Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 26-07-2018, 01:00   #1
Registered User

Join Date: May 2016
Location: Blenheim, New Zealand
Boat: Lagoon 450
Posts: 8
Lagoon escape hatches, the questions i've always wanted to ask

Hi Everyone, i'm just after some general information about the escape hatches on my 2011 Lagoon 450 F. These hatches are permanently mounted, ie they cant be opened or closed.

How are they fixed in place? Are they glued ? If so should they be removed and re-glued or checked at any specific intervals?

I assume the material used is substantial enough not to break from wave impact, however what chance does someone have of breaking it with the small hammer situated next to it.

Has anybody heard of one of these style of escape hatches failing while at sea?
664895ss is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-07-2018, 03:36   #2
Registered User
 
Dulcesuenos's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Western Caribbean
Boat: 38/41 Fountains pajot
Posts: 3,060
Images: 4
Re: Lagoon escape hatches, the questions i've always wanted to ask

Is your hammer pointed or sharp? Ever the seen the video of a guy trying to break a car window with a baseball bat? Couldn't do it, but throw a sharp little piece of porcelain or hit it with a centerpunch and it shatters.
Dulcesuenos is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-07-2018, 03:51   #3
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Oz
Posts: 1,042
Re: Lagoon escape hatches, the questions i've always wanted to ask

It would make sense to do a thorough inspection of escape hatches at every haul out, easily overlooked. The L450 also has a third hammer under the cockpit life raft slot for breaking the hatch from the outside.
Bean Counter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-07-2018, 04:42   #4
Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: W Carib
Boat: Wildcat 35, Hobie 33
Posts: 13,480
Re: Lagoon escape hatches, the questions i've always wanted to ask

Quote:
Originally Posted by 664895ss View Post
....should they be removed [?]....

...
Yes, just sales and marketting gimmicks...plenty of ways to exit a capsized cat which do not involve a hole on your boat waiting to fail.
belizesailor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-07-2018, 04:50   #5
Registered User
 
MartinR's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Sweden
Boat: 73´ULDB custom ketch
Posts: 1,069
Re: Lagoon escape hatches, the questions i've always wanted to ask

Quote:
Originally Posted by belizesailor View Post
Yes, just sales and marketting gimmicks...plenty of ways to exit a capsized cat which do not involve a hole on your boat waiting to fail.
I think this is due to CE "China Export" regulations. These have very little to do with safety, more with protecting the EU boat industry from competition.
MartinR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-07-2018, 04:50   #6
Registered User

Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 46
Re: Lagoon escape hatches, the questions i've always wanted to ask

I did Newport to Antigua last fall and a Helia 44 that we had been in contact with radio'ed us late one night that one of their escape hatches had failed. Since it was right at the waterline a good deal of water from waves and chop was freely entering. We stayed with them all night troubleshooting a fix Apollo 13 style. Eventually they were able to reattach the hatch with quick setting epoxy and a large piece of interior flooring. This involved launching the dinghy in the middle of the night, 15-20 knots of breeze and a confused sea. Not fun. Not a Lagoon, but I'd guess the construction is the same.
jls095 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-07-2018, 05:23   #7
Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: W Carib
Boat: Wildcat 35, Hobie 33
Posts: 13,480
Re: Lagoon escape hatches, the questions i've always wanted to ask

Quote:
Originally Posted by jls095 View Post
I did Newport to Antigua last fall and a Helia 44 that we had been in contact with radio'ed us late one night that one of their escape hatches had failed. Since it was right at the waterline a good deal of water from waves and chop was freely entering. We stayed with them all night troubleshooting a fix Apollo 13 style. Eventually they were able to reattach the hatch with quick setting epoxy and a large piece of interior flooring. This involved launching the dinghy in the middle of the night, 15-20 knots of breeze and a confused sea. Not fun. Not a Lagoon, but I'd guess the construction is the same.
The primary function I have seen such hatches serve, regardless of make/model...is to flood boats. For long offshore runs I think its best to remove them or at least make up a good dead eye cover for them....and bolt it in place before the crossing. (I plan to make a crossing on a Lagoon 38 next April and hope to convince the owner to do this so we can avoid a crisis like described above).

I dont recall in any capsize events Ive read about of crew using such hatches. Anybody know of such use?
belizesailor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-07-2018, 06:22   #8
Registered User
 
Privilege's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Bermuda
Boat: Privilege 435
Posts: 586
Images: 12
Re: Lagoon escape hatches, the questions i've always wanted to ask

I apologize for the slight topic drift...I've never used my escape hatches and hope that I shall never have to, but the thought of having to use them in a survival situation scares the beezasus out of me. Currently, if I open the hatch regularly to keep the handles from becoming too stiff, then the rubber seal doesn't seal as tight and lets in dribbles of water when sailing.
I've decided upon a plan 'B'. I recently bought four of these 'spare airs'. I got them for a $100 each, second-hand but unused. They fill from an ordinary scuba tank in a matter of seconds and are good for a minutes' worth of breathing. I now have a couple attached to the underside of each stairway.


