Sliding Hatch. How Big?

[pearley]

We have a trad stern with a 2dt square hatch. Entry into the interior is, like many trads with modern engines, by doglegging to the right and stooping to enter the cabin down a few steps, best accomplished backwards.

Looking at a new build and looking to make entry easier so although it is possible to make the hatch any size you like, of can persuade the builder to make, what is practical to be able to slide as one gets older?

Besides the usual brass or plastic slides does anyone have a better arrangement? Like roller bearings?

[matty40s]

I will try to dig out some pictures of a boat we painted this evening. It had a rear hatch which made its trad stern end virtually as wide as a semitrad.

I seem to remember it was supported on its corners by small wheels which rode up 2" on brass tracks as it was pushed forward. 

From the very furthest reaches of the top of me hed it was a Jonathan Wilson

Edited January 23, 2020 by matty40s

[haggis]

kelpie has a trad stern  with a normal sized hatch but you don't have to go round a dog leg to get into the cabin. You go straight down (a few steps) into the back cabin and arrive facing the bottom of the bed. You then have to turn round it to go to the front of the boat. It is much easier to change direction when you are standing up straight than having to bend down and turn at the same time. 

 

haggis (this is not a good time of year for me as I have to keep avoiding the haggis hunters )

[Ray T]

A few variations:

[Ray T]

1 hour ago, haggis said:

kelpie has a trad stern  with a normal sized hatch but you don't have to go round a dog leg to get into the cabin. You go straight down (a few steps) into the back cabin and arrive facing the bottom of the bed. You then have to turn round it to go to the front of the boat. It is much easier to change direction when you are standing up straight than having to bend down and turn at the same time. 

 

haggis (this is not a good time of year for me as I have to keep avoiding the haggis hunters )

@haggis

 

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o the puddin'-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye worthy o' a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o need,
While thro your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An cut you up wi ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an strive:
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
The auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
'Bethankit' hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi perfect scunner,
Looks down wi sneering, scornfu view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll make it whissle;
An legs an arms, an heads will sned,
Like taps o thrissle.

Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies:
But, if ye wish her gratefu prayer,
Gie her a Haggis

 

http://www.robertburns.org.uk/Assets/Poems_Songs/toahaggis.htm

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by Ray T

[BWM]

1 hour ago, pearley said:

We have a trad stern with a 2dt square hatch. Entry into the interior is, like many trads with modern engines, by doglegging to the right and stooping to enter the cabin down a few steps, best accomplished backwards.

Looking at a new build and looking to make entry easier so although it is possible to make the hatch any size you like, of can persuade the builder to make, what is practical to be able to slide as one gets older?

Besides the usual brass or plastic slides does anyone have a better arrangement? Like roller bearings?

Have you considered either moving the engine forwards on a longer shaft, allowing you to step directly down, or to one side with a hydraulic drive?

  If you go for the roller bearings get the largest you feel happy with as the smaller ones tend to bite in and cause wear.

[Boater Sam]

My big rear hatch is like a semi when open.

It runs on nylon studs on stainless rails, I have tried rollers and don't like the sudden stops when at the end of travel, they run a bit too freely for me. They tend to shoot forward when you hit something.

As it is heavy to open from inside and would be a problem when it rains, getting the engine room wet, I put a normal size sliding hatch on top of the big one for the best of both worlds. I can stand inside the doors with a poncho completely covering the hatch if cruising in the rain is necessary.

Very happy with it, I will copy it onto my next boat.

It occured to me that this is an ideal way to convert a semi trad to full trad. There are lots of semis that have bad rusting in the rear and too many doors, they sell cheaper than proper trads.

Can't do a pix, far too far away!

Edited January 23, 2020 by Boater Sam

[haggis]

1 hour ago, Ray T said:

@haggis

 

http://www.robertburns.org.uk/Assets/Poems_Songs/toahaggis.htm

 

Thank you for posting the address to the haggis. I enjoyed reading it again.

 

haggis

[Jen-in-Wellies]

20 hours ago, haggis said:

Thank you for posting the address to the haggis. I enjoyed reading it again.

 

haggis

Shouldn't you be in hiding till the 26th? The most dangerous time of year for a Haggis.

 

Jen ?

[haggis]

19 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Shouldn't you be in hiding till the 26th? The most dangerous time of year for a Haggis.

 

Jen ?

I'm keeping a low profile for a few days.?

 

Haggis

[Richard T]

When we bought Tyto we had it converted from semi-trad to trad with a large hatch. Three people can stand comfortably in it which is great when we have the grand kids on board as they can be at the rear of the boat but be safe from falling in. Its a compromise but on that works for us. It slides on stainless runners on the boat and nylon on the hatch, we have added handles inside and out for opening and closing it.

[cuthound]

22 hours ago, Richard T said:

When we bought Tyto we had it converted from semi-trad to trad with a large hatch. Three people can stand comfortably in it which is great when we have the grand kids on board as they can be at the rear of the boat but be safe from falling in. Its a compromise but on that works for us. It slides on stainless runners on the boat and nylon on the hatch, we have added handles inside and out for opening and closing it.

 

I have a similar wide hatch, where 3 people can comfortably be at the stern.

[Mike Tee]

In the recesses of my mind, I seem to remember Leo No2 selling her boat (I think Orian build) that had the fixed double at the stern, then an offset engine, right up to the side, covered up with shelving etc, further into the boat. Not exactly a traditional engine room, but a sort of half-way idea - this had the benefit of easy entrance / exit without having the uncomfortable dogleg over the engine. I quite liked the idea of it - wonder what access for the engine was like?

[Graham Davis]

5 hours ago, cuthound said:

 

I have a similar wide hatch, where 3 people can comfortably be at the stern.

I've seen a version of that with a "normal" sized slide in the back of it, so that you could have the whole lot open or just a one person space. Seemed to be an excellent idea.

[Ray T]

NB Piston Broke has / had an off set engine.

 

Pictures courtesy of ABNB.

 

Just now, Graham Davis said:

I've seen a version of that with a "normal" sized slide in the back of it, so that you could have the whole lot open or just a one person space. Seemed to be an excellent idea.

See post No 4.

Edited January 25, 2020 by Ray T