Re: Mill Creek hatches?

Posted by Garland on Aug 24, 2007

I got the hatch kit for my MC 16.5, and the instruction sheet states it is a flush hatch kit. Maybe older kits were not.

I built the aft hatch first, using the double layer of okoume per instructions. However I had too much springback, so while I debated what to do with it, I decided to build the forward hatch single layer with frames.

I covered the entire hatch underside with fiberglass cloth, which was covered with a piece of 6 mil plastic sheet and then sqeegeed to get excess resin out. This also allowed me to install and clamp to temporary full width hatch frames which were removed and trimmed to actual length after the hatch had cured for several days. I hoped that the fiberglass, and having been clamped to the longer frames would result in hatch curvature extending past the end of the permanent frame. I ended up removing (with heat gun)and reshaping the frames a couple of times before it looked right.

Now to decide what to do with the aft hatch. I decided I couldn't undo what I had done, so hatch frames were called for. But to make it easier for the doubled hatch to be bent further and held by the frames, and also to remove some of the added weight, I bored over 40 one inch holes with a modified forstner bit through the bottom layer of okoume. Two frames were installed, and then a third added to make it fit better.

This is my first build. I'm just figuring things out as I go along. I do think what I did with the forward hatch has potential, so I'd be interested in what you more experienced guys think about it.

In Response to: Mill Creek hatches? by Peter on Aug 24, 2007

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