Alternatives To Sliding Hatch On A Narrowboat

[system 4-50]

Has anybody (on an ordinary narrowboat) got a different hatch to the conventional sliding back hatch, at the stern? For example, a hinged hatch?

If so, are they any good?

I am fed up with trying to keep my standard sliding hatch secure and water-tight.

[Martin Kedian]

I have made and fitted several of these with stainless steel hinges usually a pair that open outwards to both sides of the boat they are secure and don't leak so in answer to your question it can be done and they are good regards Martin

[Magic Potion]

Drum has a gas strut on the front hatch (pic 5).

[David Mack]

Has anybody (on an ordinary narrowboat) got a different hatch to the conventional sliding back hatch, at the stern? For example, a hinged hatch?

If so, are they any good?

I am fed up with trying to keep my standard sliding hatch secure and water-tight.

 

Don't know why, but you see a huge variety of badly done sliding hatches on boats. But the tapered wooden hatches on working boats are usually much more effective (even if they do lead to scraped cabin top paintwork).

 

You also see a number of hinged hatches which lay on the roof upside down when open. The trouble with these is that they fill up with rainwater, which empties into the cabin interior when you close them, so you have to shut them at the first drop of rain.

[bag 'o' bones]

Has anybody (on an ordinary narrowboat) got a different hatch to the conventional sliding back hatch, at the stern? For example, a hinged hatch?

If so, are they any good?

I am fed up with trying to keep my standard sliding hatch secure and water-tight.

 

We have a sliding hatch and it has never leaked to my knowledge. Therefore I can only imagine the design of your hatch must be defective in some way.

 

The problem with hinged hatches is what happens when your under way? Visibilty is bad enough without having a sheet of steel in your line of view.

 

Just a thought.

[Martin Kedian]

I have made and fitted both no reason for either to leak if the work is done properly. Martin

[system 4-50]

The rain appears to run straight down the runners (exposed angle iron in an inverted L) into the boat. The boat does not have an uplift towards the stern and is usually bow-high.

[Tesla]

Drum has a gas strut on the front hatch (pic 5).

 

I looked at Drum a few weeks back, its a cracking boat in my opinion, albeit not big enough for us.

[bag 'o' bones]

Personally I think you would better of redesigning the exsisting sliding hatch rather than fitting a hinged version. From what I have seen the majority of boats sport sliders for the obvious reason they don't obstruct your view when under way.

Edited August 1, 2012 by bag 'o' bones

[blackrose]

My sliding hatch doesn't leak, but I've seen a few that do when rain hits the exposed rails (with hatch shut) and the water then runs along the rail inside the boat and drips into the boat. I wonder why we don't see rails that are angled outwards/downwards by a few degrees along their cross section axis? I think this would solve the problem without increasing friction. Or perhaps this design already exists and I just haven't noticed.

Edited August 1, 2012 by blackrose

[Ex- Member]

Our sliding hatch has never leaked either and our rails slope inwards, I was surprised that the rails were stainless steel too as they had previously been painted over. Why ours doesn't leak I don't know as I stripped the paint from the rail to expose the S/S and there's nothing that I noticed to stop water running up the rail under the lid. Maybe it sticks to the rail all the way to the end and drips off to the stern.

 

If the rail is the cause you could nick a groove across the rail to divert the water away where it goes under the lid toward the interior.

[GUMPY]

I have made and fitted several of these with stainless steel hinges usually a pair that open outwards to both sides of the boat they are secure and don't leak so in answer to your question it can be done and they are good regards Martin

Now that's a cracking idea as the hatch when open will make a seat each side