Tag Archives: hatch covers

You Can Make an Easy Hatch Cover

Hatch covers add a nice protective layer to your expensive overhead hatches.  They keep out sun or star light and might even help a bit deterring a little leak.  Lexan polycarbonate windows are expensive and can be damaged if not cared for.  A cover is a good way to help preserve these windows.  Unfortunately,  we seem to lose one or two covers a season to a bad storm or rotting shock cord.  You can make an easy hatch cover in just a few hours.   I remade an old hatch cover previously and wrote about how I did it and resources I used here.  This blog is about making a hatch cover from scratch.  I've included the sizes I used  for our hatches.  You can adapt your hatch cover easily based on these sizes and proportions.  Read more [...]

Sunbrella – Grade A

Marine canvas use isn't all the same.  So when you are looking at prices online be sure you are looking at the same fabric before you decide you have the best deal.  You also want the right fabric for the right job for the best performance and durability with exposure to the sun, wind and rain.  Most of us sailors use Sunbrella because, well,  it just works.  It is tough enough for our marine environment, but offers a variety of color and style choices.  It is fairly forgiving and easy to sew.  While there are other outdoor fabric brands to consider, we'll save that comparison for a future post. Here are some points to consider regarding the grades of Sunbrella most likely to be used aboard: Sunbrella Marine grade - This is Read more [...]

Hatch Pillows – Putting the Hatches to Bed and Insulating the Boat

We haven't seen hatch pillows on other boats.  Have you?  No?  Maybe you have shades instead?  Those seemed expensive to me.  A previous version of the pillows was on our boat when we bought her.  We thought they were kinda silly. They had stars on one side. Like looking up to the stars, but we were inside? We have grown to like our hatch pillows so much that we are remaking them to match our new decor.  These pillows are made of foam cut to fit the inside of the hatch area and covered in outdoor fabric (Robert Allen - Gales Point) and Sunbrella. They keep out light at marinas and eliminate a bright full moon at anchor for sleep.  These pillows also provide a bit of insulation with a bit of breath-ability so there isn't too much heat Read more [...]

Repair or Remake?

There are so many "creative opportunities" for canvas on the boat.  The question -- can you repair an item to extend the life or is it time to remake and start over?  That question came up recently over aging hatch covers.  Hatch covers are a relatively easy sewing project (see my post on hatch covers).  I've seen many different styles, some with fancy top-stitching or cut outs for hinges for example.  But really you can make fairly simple hatch covers that will serve the purpose of protecting your hatch lenses.   We seem to lose one or two a season during a big storm.  I've started cutting out an extra one when I'm remaking one so I have a jump on the next one. Right now I'm two hatch covers short.  Those jumped to the top of the Read more [...]
Hatch cover repair materials

Hatch Covers

If you are a new Seamless Sailor and want to start with a fairly easy project, I'd suggest hatch covers. These are straight forward and several of the books I've listed on the Books page of the blog have instructions.   I've seen many different styles, some with fancy top-stitching or cut outs for hinges for example.  But really you can make  simple hatch covers that will serve the purpose of protecting your very valuable hatch lenses.  We seem to loose one or two a season during a big storm.  I've started cutting out an extra one when I'm remaking one so I have a jump on the next one. On a recent repair of a 20 x 20 hatch cover, I picked out the old rotting stitches.  I used my Engel hot knife (love) to seal the edges which were Read more [...]