The newer Lagoons stopped putting an opening hatch there opting for a break glass instead, the hammer in a bracket beside.

We open ours to clean it and maintain.

Three points about having an escape hatch in both hulls that have been largely overlooked:-

1) In case of fire it offers a wet retreat.

2) It is a means of escape in a security situation.

3) You can retrieve fish, but not in green zones.....Aussies know what i'm talking about!

[downunder]

Fishing through an in tunnel escape hatch might be something people dream about but unrealistic. Even in green zones.

Drag a live fish into your bedroom. Yeah.

[Lagoon4us]

Thought i'd end it with some humour....

[downunder]

Originally Posted by teneicm

At the boat show yesterday, we saw the broker that sold us our boat, who also previously owned a Privilege. Apparently he had a hatch open up underway (didn't lose it though). The handles apparently broke off. He highly recommends that we replace ours with metal handles (he had to have custom ones fabricated). I guess he doesn't feel the need to sugarcoat it. Now that we have bought the boat.

On the other hand, he says the hatches are awesome when you're at anchor for checking out marine life and fishing.

Salesman suggesting they are awesome for fishing. Yeah

[tuskie]

Originally Posted by downunder

Drag a live fish into your bedroom. Yeah.

Each to their own! What people do in the privacy of their bedroom........

Perhaps you have hit on another advantage of in hull escape hatches: "entertainment for snorkelling voyeurs".

Could be more popular than "bedroom fishing"?

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

The newer Lagoons stopped putting an opening hatch there opting for a break glass instead, the hammer in a bracket beside.

A noble idea and Chris White did the same for a time on the Atlantic 57's, but when Anna capsized and the crew found they were unable to break the glass with the provided hammer I believe he switched back to hatches.

I had occasion to replace a 10mm tempered safety glass window in my cabin recently. Just for shits and giggles I tried to break it with a 2lb sledge but gave up when my ears started ringing from the noise.

[GRIT]

Quote: I had occasion to replace a 10mm tempered safety glass window in my cabin recently. Just for shits and giggles I tried to break it with a 2lb sledge but gave up when my ears started ringing from the noise.

Seriously?

I've considered using tempered safety glass on our front windows but was afraid they'd be sensitive to shock loads (clews, winch handles...) Perhaps I'll revisit this plan.

Paul.

[Mike Sibley]

Our Lagoon 37 TPI has escape hatches that are only 2 or 3 inches above the water line. I have heard of at least two Lagoon 37 owners that have glassed them over. I am inclined to do the same in the near future, but I don’t know how big of a project it is. Does anyone have any experience with this?