Odd issue with new starboard hatch drop board

[BruceW]

Hi, folks,

I searched and didn't see anything about this, so here goes.

I had an old plywood hatchboard, and it was swelling, etc, and a one-piece deal, so I just didn't think it was worth sawing. Anyway, I called Hutchens and they are now only selling starboard hatch boards. Good price, I thought, compared to my having to find someone with the right saw & skills, so I ordered the set.

Well, it is awesome two piece, slides right in, fits great, and I had success putting the hasp on and it worked great...until.

Well, apparently the lower board got a bow in it, and it slid right over the horizontal molding that keeps it up. Yeah, it goes to the deck, and then the top board is two inches two low.

So, I looked at it, and saw that I can make it rest and then hook things up, and maybe the latch will hold it. Of course, it could just hold the top board, and the bottom one could slide.


So, on the drive back I thought, what is the solution?

I have thought of:

a. screwing a 1 x 2 onto the current horizontal molding, making a track that the bottom board would stay in.

b. replacing the horizontal molding with a wider piece (thicker)

c. getting some small tabs that I can attach, and they'd be horizontal when the boards are out, and I could rotate them up to hold the board when it's in.



So, how would you deal with this?


Thanks

[jgsharpe]

If correcting the bow in the hatch board would solve the problem, a piece of aluminum angle or box channel attached horizontally to the inside face would keep it flattened out.

[HeaveToo]

You definitely want to correct the bow in the board.  I think that other solution was a good idea.

Be careful when you store your hatch boards.  Have a good place for them and try to keep them flat.

You also may be able to slightly enlarge the place on the bottom to stop the hatch board.

[brackish]

So, how would you deal with this?

I'd make solid teak drop boards in my wood shop.

In your case I would call Hutchins, describe the problem and ask them about it.  Can't be the first time or if it is they should be made aware of it.  Drop boards are not an item you should have to treat as delicate.

When you say Hutchin's is only selling starboard is that only for replacement?  They're not doing that on new boats are they?  I'd consider eliminating the solid teak drop boards with the routed logo on the front a real step down on a new boat.  It's just so pretty.

[skip1930]

Run both pieces through a wood planer
Find a buddy that like to do wood projects.

I'm in the process of thinning out my glued together cedar tonged and grooved blank.
I traced the old boards on top of the blank and cut out the shape with a gig saw in about 8 minutes.

Then cut horizontally on a 45 to shed water.

My buddy is going to plan the thickness down for both pieces for a perfect fit.

Two foam rolled on coats of West System should seal the wood up.

Became tired of the ply separating on the past three sets made.

skip.

[BruceW]

Well, that lower horizontal piece is very small. I thought it would be easiest to widen it via one of the methods I had thought up. The bow in the hatch board is very slight, and yet it allows it to fall.

I hadn't thought of correcting the bow; I'll give that idea some thought. Not sure it would be easier than widening the support piece, though.  I might call Hutchens to ask, as well.

Re the solid teak, I didn't ask any follow up on that, but I agree they look awesome. If they had said that was the only choice, I'd have been glad to take that!

So, no feedback on any of my proposed solutions; well, they could be all bad, haha. So, thanks for the perspective. Still hoping for some more input on it.

[crazycarl]

running the boards through a surface planer will not flatten them out.

the serrated feed rollers will only press the boards down and you'll end up with thinner boards with more bow.

the correct way would be to hand plane the bow out, or, run one side across a joiner until the bow is gone, being careful not to apply too much downward pressure while feeding them through.

then and only then would you run them through a surface planer to clean up the other side.

however, i don't think that is the right solution.

i like inside bracing idea. 



cc

[brackish]

Agree, planning will not improve the situation only make it worse. 

I didn't address your original list because I was confused by the reference to horizontal moldings.  I don't have any.  I have vertical (or almost at least).  If you look at my picture the two side moldings have a piece behind them that keeps the drop boards set back so that the sliding hatch can come out to the same plane as the molding face and the drop boards will be set back slightly from the weather. Those back pieces also keep the boards tight in the slot.  If you don't have them maybe you can add them. 

Additionally my top drop board has a lip on the back that comes down from the bottom edge, it is made from a piece 1.5" by about 3/8"  by the length of the drop board.   The 1.5" extends down about 3/4" from the bottom of the top drop board and that keeps the two hatch boards aligned so that the front plane is the same.  Adding that if you don't have it may also solve your problem.

[BruceW]

I may have used the wrong term calling it a bow. It is flexible enough to just bend out over that side piece. So, maybe a stiffener, but dang, I just don't wanna, haha.

I think I want to screw a lateral piece to the current support piece, which would in effect create a straight channel for the lower board to fit into.  Yeah, maybe that would be something that would reach up and trip me! 


Thanks for the ideas; maybe I have a picture of the small horizontal molding that seems to be the crux of the matter.

[BruceW]

Shows the horizontal piece that should be the base that the lower board rests  on. It did fine until later in the hot day when the bend allow it to slide over the molding.

[Jon898]

Why not bolt a cleat onto the inside of the lower board?  That would serve two purposes...first to stop the board slipping down too far and second to stiffen up the starboard (which will tend to soften and warp in the heat).  The downside is the board will not store quite as flat.

[BruceW]

I think I'm not going to do any alterations to the actual drop board.  Just doesn't seem easy or sufficient to my way of thinking. I think a lip on the lower board, or even just some rotating "holder" pieces that would be able to keep the board up when in, and "disappear" when rotated sideways when the board is out and put away.

More thinking, less doing!

[Pete H]

Thanks for the pic. Makes it much clearer, and now I know what Starboard is, have occasionally seen it mentioned here but didn't know what the actual product looked like.
In answer to Brackish's question the drop in hatch boards on my 2012 Legacy look exactly like the Starboard one pictured above. Utilitarian but not pretty! Those teak ones do look mighty fine though. Another job for the workshop list.

Cheers,

[HeaveToo]

There is no disputing that the teak boards look amazing.  I don't mind the starboard when I think of maintenance though!

[relamb]

I can't tell from the picture, is the teak strip across the bottom spaced out?  There were three sets of boards on my CP23.  The original teak hatch boards, another board that had a bulkhead compass mounted in it, and a board with a screen.  The screen board was thin and would fall down in front of the teak support strip.  Somebody unscrewed the teak strip and put some spacers behind it so it stands off of the fiberglass maybe 3/16" or so.  Now nothing can fall down in front of it, or behind it because of the spacers.