I am excited to do my first build. I am building a hybrid Chesapeake 18. I do have a question on the hatches. I am a avid kayak camper and like the idea of larger sized hatches to make access easier.
This is my first boat build as a fairly expereinced woodworker but do have a couple "new boatbuilder questions". How and when do you recommened the hatches be cut and constructed. I am fine with invisible hatches however the the breakup of the design with hatches held down by straps is fine too. I am simply looking for a good method.
Once the deck is dried, do you then trace out the deck hatches and simply cut them out with the sabre saw? Then provided a lip underneath with weatherstriping and the bungee tension holding the hatch down?
Just wondering if there are a variety of methods and instructions somewhere?
Once the deck is dried, do you then trace out the deck hatches and simply cut them out with the sabre saw? Then provided a lip underneath with weatherstriping and the bungee tension holding the hatch down?
Yep, this is basically the approach. a couple pointers on this.
- to ensure the hatch remains aligned with the hull, don't cut the hatches out until you have glassed both sides of the deck.
- with respect to building the lip, you will need a spacer and a lip. the spacer will be one layer of 4mm okoume that looks like a ring with the inside of the ring equal to the hatch cutout. the outside of the ring can be scribed by adding about 1 inch all around the cutout and then cutting it. (so its a one inch wide ring) epoxy that in place.
the lip than is another ring of 4 mm okourm with the outside of the ring equal to the outside of the spacer and the inside 3/4 inch insde of the hatch cut-out (so this is 1 and 3/4 inch wide ring). the 3/4 inch extra creates the ledge to put the weatherstripping on.
if you forget the space, you will not have space be able to compress the weathersrtipping and have a flush hatch.
for actually holding the hatch, you have your choice between a number of methods... outside straps or bungees, tabs that swing over from the deck to hold the hatch in place (e.g., the arctic hawk), or you can create a blind system (no outside straps or tabs)
Go with hold downs of what ever kind on the outside. The blind bungees take up cargo space and would be hard to use in a tightly packed cargo area. SEEYA Jack