SOF Traditional-style Hatch?

[jmlidea]

Before I start building my first kayak, I'd like to ask if there is a more traditional method for installing a hatch on a skin on frame kayak. I know you can buy plastic or even rubber hatches, but what if I wanted to laminate my own hatch ring then sew it in place just as I would with the coaming? Is this advisable? Has anyone done this?

I saw how someone used the lid for a 5-gallon bucket as a SOF kayak hatch, and the result looked pretty good to me (although it might have looked better in black). I may as well use the lid part, but framing the hatch itself with a laminated wood would look nice, I think.

Thanks!

[Kudzu]

There is no traditional method because SOF boats never had hatches. As far as I know, hatches are a modern day invention. There may have been some in the past but keeping a boat dry in arctic water was critical to staying alive, so cutting a hole in your boat that could leak was probably never done.

What your suggesting could probably be done but I think it is going to be a problem. You have to have something tight enough that it never ever comes off of you could flood your boat and have no way to empty the water if you lost the hatch. I have seem something similar done but I just didn't trust it. Of the the latch was just too ugly.

I had not seen the web site you linked too but I have seen these hatches put on another boat. I guess form follows function. I find them butt ugly and no plans to ever use them on my boats. Beckson makes some flush mount hatches that I think would look better than that.

Here is how I installed hatches on SlingShot. I love the look of the front recessed hatch. Not to crazy about the rear hatch but the deck was just to low to recess it any more. With a higher deck and it recessed it would look better I think. These are SeaLect Design hatches, I am very pleased with them. Seem to be well made and not overly priced. After using them on this boat I added them to my store.

I think putting a 5 gallon bucket lid on a beautiful qajaq is like putting a hood scoop, curb feelers and a backup alarm on a Lamborghini.

[jmlidea]

Ha ha yeah, i know... the lids look awful. I definitely want a couple hatches installed, however, I'll look into those you mentioned!

[Kudzu]

Ha ha yeah, i know... the lids look awful. I definitely want a couple hatches installed, however, I'll look into those you mentioned!

Here is a link to those I sell.

KudzuCraft Store

[Shark Bait]

There is no traditional method because SOF boats never had hatches. As far as I know, hatches are a modern day invention. There may have been some in the past but keeping a boat dry in arctic water was critical to staying alive, so cutting a hole in your boat that could leak was probably never done.

What your suggesting could probably be done but I think it is going to be a problem. You have to have something tight enough that it never ever comes off of you could flood your boat and have no way to empty the water if you lost the hatch. I have seem something similar done but I just didn't trust it. Of the the latch was just too ugly.

I had not seen the web site you linked too but I have seen these hatches put on another boat. I guess form follows function. I find them butt ugly and no plans to ever use them on my boats. Beckson makes some flush mount hatches that I think would look better than that.

Here is how I installed hatches on SlingShot. I love the look of the front recessed hatch. Not to crazy about the rear hatch but the deck was just to low to recess it any more. With a higher deck and it recessed it would look better I think. These are SeaLect Design hatches, I am very pleased with them. Seem to be well made and not overly priced. After using them on this boat I added them to my store.

I think putting a 5 gallon bucket lid on a beautiful qajaq is like putting a hood scoop, curb feelers and a backup alarm on a Lamborghini.

I agree that the recessed SeaLine hatch looks great as does the rest of the boat.

True, the Inuit did not have hatches that I know of, but if they did they would probably look something like this: http://dbynoe.blogspot.com/search/label/Sage

Shark