Transom hatch?

[mudfud]

Anyone built one?

i know that structurally I will need to reinforce, especially under the galley, but I am more concerned with waterproofing.

Don’t want to just install a marine hatch. Would like to keep the wood look.

Thx

chewy in Berkeley CA

• This topic was modified 4 years ago by mudfud. Reason: Misspelled hatch

[jmb_builds]

Have not built one into my camper, but designed some for ocean going ships. You need some gasket between your hatch cover and the coaming, I assume that’s clear. Then you need to apply sufficient pressure evenly across the whole gasket area to prevent water ingress. On the CLC kayaks, they use small toggles, but I doubt they will be able to sustain highway speed and vibration.  Depending on the purpose of the hatch, I believe the design can become quite complex. How do you want to use it? Escape hatch? Additional ventilation? To be opened from the inside, outside, or both? So many questions 😉

[mudfud]

Just for loading stuff easily from the outside. Sleeping bags, duffle, and to make it easier to clean out.

I was thinking of cutting a square opening then building a rim and using some kind of weather stripping on the door that compress with locking latches, hinged at the bottom?

[jmb_builds]

Sounds good! I would fit a rim to the hatch cover in order to reinforce it, and to have a ‘pressure edge’ (non-english writer here, so I’m not sure about the exact term) that creates some interlocking with the seal. I doubt that an all-flat cover would be waterproof for long.

[mudfud]

Yes. I thought a reinforcing rim, to stiffen the piece, would be needed

i will post pix if I get the nerve to do this.

thanks!

[venableme]

Were you able to work out a system?

I am thinking about making a door in transom as extra galley space: water and such.  We are short and don’t need as much foot room.

[mudfud]

I did not cut the extra hatch. Figured there was enough access, and I didn’t want to effect the strength.

I did, however, make a box underneath, similar to the one they sell, with marine hatches on the side, which really provides lots of extra storage space. 

[pwebster25]

Got any pics of your box underneath?

 

[mudfud]

[mudfud]

having trouble w uploads from phone

• This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by mudfud.

[pwebster25]

Thanks for sharing.  How do you access your boxes?  I don’t see doors or hatches in the side.  I assume drawers in the back, but…

Do you have floor access?

How well has yours sealed?

[mudfud]

[mudfud]

[mudfud]

I didn’t want to cut through the floor. Sealed w automotive type stick on bead.

mostly water resistant

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