Putting hatches in a wheelhouse?

[Rivers & creeks]

We have a wheelhouse cruiser, fantastic this time of year but in the summer it's hot hot hot! We've put blinds in but with two side opening doors there just isn't enough ventilation, plus it leaves you feeling a bit cut off from the action on the deck and little access to trimming lines. Having sourced some great value Vetus hatches I thought about putting one in the central window front and rear (3 big windows facing fore and aft). The glass is toughened though so no chance of cutting, it will mean replacing with Perspex. The question is, with the windows being near vertical and almost no overhang to protect them, will it be possible to get get a watertight seal between the hatch and the Perspex?

 

[pappaecho]

My Princess 33 had sliding windows, which frankly provided limited light and a lack of ventilation. Put a 15 inch square opening hatch in the roof, providing much more light and instant ventilation. Took about 4 hours start to finish

 

[Seajet]

I'd also have thought a hatch ( or two ) in the wheelhouse roof would be the answer; they would hopefully give an idea on sail trim etc as well, and maybe even an extra means of escape !

Just thinking, how about 2 hatches facing opposite directions, so one should usually catch some breeze ?

 

[Rivers & creeks]

I like those ideas of a roof hatch or two. There is a large Perspex panel in the roof so cutting that for small hatches would be relatively easy, but the Perspex is curved to follow the line of the roof which may complicate things. I was hankering after a forward facing hatch to make the wheelhouse feel a little less cut off from the rest of the boat, but replacing the whole middle screen adds to the cost considerably.