Rosalie B. wrote:

Pete Verdon d wrote:

Most boats I've been on have the hinge at the front, so
that wouldn't work. I think it's required by chartering regulations
somewhere, which is why they're built like that.

I doubt that

It's still true, though.

as our boats were made for charter and almost all the
hatches are configured to open forward.

This is *UK*.rec.sailing. *Our* charter regs require hatches to hinge
at the front. Mind you, these regs are fairly young, not more than
about 15 years old. I expect you lot across the pond don't even have
regs which apply to recreational charter craft and not to recreational
non-charter craft.

Of course it may be that since they are old, they still considered
that if people didn't close the hatches before they got underway, they
deserved wet bedding rather than try to legislate it out for them.

Our charter rules also require hatches to be labelled with a notice
"NOT TO BE OPENED AT SEA".