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Peter jagodzinski
Feb 22, 2012 - 11:23AM
Hatch hinges
On Dogmatic's main and aft cabin hatches there is a strip of continuous plastic hinge joining the top part to the bottom part. This allows the bottom part to pop out and hold the hatch in place when it is raised.
This hinge needs replacing. Without it the hatch goes up and down ok but the bottom bit doesn't pop out, so you have to scrabble around with your fingers to pull it out.
Does anybody know where I can find this type of hinge?
Would a conventional piano hinge work or would it lack the spring memory of plastic?
All comments gratefully received, Peter.
SeaDog Name (if owner or crew) Dogmatic
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John Lansdell
Feb 22, 2012 - 11:58AM
Re: Hatch hinges
Our hatch has a brass hinge and, on it's own does not swing aft to engage and lock it in place. My crude fix is to put a piece of bungee behind the vertical finger used to open the hatch from below. It works, but it is hardly elegant!
SeaDog Name (if owner or crew) Twotails
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Peter jagodzinski
Feb 22, 2012 - 12:36PM
Re: Hatch hinges
Thanks John, ingenious solution!
I've emailed the British Plastics Federation to ask if they know of a retailer of the plastic hinge, but I'm not optimistic.
Peter
SeaDog Name (if owner or crew) Dogmatic
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Eric Richardson
Feb 22, 2012 - 1:42PM
Re: Hatch hinges
Peter
I know this sounds silly!!! When crossing the North Sea many years ago the plastic hinge on the main hatch fell off. Whilst conditions were very good I did not like being without a properly fitting hatch. Being a bit of a short arse I always have to roll up my oily legs! I cut a strip off the bottom of one leg. Removed the plastic hinge and folded it over the plastic then refitted it all. Result a water tight hinge which swung back freely and worked better than it ever had. Of course I intended to change it asap, It was still working 10 years later when I sold the boat. The only disadvantage was the it looked like a yellow hinge.
Eric
Graham
Feb 22, 2012 - 2:16PM
Re: Hatch hinges
The plastic hinges on Dougal broke too and eventually I thought I found nylon replacements but soon relised that the mild steel pins made them useless.
Replaced them with stainless steel piano hinges (bought by the metre from chandler).
The spring action is not a feature of the hinge but should be caused by the tension of the bungee cord that runs under the flap and up the sides of the hatch. This bungee does need occasional adjustment and replacement but is cheap and should cause the hatch to pop-up when the bolt is released. By the way you do know that the whole hatch and flap lifts right out? Sorry if this is obvious but it took me a while to realise that I didn't need to work on the hinge 'in situ'
let us know how you get on.
Graham
SeaDog Name (if owner or crew) Dougal
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Eric Richardson
Feb 22, 2012 - 4:33PM
Re: Hatch hinges
Hi Again
Graham is dead right about the bungee, when my hinge broke, the bottom flap dropped down and prevented the rest of the Hatch going to the bottom. You then have to remove the panel behind the step if you are unable to fish it out. Its gravity which causes the flap to hang out. With the hinge being pivoted on one edge the flap automaticaly assumes the hung back position to put its C of G below the pivot provided that the hinge is free to swing.
Eric
John Lansdell
Feb 23, 2012 - 8:26PM
Re: Hatch hinges
I replaced our very tired hinge with a brass one. It does have a steel pin but a good dose of WD40 has kept it working well. Mind you I do have try not to get a cockpit full of water, like some of you heroic regular Channel crossers!
SeaDog Name (if owner or crew) Twotails
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David
Feb 27, 2012 - 2:30PM
Re: Hatch hinges
Mine has brass Piano Hinges (on both hatches) - no idea if they are original (1970).
A couple of years back I shot some Youtube (only a minute) of the self stowing hatch in action:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6USBW0EE … ature=plcp
The hatch is not presently onboard (been awaiting re-varnishing for a little while!) - from memory, the only real problem was that the bottom of the hatch (the small flap) did not always engage with the frame - from down below not a problem (just push it forward by hand) but from the cockpit the "solution" was to tap it with my foot to get the panel swinging and then drop the hatch on the "outswing"
SeaDog Name (if owner or crew) Wayluya
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