Reversing a Gebo Deckhatch?

[nigelmercier]

My boat has Gebo's FlushLine Deckhatches like these: http://www.seateach.com/Gebo-Hatches-for-Bavaria-Yachts.htm

There are two in the centre of the saloon, both hinged at the forward end. It would sometimes be handy if the forward one opened the other way.

Would it be easy to rotate it by 180, or a can of worms?

 

[salar]

It depends how they have been fitted. My deck hatch has been glassed in. Another hatch has been sealed with Sikaflex not butyl so both would probably be destroyed in any attempt to remove. If it has been bedded in buytl rubber you will be laughing. Hatches are mounted hinge forward for safety reasons so they slam shut when water comes from the bows, a forward facing hatch opening would act as a giant scoop.

 

[nigelmercier]

... Hatches are mounted hinge forward for safety reasons so they slam shut when water comes from the bows, a forward facing hatch opening would act as a giant scoop.

Not if is locked closed, as it always is unless very calm.

 

[Tranona]

Both of mine are hinged at the rear, but they were fitted like that as replacements for the original leaky Rutgerson ones. Not sure how they are held in though, so doesn't really help.

 

[prv]

Should be possible to swap it round, but you need to be careful not to warp the frame while wrenching it free of the sealant. Keeping the lid closed helps a little, but is by no means a certain cure as you can end up bending the middle of the frame while the ends are held by the hinges and latches. It doesn't take much distortion to cause the hatch to leak.

(I removed Ariam's foredeck hatch due to a small leak and an available replacement; I hoped to remove it undamaged in order to sell on (being honest about the leak which was probably repairable). I managed to bend it in the middle as described above, albeit I was being a bit more cavalier and forceful than if I'd been planning to reuse it myself.)

A thin, flexible knife-blade to cut the sealant would be well-advised.

Pete

 

[duncan99210]

I changed the orientation of the Gebo hatches on Rampage two years back. Surprisingly simple job. I removed all the fixing screws and gave the frame a tug and it came away from the sealing tape, revealing that Bavaria had already drilled the deck for fitting in either hinge to rear or hinge forward positions.
I ran a small bead of sealent round the rim, replaced the hatch with the opening facing forward to catch the breeze and replaced the screws. A job that I'd been putting off for years because it would be 'too difficult' actually took me about an hour for both fore cabin and saloon hatches. Much cooler below when there's any breeze at all.