Hatch finger pulls

I built a strip Petrel about nine yers ago, and I am in the process of refinishing it, using 4-5 coats of Epifanes Gloss.  I used my own version of internal hold downs using carbon fiber hooks and padeyes that I made, and shock cord.  I never had any kind of pull, having to use a lever to lift up the hatch enough for me to be able to open it.  The only thought I have is drill-fill-drill to make an upside down "U", using small size double braid line.  Any other ideas for something that would make it easier to open the hatches and keep a low profile?


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RE: Hatch finger pulls

Hi dave10990

read your post and if you had invisible hold downs, as an altenate to your proposal, you could use a shollow finger groove sanded into the deck immediately adjacent to the hatch, which gives you leverage to grab the edge of the deck and pull it up/off.

i am not sure how much down-pressure you need to fight against in your system....but its very sleek and not a lot of work.   but it may be challenging if you really need to assert a lot of upward pressure.

you can see the groove on the foredeck hatch between the straps.  it was made iwth a 1 1/2 inc barrell sander pressed carefully into the deck with the hatch off....and then the groove is only deep enough to exposethe side of the hatch.

h

 

RE: Hatch finger pulls

   I appreciate the idea, but the deck is stained figured Sapele wood strip, (not plywood), and routing in a finger groove would take it down to bare wood, and I really don't feel like doing a complete stripping to wood and redoing.I have no lines or shock cord on the deck, I like the clean lines of the Petrel.  I am going down one size of shock cord for the hold down, what I have now is a bit over kill. Thanks

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