[Public-List] Cockpit floor hatch?

[Glenn Brooks via Public-List]

A cockpit hatch is a very good idea. It allows vastly improved access to the rear of the engine area and stuffing boxes.  Bomar makes several types of offshore aluminum flush deck hatches that will fit.  There may be a couple of photos on the A30 web site showing these installations.

Dolce had a completely separated cockpit floor when I purchased the boat, so I replaced cut it out with a skill saw and replaced it with a new fiberglass and foam core cockpit floor with a 20" by 24" built in hatch opening.  Anything smaller and you will have trouble reaching down to the engine and drive line.   All built with 1/2" foam core and glassed over top and bottom - hatch combinings are 1 1/2" or there about  and the hatch itself about 3/4" thick.  Easily stronger than my old commercial fishing boat deck and hatches in Alaska and the combing and reinforcement under deck are significantly stronger than the rest of the Alberg construction- rivaling maybe the layup of the hull.  Also I put in rubber foam insulating strips to make it watertight, and a dog forward and pin aft to lock it down for ocean service.

also added battery boxes under the cockpit floor, and relocated both batteries to get them out of the bilge, and above the water line!  What A terrible place for batteries to begin with.  

Highly recommend going this route If you want to increase access to the rear of the engine space. Not that hard to do to cut out the forward part of cockpit floor and prefab a hatch opening, then glass everything back together.  Or go with a Bomar style hatch.

Whatever you do  stay away from yachtie 'offshore lazarette hatches'.  They are not designed to be jumped on continuously and will leak and break at some point.

Glenn B.
dolce 318



Sent from my iPad

On May 27, 2015, at 11:29 AM, Daniel Sternglass via Public-List <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:

>> Reply-To: Ramon Hildreth <ramonred at icloud.com>,
>>    Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
>> Message-ID: <1AF5B31D-4BFF-440D-B97F-F090D0C20D72 at icloud.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>> Subject: Re: [Public-List] Public-List Digest, Vol 3038, Issue 1
>> Message: 2
>> 
>> Hello
>> I'm considering putting a hatch in my cockpit floor for better engine access=
>> .. Has anyone done this and if so any recommendations on the brand/type hatch=
>> used and any install notes or gotchas?
> Ramon,
> 
> In my 1966 A-30 the previous owner installed a 6" or 8" circular metal deck plate. It's maybe 8" from the forward edge of the cockpit floor. Seems to be primarily for reaching the prop shaft packing. It helps, but it is still not easy to adjust. In any case, I'd strongly recommend a "structural" frame hatch with a metal or very strong top surface. I have had some delamination of that floor, so I constructed an oak strip false floor many tears ago which transfers all the loading to the edges, anyway. I'd be very cautious about weakening the floor with a larger hatch.
> 
> --Dan S.
>> 
>> Thanks!
>> 
>> Ramon
>> #471=20
>> Seattle
> 
> -- 
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