Offshore Hatch Lockdowns

[driftaway]

Hope I am not simply missing information found elsewhere (couldn’t find any) but I want to add offshore lockdowns to the cockpit floor hatches and engine box on our 28TE. Hopefully never needed but lockdowns, a flap at the stern door and a serious cabin door upgrade will make me feel a bit better when looking at building seas and all that cockpit volume. Anyone out there have a simple retrofit suggestion? Love the boat which we have now run from NY to Key West but was a bit surprised that these boats didn’t come with locking hatches.

[DougSea]

Hi Driftaway,

Was meaning to reply earlier but Sandy prep got in the way...

We have latches on all of the in deck hatches on our 35TE. Not sure if they would work on a 28 but, having owned one, I'm going to take a look at mine this weekend and see if I think they'd work. I'll let you know.

[driftaway]

Thanks DougSea,

Thanks for the responce, looking forward to finding out what they used on the 35 TE. Hope Sandy treated you better than some on the NJ Coast. I have been looking up latches on line. It would be good to find some that are compatiable with the orginal lifting handles on the 28TE. Just got back to FL and uncovered her yesterday. Other than a little dirt blown in through some detached flap snaps she is ready to roll. I really like the boat.

[Casco Bay]

I too had this concern and also a desire to remove an irritating rattle at lower RPM's. I installed locks on the forward hatch the 2 side hatches and glassed in the 3 in the rear and installed a permanent hatch. Ran it all last season worked great. I bought it from marine depot.com (New Stainless Steel Turning Lock Lift Handle part# MPD_071Regular price: $68.89 Sale price: $31.94) Took a little work to get the latch right but worth it.

[Nancy]

Casco, looks like that's http://www.marinepartdepot.com. Here's the part: http://www.marinepartdepot.com/new316ststtu4.html.

[driftaway]

Gang,
Thanks for the information. About a week ago I pressed down another path. I am threading the bottom of the original lift pins, screwing on an eye, using a clip with line & fairlead to take the line to a simple cam cleat under the engine box. Process when desired: Open hatch, clip on line, open engine box and pull line tight in cam cleat (line stays clipped to lift pin most of the time). This allows the 3 + 2 + 1 hatches to be "locked" down with 4 cam cleats in the engine box (3 aft hatches on same locking line). Adding a pin and lock on the engine box allows it to be locked down and allows it to be locked with a padlock when leaving the boat if desired. I also removed the inserts in the two side hatches and replaced them with clipped in netting between side and engine area. So far it looks ok. I will let you know how it works out as we move toward configuring a pocket cruiser.
Best to all...

[Robb]

Casco,

Could you post any photos- both of the installed latches and the glassed in 3 in the aft. I'm just pulling the boat for the season, but when the aft fuel tank was replaced we noticed that there was core rot where Albin installed the hatch hinges and access panel screws. I was thinking of glassing in the back and renonskidding the cockpit, but cannot figure out the best way for stern access. See your solution would be great.

Robb

[Casco Bay]

I will take a couple shots and post them for you It will take a couple days.

[driftaway]

Our Final Report: We employed the line lockdowns as mentioned earlier and found almost no work was needed. The line simply ties around the bottom of the hatch lift pins (clove hitch on bowline) and runs easily through existing spaces to cam cleat. Port and Starboard hatch lockdown lines run to engine box. The engine box lockdown line runs to cabin. A bar is placed across the cockpit locking down the three aft hatches. The cabin door is reinforced with a bar across the inside reachable from the top. We leave the transom door open and place a removable door, hinged outward at the top, over the outside entry making a very large avenue for water to return to the ocean.

Last winter after selling our 47’ sail boat we spent 5 weeks on the 28TE on a loop; Lauderdale, Key West, Bahamas. Thankfully, the offshore prep was not tested but it did add to comfort crossing the Gulf Steam.