Deck hatch

[Guest]

I am the owner of a 32 ft motorboat and need to fit a hatch on the foredeck to give access to a storage room for mooring ropes, small fenders etc. The hatch doesn’t have to be 100 pct watertight since the storage will be drained, but it must be hinged, and it must endure stepping on it.
I have not found any such hatches, except for the standard expensive deck hatches with acrylic glass. The hatch I prefer is abt. 300 x 400 mm in size, it has a stainless steel or aluminium frame and can utilise the GRP deck cut out for the hatch top. Anyone know where I can get such a hatch fabricated? Or is it possible to buy standard, solid hatches (no plastics or glass) for a reasonable price?

Rolf A. Roesok

 

[eddieperkins]

Rolf,
Just a thought, dont know how practical it will be, but an aluminium marine window extrusion made up into your size by your friendly local marine window company fitted with the grp dut out might just work. Alternatively try the Vetus range of deck hatches at www.vetus.nl
Regards,
Eddie

 

[traceyandsteve]

Rolf

We did exactly as Eddie has just suggested for our flybridge hatch. Our original cover was fabric, with press stud fastenings, and difficult to close quickly if the weather took a turn for the worse. Him indoors drew a brief sketch of the outline of the hatch and took it to our local marine window manufacturers in Burnham. They cut the perspex to fit, and we fitted the hinges ourselves. It's superb and it cost us a fraction of what we would have been charged to have one made to measure - and it's waterproof.

Tracey