Name:   images.jpg
Views: 2112
Size:  5.0 KB
Privilege is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-07-2018, 08:33   #9
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Boat: Prout Event 34
Posts: 46
Re: Lagoon escape hatches, the questions i've always wanted to ask

IIRC, the underbridge escape hatches are in case of fire, not capsizing. EU regs call for escape available from every compartment.
john2445 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-07-2018, 09:22   #10
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Germany
Boat: Various Charters
Posts: 6
Re: Lagoon escape hatches, the questions i've always wanted to ask

Hi,
I was crew on a Lagoon 440 that presumably lost an escape hatch (divers report) in fair weather and capsized within less than 10 minutes.
The hatches were of the type that is fixed and need to be broken by hammer.
This thread has a long discussion of the event: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ght=zebra+moon


BR Bernd
Bcs01 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-07-2018, 09:59   #11
Registered User
 
Cadence's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: SC
Boat: None,build the one shown of glass, had many from 6' to 48'.
Posts: 10,208
Re: Lagoon escape hatches, the questions i've always wanted to ask

Putting a hole in a perfectly good hull? It sounds more like politics than common sense.
Cadence is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-07-2018, 11:19   #12
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 289
Re: Lagoon escape hatches, the questions i've always wanted to ask

On a related note, I sailed on a vessel where the owner opted to have S/S rods permanently installed at all the hatches to deter uninvited intruders. The only means of escape, should there be an emergency, would be through the main companionway. If there would be anything blocking the entryway, there would be no means of escaping the craft. I suggested that the owner invest in a aircraft style "crash ax" or a battery operated sawzall should he ever need another means of departing the vessel.
P3sailor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-07-2018, 12:07   #13
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 2012
Boat: Lagoon 450
Posts: 149
Re: Lagoon escape hatches, the questions i've always wanted to ask

My brand new L450 hatch windows would leak and hold water along the lower edge. When I reported it to my dealer who reported it to Lagoon they didn't believe me, so I provided pictures of water sitting in the lower lip edge. (I would post the picture here if I could figure out how to do it).

Lagoon repaired them both under warranty. However, the hatch windows were a bitch to remove. In the end they had to be cut out. The Lagoon dealer in Martinique did the repair and did a nice job. They never leaked again. After the repair I was told I was the first of a few L450's who reported the same issue.

In summary, the hatch windows may leak, but I seriously doubt they would ever fall out.
sailingforfun is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2019, 10:02   #14
Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 14
Re: Lagoon escape hatches, the questions i've always wanted to ask

Quote:
Originally Posted by 664895ss View Post
Hi Everyone, i'm just after some general information about the escape hatches on my 2011 Lagoon 450 F. These hatches are permanently mounted, ie they cant be opened or closed.

How are they fixed in place? Are they glued ? If so should they be removed and re-glued or checked at any specific intervals?

I assume the material used is substantial enough not to break from wave impact, however what chance does someone have of breaking it with the small hammer situated next to it.

Has anybody heard of one of these style of escape hatches failing while at sea?
I am sure by now that you heard about serious, and on going, reports of the fixed tempered glass silicone seal failing and the glass falling out of the frame, as happened aboard our Lagoon 420 - both hatches within 2 hours of each other. An issue not to be ignored!
tinsoldier50 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2019, 11:29   #15
Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,007
Re: Lagoon escape hatches, the questions i've always wanted to ask

Quote:
Originally Posted by john2445 View Post
IIRC, the underbridge escape hatches are in case of fire, not capsizing. EU regs call for escape available from every compartment.
You do NOT recall correctly. The deck hatches are for "normal" safety escape. The low hull hatches are 100% and ONLY there for capsize egress.

I agree, they are a dumb idea, and badly implemented by almost all boat builders, but required by the rules.

A proper waterproof emergency hatch for near the waterline does NOT look like a deck hatch with a transparent lens! It should be solid aluminum, with a large handwheel working multiple dogs. These are standard issue on commercial craft, and are not used only because they are expensive.

Something like this: https://shop.hamiltonmarine.com/prod...oval-2423.html
billknny is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
escape hatches, hatch, lagoon, wanted

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Belize 43: Emergency Repair of Escape Hatches peteatbeach Fountaine Pajot 6 23-10-2014 17:49
380: Lewmar Escape Hatches dptconst Lagoon Catamarans 15 02-08-2014 05:29
General Info: Escape Hatches: Advice Required Kiwikat Fountaine Pajot 8 26-08-2011 20:56
Escape Hatches: One Opened While Sailing, the Other Leaking beachgirl1952 Multihull Sailboats 36 10-08-2009 07:15
Seaworthy Escape Hatches svcattales Multihull Sailboats 24 17-05-2008 07:09

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 23:29.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.