Rosalie B. wrote:

I was thinking more about Caribbean charters which is what I'm more
familiar with. I didn't know that the UK HAD charters,

Heh, heh. Go on, say it. No-one in their right mind would want to
sail in UK waters.

let alone
rules for building boats to go into charter. So I've learned
something. (Which I think is a good thing BTW)

And too, our boat is a 1979 model, so it is way more than 15 years
old.

There are plenty of UK charter boats which are older than the rules
too, but that doesn't exempt them from complying. In most cases
compliance can be achieved by simply modifications. In the case
of hatches, for example, you simply have to remove and refit the
hatches the prescribed way round.

I really don't know what the new regs in the US require or even if
there are any. My husband always requires that we close all hatches
and ports before getting underway even though we don't really sail
much in the actual OCEAN.

Sure, but proceeding "to sea" doesn't mean you have to go out to
the "actual ocean", it just means leaving sheltered waters.

Even in bays, rivers, creeks, canals etc,
it's a good idea to close up the boat before pulling the anchor or
leaving the dock. Sometimes we do forget, of course.

Of course.

If you close the hatch before you get underway, I can see no advantage
and PLENTY of disadvantages for the hatch to open facing the stern.

Plenty? Such as? Apart from ventilation, which has already been
mentioned. By the way, except where plenty of ventilation is needed,
such as would make a scoop necessary, it shouldn't matter much which
way the hatch faces. The natural air circulation path for a boat
lying to the wind is said to be such that air *exits* by the forehatch
and *enters* by the companionway.

Why do you have that regulation?

Probably because if you close but forget to lock it, a big sea coming
over the bows is likelier to fling it open when the hinge is at the
back than at the front, thus allowing more water to find its way below.

I hope you won't object too much to my following the cross posted
thread, even if I don't know the UK rules.

Not at all.