Hatches opening on cat

[tolly]

I am about to replace my 5 old hatches, 4 on deck and one on the salon roof.
The question is if I should put the opening forward or in the rear of the new hatches?
As for the old ones it differs, 2 open rear and 2 open forward.
I am a bit confused and wonder if there is something special I should think about in this.

[Ram]

i think i would put them as they were- must be a good reason for that...or not!

[Katiusha]

Most likely the difference in opening orientation is to catch wind from more directions, i.e. when you're docked if the wind is from the aft, you'll have more air movement inside than if all your hatches opened forward.

I know some cat manufacturers offer different directions for hatch openings as an option. But if you don't like/use it, they just install all forward opening ones.

[DotDun]

Direction of hatch opening is dependent on the space below. Do you want to push air into the space, or extract air from the space?

Hatches in the head open to aft, living spaces to foreword.

IMO, of course!

[Cheechako]

open in front to scoop in air. except heads. If someone sleeps in an aft cabin and wants privacy with the door shut, you stillneed to scoop in air. Ports can let the air flow through.

[tolly]

You all say just about what I thought myself, but I wanted others opinions also before deciding.
I attached a photo to show how it looks on fore deck.
That would mean that the two forward deck hatches used for escape in a stowage compartment should open back to ventilate out the air, the two in the forward sleeping cabins should open forward to get air in, and the one in the salon roof should open back, since I have four hatches on the forward windows in the salon, which will give air in...and the one in the roof can ventilate it out.
That should do it, right

[sy_gilana]

Get Goyot hatches, they can go both ways.

[tolly]

That could do...if I hadn't already two new Bomar and one Lewmar laying waiting to be mounted.

[mikereed100]

We have all forward hatches facing forward to scoop in air, the aft-most hatches face aft to exhaust air. Creates a nice breeze below. Another trick we do is at night we open all the forward facing hatches and doors in the saloon, then close the aft doors and windows in the saloon. This creates a bit of high pressure in the saloon, the only way out for this air is down the hulls and out the "exhaust" hatches which are over the bunks. Makes it noticably breezier down below.

[goboatingnow]

In the UK on a commercially coded yacht, you cannot have forward facing hatches. Makes the interior hard to ventilate. I remember the French agent being incredulous when I asked Beneteau to build em reversed. They did, but not without laughing at me !

Dave

[s/v Jedi]

The good (cast) Bomar hatches can also be changed to open the other way by moving the hinge pins.

ciao!
Nick.

[tolly]

I wonder...what if I put them with opening sideways?
Opening facing out of deck or into deck then?
It doesn't seem all that practical, but has anyone tried it?
Progress is a matter of trial and error...as long as the error is not fatal.

When sailing Florida to Europe we had forward facing hatches opened, together with open salon hatches during the sailing and the experience from that was that all bed sheets and floor mats onboard were constantly damp because of the salty wind...and we didn't get rid of the dampness untill we washed everything in fresh water at home in Sweden.
It wasn't all that comfortable always sleeping ín more or less damp bed wear.

[Teeto]

Sheets get salty when you sleep on them without rinsing salt off yourself. So do towels. Once salty they absorb heaps of water from the humid air and never dry. Try a spray bottle of water and mist yourself with it after swimming, then dry off with a designated "salty" towel. It does improve that sticky sheet thing.