TOPIC:

What's down that hatch? My swimming platform has a conventional Perspex and aluminium hatch cover that gives easy access to the lazarette - the space behind the rudder post that often offers useful storage. In my boat, the steering gear is accessible through this hatch as well as the stern thruster battery, etc. I'd look towards getting a proper cover such as ones here - www.marinesuperstore.com/hatches/window-hatches

Peter

Couldn't you just put something like butyl tape around the mating surfaces of the cover and then tighten the bolts to make a watertight seal? Silicone sealant from a tube would probably also work. That is of course assuming you don't need regular access to the inside of the bathing platform.

The attached pictures show the cover on my bathing platform.  This has always been a problem, the previous owner wasn't very good at designing things to work well.  The existing cover has two fundamental problems: 1 - it isn't watertight, so the bathing platform slowly fills with water. 2 - the bolts holding it down go into weldnuts which corrode and break off making it very difficult to remove.

So how should I improve it?  Ideally I guess one should convert it to a proper hatch with a lip and a cover that fits over the lip.  However I'm looking for a more DIY sort of solution if possible.  I can do simple welding but I'm not sure that I'm up to welding a lip right round the hole and making it watertight all the way round, if there's no easier solution I will try this though.  Can one get 'ready made' hatches?  Do they come in standard sizes?

Any/all ideas would be very welcome.