Need Tips on How to Make My Hatches . . .

[otherthan]

water tight...good closing device that will keep my lazarette and cockpit hatches dry in the event of a knockdown...these ereas are my flotation compartments.

[ozskipper]

A door like this. Most people,luckily, wont experience a knock down if just bay or coastal cruising..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIplsOf_DBQ

[David M]

Are the gaskets leaking or you just don't have enough dogs to hold them down and tight? (please...no dog jokes. )

[otherthan]

at present nothing is holding them in anyway

[David_Old_Jersey]

I wouldn't worry about keeping them totally dry or waterproof - just closed. If you are upside down long enough that lockers being full of water becomes a problem you will likely have other things on your mind

I would mention that if going for simple hasps to think about your shins when they are part opened / unfastened . IMO more likely to have a cockpit full of green stuff looking for somewhere to drain into, so also an idea to have a couple of drain holes into the cockpit (not just the bilge!)..............and nothing in the lockers that won't mind getting damp

[ziptie-ducktape]

having gone through a knock down, I would suggest just have everything bolted or strapped on place, stuff sliding around and moving was my concern, pack things tight...

[Simes]

We are in a similar situation on Talisman. We are planning to use Neoprene Gaskets on the underside of the locker lid and the lid held down with "Over-Centre" latches.
THe over-Centre latches will pull the locker lid down tight and are also lockable.
See here Catchbolt, Prolatch, Fastening Multi Plane Draw Latch, Compression Seal latch, Safety Catch Toggle Clamps | Protex Fasteners
I am leaning towards the "Catchbolt" in S/Steel.
You can also get Catch-Plates in a number of different shapes to allow for under lid positioning and also lid end fitting.

Hope that this helps,

Simes

[David_Old_Jersey]

something you can put a padlock through in port would also be useful.

and mind those shins!

[Mark Johnson]

Hatches like the ones that I built to seal the amas of our trimaran might fill the bill. These have remained totally dry for 15 years now, even though they are occasionally submersed by deck sweeping waves.

They require 3/8" gaskets, (10 year life span), which are really cheap and easy to replace. And we can only dog them if standing on that corner of the hatch. This keeps gasket contact tight, and keeps the dog from moving.

To dog from the outside, we used micarta turnpegs with an adjustable SS machine screw for their axle. The SS machine screw threads into an epoxy plug in the hatches breakwater, which I later tapped threads into.

In your application, the problem would be that no one wants to sit on the turnpeg.

If your hatch comes to the edge of the seat, standard hasp will provide the same 100 + pounds (each) of downward pressure. They provide the lock too.

Ours can be locked by running a long pad lock through the three SS eye screws in the middle of the hatches opening edge.

There are lots of ways to do this. If all of the external hardware is too problematic, You can use a hole saw and install "recessed", flush fitting 4" Beckson deck plates (with a "o" ring seal), into the hatch top or footwell face. You could unscrew the plates, reach in, and tighten or release conventional hatch dogs.

In this case, you would not need a lock, as it is not obvious how to open the hatch!

Hope this helps,

Mark

[RainDog]

I use these: New 316 Stainless Steel LOCKABLE HOLD DOWN CLAMP

[Pete7]

There might be another way which I have seen and looked a clever idea.

Keep the existing hatches and fit locking clips to hold in place etc, but don't get too worked up about making them water proof. The are there to sit on and hold stuff inside etc.

The water proof bit comes next with a layer of hyperlon completely covering the hole, underneath the hatch, with a large "u" shaped zip to gain entry to the locker. The hyperlon can be glued and bolted into place and provides the water tightness, whilst the locker lid stops a breaking wave tearing the hyperlon.

We have a pretty good hatch on April Lass with foam around the edges, but it isn't water proof by any means. A second hyperlon material cover underneath would be waterproof and easy enough to fit as it glues well to GRP and round corners with practice.

Pete

[Pete7]

Can't see any cockpit drains in the photo

Pete

[otherthan]

[QUOTE=Pete7;587434]Can't see any cockpit drains in the photo

Pete[/QUOTE


ther are 2 small drain holes...no good enough for my intended voyage to asia....I will add a 3in drain strait out the transome.

[otherthan]

thanks for your help...my cockpit is devided in 3 large sealed compartments...I want them hatches tight fitting and as strong as they can be...they are my life raft.

jean du sud an alberg 30 that circumnavigated used his lazarette compartement as a boyancy in case of emergency...I have twice the boyancy space that jean du sud has...all I need is to close those hatches tight.

[Minggat]

This is also on my list of projects. I have seen the push button type catches on some modern boats that I would like to get my hands on. Very little protruding hardware and nice latching.

Why did they build the older boats with nothing at all holding the lazerettes closed?

Jobi, You might want to consider making your existing drains larger before adding additional drains.