[alberg30] Re: New Forhatch

[FINNUS505 at aol.com]

From: <FINNUS505 at aol.com>

Hi Stephen, 

Delrin is a great idea for the genny track spacer replacement. That should
last for ever!

When we bought Stargazer, the forhatch had been significantly modified by the
previous owner. He wanted to mount an aluminum framed lexan hatch, and built a
teak frame, about 4 inches tall, outside the original forhatch coaming, to
fasten the new hatch to. The whole thing was boxy, bound to catch genny
sheets, and it leaked, so I removed it. I built my new hatch to seat on the
original coaming, but it was more a matter of measuring the pieces in place,
than using a ruler, so I can't give you exact dimensions.
The basic construction was as follows; the top of the hatch consists of 3/4"
plywood, cut to the size of the outside of the 'lip' of the coaming on the
cabin top. I used a router to rout the lower edge of the plywood panel 1/4"
deep, by 1/2" wide around the entire edge of the panel. Then I cut edge rails
out of solid teak, two inches by one inch, and routed a 1/4" deep groove on
the upper side of what would become the inboard edge of these pieces. Then I
cut the solid teak to lengths that would match the sides of the plywood panel,
ship-lapping the corners of the solid teak pieces. This left me with a flat
panel, made of a plywood center set in solid teak so that no edge grain was
exposed,  that was just slightly wider and longer than the coaming on the
cabin top. Why Whitby chose to make the hatch wider aft than forward, ending
up with a bizarre trapezoid with non-90 degree corners, is beyond me.( I think
on later boats they did square the hatch.)

Then I built a frame of solid teak that was routed along its lower surface to
seat on the coaming, also ship-lapping its corners. To attach the flat panel
to this frame, I clamped and epoxied all the joints together, as well as
setting some screws from the top rails into the bottom rails, and bunging
them.

Finishing steps included routing fake seams into the plywood panel and paying
them with black Boat Life caulking, to match the boats other hatches, and 5
coats of varnish. I cut a 10 inch round hole in the plywood panel for a lexan
dead-light, which I plan to set in clear silicon and fasten with small flat
head bolts. By making the lower rails fit over the existing cabin coaming, I
can still use the old hinges.

It was easier to do than describe. The finished hatch looks real salty!

Good Luck!



Lee Trachtenberg

Stargazer #255

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