Hatch Cover

[manager406]

I am having trouble keeping my hatch cover to stay attached to the deck. The double sided tape tape that I'm using doesn't' want to stay attached and my sliding cover leaks when it gets wet. Any ideas?

[Capt. Flak]

You do need to have strong double sided tape. 3M makes a product that is amazingly strong. I forget the name, but you can find it online. My hatch slide is made from a very strong plastic sheet and it is two layers thick with the tape sealing the layers together. The upper layer is wider than the lower layer to make the track for the hatch to slide into. The hatch is made of the same plastic. It is all very durable and pretty much leak proof as it has a nice tight fit to the deck. I also have at least a half inch of overlap of the hatch to the deck.

Click here for a link to a PDF template I made that fits the deck opening for a Tom Germer deck. I think it also fits an RMD Marine deck, but it is easy to redesign to fit whatever deck opening you have.
http://www.ec12.org/Admin/Files/Hatch_C ... mplate.pdf

[bigfoot55]

Ken, I just replaced the two sided tape on a boat that was leaking, I had used two sided carpet tape, but NOT outdoor tape. Held up for a couple of years but ........

Got some DUCK two sided indoor/outdoor carpet tape at Walmart. It is thin, not the foam layer usually found on Scotch brand. Has a fiberglass layer to hold things together. One day sailing test and sitting in the sun. So far it is working well.

[s vernon]

As with most things EC-12 I do it differently. I stick down strips of Monokote Trim Sheet a little more than one inch wide on the 3 sides of the hatch cover plastic strips, same color as the deck. So the leaky side of the hatch strips is positively sealed.

One benefit to this method is that I feel safe in laying down all strips of plastic rather than the need for cutting the top of the hold down U-shaped piece out of one large piece of plastic. The trim sheet should run past the aft end, but only near the outside half of the U. That way (hopefully) the aft end of the U gets held down, but you are able to slide the hatch cover into place.

This method might leave some lumps and wrinkles where the trim sheet does not want to flatten out well, so perhaps not a good idea for anyone but myself.
Tom's Mama would never approve. The trim sheet is not happy that it is being asked to follow the curve of the deck along the front of the U at deck level and then at U level.

This is not a cure-all for bad behaving double sided tape, but maybe worth a try. This trim sheet can be difficult to peel back up if left in place for any length of time.