Hatch Breakwater

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by silverp40

HI Jim Cate, you mentioned in your post that you had a storm cover fit on your hatch breakwater?

Perhaps you also have a photo??

Thanks

G'Day Silver,

Slight misapprehension there... it isn't a storm cover, it is a shade cover! It is simple: Breezeway shade cloth with a Sunbrella surround and an elastic sewn into the edges. It fits over the timber hatch frame directly, not the breakwater, for that would preclude opening the hatch. We have one on the main saloon hatch which is directly over the table. Cuts down the mid day sun quite a bit!

Sorry for the misunderstanding... your dams look very good to me.

Jim

[silverp40]

Thank you Jim...

[Greatketch33]

The hatches on Jim's boat are similar to the hatches on my boat; however, I do not have break water protection.

Jim, is that acrylic hatch? My boat has Lexan originally for the hatches.

Thank you for posting the post and including pictures. I have ideas now, and work to be had.
OP project looks really good. Great job.

I do have sunbrella cloth protecting the hatches from uv. The picture included displays the hatches without the sunbrella cloth. One will note the hatches are exposed.

Thanks.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Greatketch33

The hatches on Jim's boat are similar to the hatches on my boat; however, I do not have break water protection.

Jim, is that acrylic hatch? My boat has Lexan originally for the hatches.

Thank you for posting the post and including pictures. I have ideas now, and work to be had.
OP project looks really good. Great job.

I do have sunbrella cloth protecting the hatches from uv. The picture included displays the hatches without the sunbrella cloth. One will note the hatches are exposed.

Thanks.

Yes, the glazing is acrylic, 13 mm. They are now 12 years old and have no visible degradation.

Cheers,

Jim

[Greatketch33]

Thanks, Jim.

I replaced my badly damaged Lexan with acrylic. I do like the tint smoke color of the acrylic and the cost was less than the Lexan.

It's good to know that with care they can last a long time.

[silverp40]

Well, here is the finished product for 4 hatches. The finish is gelcoat.

[Jim Cate]

They look great P40! I suspect that you will be amazed at how much they help keeping water out of the boat.

Well done!

Jim

[silverp40]

Thanks Jim...your and others' pictures really helped!

Best regards
Ovi

[JPA Cate]

Hey, Ovi,

Nice job on those hatch dams!

I did build a hatch dodger/wind scoop for the forward hatch, that allows for ventilation at anchor when it is raining. It attaches with 4 snaps to the outside for the hatch dam frame. It works on a sort of dorade principle. It was made out of stamoid pvc fabric, my first project with that. The forward edges of it are secured in flat little clam cleats, and we die the top of the scoop to the baby stay.

There are two internal spreaders, one across the top forward edge, and one at the top edge of the bottom "dorade" flap. I reinforced the snap attachments with nylon webbing, which is protected from the UV by the Stamoid.

Jim said a picture wouldn't help because it doesn't look like anything, and he's the photographer on this boat.

I'm happy to discuss it further with you if it is something you think you might like to make.

[silverp40]

Thanks, Ann, PM sent...

[Greatketch33]

Originally Posted by silverp40

Well, here is the finished product for 4 hatches. The finish is gelcoat.

Wow, very professional job. Very impressive!

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Guys,

Okay, it's all based on the dimensions of your hatch and its dam. Our hatch opens forward, so the dodger is made to keep water out but let in the air.

I purposely made it a little loose on the base, so it's easier to snap on. I would not try and make it tight because it would then be too hard to snap it on. It has port and stbd aft snaps on the outer edge of the dam, and the fwd ones are in a similar place on the forward outer edge.

Three total spreaders, one for upper edge of lower baffle, one for lower edge of upper baffle, and one where the fwd triangle piece extends, placed at the base of the triangle.

Only two baffles, one coming up from the forward edge, and the other placed coming down from the top.

We made the first one out of cheap tarp material to trial it. It lasted about 3 years. This one has 11 yrs. on it.

Jim says pics to follow.

Ann

[Jim Cate]

G'Day all,

Here are the photos of the hatch dodger that we built, and that Ann has been describing. Sorry about quality... a bit windy and harsh light today! It looks better when it is stretched a bit tighter, but the crucial thing is that it allows some ventilation when it is pouring with rain.

Cheers,

Jim

[Snowpetrel]

Nice. Thanks Ann and Jim

Sent from my HTC_0PCV2 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

G'Day all,

Here are the photos of the hatch dodger that we built, and that Ann has been describing. Sorry about quality... a bit windy and harsh light today! It looks better when it is stretched a bit tighter, but the crucial thing is that it allows some ventilation when it is pouring with rain.

Cheers,

Jim

Hi Jim -

I'm opening on old thread with a question for you guys. It appears you have "hatch storm battens". Is that correct? Can you hold the hatch down from the inside in case of a major storm?