Hatch refit.

[Soulsailor]

Replacing the midship molded wooden hatches on my 77 37ft Irwin.
What type of hatch should I go with. Medium profile ocean hatch from Lewmar, is what I'm looking at but it seems that I need to cut away the raised molded lip that fits the old hatch. Is there any way i can avoid this process. And just use a hatch that fits this old hole perfectly.
I would prefer not to cut on the castle top if I didn't have to

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[psk125]

We had the same issue with our cabintop hatch. You can use the web to try to find a manufacturer who makes something that will fit the old opening perfectly, but it isn't easy. We ended up going a tad smaller and fitting spacers around the edges to keep it snug. The lip of the hatch covered the gap so it worked out for us. You might also find that getting a craftsman to make a wooden replacement costs about the same. Good luck.

[UNCIVILIZED]

With the Lewmar hatches, in the Ocean Range (at least), you can get 2 different versions. The difference being in the hatch's base, which affects how they're mounted.

One version of their Ocean hatches have a Flange on the frame, which protrudes down into the mounting hole. So that this version of the hatch requires a flat mounting surface, as well as a cutout in the deck which exactly matches the hatch's size & shape.

The other version of the hatch doesn't have a Flange, so that the hatch only requires a flat surface for mounting. Not a flat surface, plus an exact cutout in the deck to match the hatch's shape. So that mounting of this variant is simpler.

But, yes, finding a hatch which perfectly fits ones boat can be a challenge. AKA a pain in the backside. Though as already stated by another member, you can build/have built, a new wooden or composite base for the new hatch you choose to be mounted to.
And if you do so, often times people will also build a breakwater for the hatch into this new mounting base. To even include the facility to attach a storm cover/sun cover to it for the hatch.

The breakwater doing just as it's name implies. To prevent boarding waves from directly impacting the hatch's front & side, & especially the gaskets there. So that it stays more watertight.
Ditto on the functioning of storm covers, etc.

The other option is to find a replacement hatch which is slightly larger than your current one, & enlarge the cutout in your deck to accommodate it. It's not ideal, but...

[Soulsailor]

Perfect suggestions! And I have my answer. I think I'm going to build the hatches out of some great Costa Rican purple heart I've had sitting around.

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