Pete Verdon d wrote:

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

There are very few rules about non-commercial sailing in the UK[1]. No
required qualifications for skippers or crew, no rules about the design,
construction or equipment of the boat[2]. Once money is involved,
though, all kinds of regulations apply. It can be quite expensive to
upgrade a privately-used boat to charter spec, and turning hatches round
is one of the things that gets mentioned.

Our hatches are configured so that they can be done either way - i.e.
there are pads in the hatch openings so that you can have the hinges
either on the forward side or on the aft side. I have occasionally
seen them on the aft side, but not often. (I have a list of over 300
of our type of boat, and I've been physically on a lot of them.)

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.
Why do you have that regulation?

Because plenty of idiots charter boats :-). I think the main reason for
it is in case the hatch is shut but someone forgets to close the
latches. If a wave comes onto the foredeck with the hinge at the front,
it will tend to push the hatch closed and only a little water will come
into the boat. With the hinge at the back, the wave will pull the hatch
open and rush into the boat.

Maybe this is the difference between hatches - we do not have the
flush hatches. Our hatches have a lip all the way around maybe 3"
that fits down over the raised lip that is inside around the hatch and
the center of the hatch is depressed maybe 3/4" inside the raised lip.
To get under the edge of the hatch, the water would have to go under
the forward edge and then up 3".

Also a wave coming over the bow (which happens fairly often) would be
coming DOWN onto the hatch, and not backward under the lip. It
wouldn't be enough to raise the hatch up, even if it wasn't dogged
shut IMHO. It would have to still have enough force to get the hatch
up even after going in and up.

Except that this is cross posted so it is not just uk.r.s, so it not
just a UK discussion.

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

I don't object at all. You're very welcome.

Pete

[1] Though our government seems to be doing its best to change that :-(
[2] There *are* rules if you're building the boat to be sold.

Other than the ventilation issue (which is the greatest one - I favor
natural ventilation rather than spending money to put in A/C), I can
think of no reason to have the hatches one way rather than another.


grandma Rosalie