New hatch boards

[ruffwind]

i replaced the hatch boards on my 1992Compac 23 IV about 6 years ago and they already went bad.  I am thinking of replacing with tinted lexan.  Thinking of making them one piece instead of 2 pieces.

Is anyone using just one hatch board instead of 2.  Only drawback I can see is storage, but one piece will easily store in the V berth.

Thanks for any feedback.

[Bob23]

I kept the 2 board design...stores away much easier but remade mine with 1/2" Birch plywood properly primed and coated with Interlux Brightsides Bristol Beige paint. works great although not as pretty as the teak boards. Those are stored at home when it comes time to sell...which hopefully is not too soon!

[HenryC]

I like the clear Lexan idea, it allows light below, and lets you see what's going on  topside when you're in the cabin.  And since its so much darker below than on deck, they can't see inside.  And when you make your first set of leeboards, you can easily cut another pair for a backup in case you lose the others.  They're flat, they'll stow anywhere.

[captronr]

Our Mac 26X had a large one piece fiberglass hatch board.  Since we sometimes stayed aboard, it was awkward to handle and allowed zero ventilation when it was in place. 

Knowing that we were wanting to install an A/C in the hatch opening, I went to a local acrylic place and had them cut a one piece replica in like 1/4" smoked (something--can't recall).  Then I had them make a horizontal cut about 20" from the bottom, figuring that could be our A/C opening.

I made a lower half out of starboard, cutting out for the placement of the A/C.  It worked well for those hot August nights, other than the hassle of crawling over the A/C to enter the cockpit.  We'd set the A/C on the dock when we went sailing.

What we found also was that when bugs weren't an issue (and we didn't need A/C), we'd leave the lower section out, insert the upper section, and it gave us some privacy and allowed air in. We had a boom tent, so often we could insert one of the panels in a rainstorm and stay dry.

Though I never got to it, I thought about making a screen that would fit in the top half, for ventilation and bug control.

Ron

[ruffwind]

Thank you Ron for the reply.  I don't get many overnighters, but there is the reason to have 2 boards.  Ventilation is important down below when staying overnight.

Make the screen.  I have a snap on canvas screen for my boat with a canvas rain cover and I always use this for sleeping on the boat.

[captronr]

Thanks Ruff,

Don't need the screen anymore--sold the boat and bought the Eclipse.

Ron

[brackish]

I gotta ask what you made the wooden boards from where you only got six years.  Mine below are pushing 13 years and look like this.



never had a teak board fail, have had failure from plywood veneer boards.  I would not want one piece, storage as you mentioned there are places but it will always be in the way.  additionally, ventilation, I have an additional top board that has a screen insert.

That said, I redid all the hatches and ports on my Columbia 8.7 with the exception of the drop boards using Polycarbonate (Lexan).  The good:  works well with normal woodworking equipment, table saw, band saw, jointers, routers, drill press.  The bad:  Scratches very easily and no way to effectively polish it out.  also fades to translucent losing it visual clarity over time with UV exposure. 

[ruffwind]

The boards that came with my boat when I bought it in 2006 were Marine grade teak plywood.  I thought I was using marine grade teak when I made new ones 6 years ago, but they have totally delaminated so they must have been interior grade plywood.

Your boards are beautiful.  Are they solid teak?  How did you make them.

[Finbar Beagle]

Brackish,

Ditto on the quality.  Have you thought about providing these for sale to the rest of us, skill lacking, fans of fine wood workmanship?

All the best.

[brackish]

They are solid teak and while I have made my own for other boats out of solid teak, these boards are OEM stock from Compac, the ones that came with the boat.  I'm sure they either have or have access to a CNC router to make that fancy logo in the board.  They probably sell them check their service part spread sheet.

[Finbar Beagle]

Brackish,

Thanks for the info, I shall see if I can get a pair.

Regards,
Brian

[Styge]

Finbar, What did you end up going with for dropboards.  I contacted Matt at Hutchins and they want 350 clams for those nice solid teak ones.  I'm thinking of procuring some teak veneered marine ply and making my own using the old ones as patterns. 

Cheers

[Finbar Beagle]

Styge,

I went with the Hutchins boards.  Yes, a bit pricy, but the quality is there.  I have no regrets.

I am in a weird situation, I travel for a living, so when I am home, I just want to sail.  I do not. Get involved with many boat project anymore.

A few more years when I hope to retire, should change all of that...

Regards,

[Styge]

I REALLY do like the teak boards, so a follow up question for me would be this.  Has anyone experienced any cupping in twisting in these board, given their width?  Or are they made up of several smaller sectioned glued together.  They look like they are solid boards to me, but pictures can be deceiving.  Brackish?

[Finbar Beagle]

The Hutchins boards are solid.  For winter storage I cut a single piece of starboard and put a vent in it.