[C38] Hatches - second design possibility

[Marci Brown]

Chuck, can you attach a few photos of the finished project? Either your
hatch or Steve's will be implemented sooner than later. The "cave syndrome"
must go!
 
Marci J. Brown
 
From: Chuck Finn [mailto:charles at finn.ws] 
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 9:00 AM
To: Catalina 38 Listserve
Subject: Re: [C38] Hatches
 
Anders and I came up with a different approach to the front hatch.  I bought
a 1/2 inch piece of smoked plexiglass (acrylic) for about $60.  We removed
our forward hatch and cut out the middle blank leaving about 2 1/2 inch
frame.   I routed a 1/2 inch lip on the hatch frame.    We then heated the
acrylic and formed it over the blank we cut out from the hatch. We rigged up
a metal box with one end open to do this.  Heat was from a propane "stump
burner" torch that is now available from Harbor Freight.  We then cut the
acrylic to size (after it cooled to the shape) and put it in the frame using
machine screws and caulk.  This took about a day with all the fooling around
required when you are inventing something the first time.
This was done about 5-6 years ago and the hatch as done quite well.  I put a
bad scrape in it last year with the transom of my dinghy during a bad storm.
One thing to note is to watch the temperature of the Acrylic!  This can be
easily done with one of those laser type thermometers (again available from
Harbor Freight).  Without one, we got ours a little too hot and you can see
some wave distortion in the plastic.  My wife hated sleeping the the vee
birth as it felt too much like a cave... Now we can see the stars!
Chuck Finn
Mighty Quinn  #114
Great Lakes

On 5/11/2011 4:30 AM, Steven Ribble wrote: 
I'm with Marci on the "one day..." attitude. In the meantime, I'm still
trying to value engineer a solution and I'm thinking about installing a
rectangular deck prism (running fore and aft) in the center of the hatch.
Does anyone have any thoughts or see any issues with this idea?
Steve Ribble 
On May 10, 2011 3:10 PM, "Marci Brown" <mb at seafor.us> wrote:
> One day "Checksy" will have a forward hatch that I can see out of without
> opening while in the v-berth! Steve, is there any chance you could post
some
> photos of your boat with this retrofitted hatch installed?
> 
> Marci J. Brown
> Winthrop, Massachusetts
> C38 Check's In The Mail
> 
> From: Steve Smolinske [mailto:SSmolinske at rainierrubber.com] 
> Sent: Monday, April 25, 2011 1:30 PM
> To: Catalina 38 Listserve
> Subject: [C38] Hatches
> 
> Max, 
> 
> Here are the photos of the forward hatch modifications. What we did was
> weld a cross support to keep the lens from flexing when stepped on by the
> foredeck crew. I also had a skirt added around the lid that extends to
deck
> level so that we no longer catch sheets under the lid when tacking. The
> aluminum did not weld up that great as the impurities in the casting
caused
> bubbles and voids that are visible, but I wasn't overly concerned as long
as
> it worked. And The powder coater also had a problem with the hatches
> outgassing and leaving a gritty type of look, All in all im happy with
> them, especially since two problems have been solved. 
> 
> Steve Smolinske
> President 
> 
> 425-227-4500
> www.RainierRubber.com <http://www.rainierrubber.com/> 
> 
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> 
 
 
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