Outside frame - 280 x 381mm (approx 11" x 15").
Inside hole - 180 x 278mm (approx 7'' x 11")
I measured the thwart width and bought a plastic rectangular access hatch with fastenings. However it took another month to build up enough courage to cut a huge hole in the seat top. On the net I had seen one story of this job being done to a fatty knees "Gadget Redo" . In this case the storage locker created was used to house a battery etc for an auto-bilge pump. Also the foam flotation inside the seat had to be removed.
The hatch was positioned on the centerline of the dinghy and double checked from every angle. The old carpenters adage "measure twice cut once" was increased about five fold. It was to be an almost irreversible step once completed.
A paper hatch template was cut out, taped in position and the outlines marked onto the seat with pencil.
A drill with a 10mm bit was used to make the first exploratory hole, no internal foam was visible at this point, it looked like an empty void in there. The hole was to start the jig saw blade, the 2mm fibreglass cut through easily like a hot knife through butter. More holes helped get around the difficult shapes in the hinge area.
The interior of the sealed bouyancy tank was finally revealed, it was as pristine as the day it was built, perhaps 40-50 years ago. About 2" of salt water lay in the skeg/keel at the bottom, how it got in is anyone's guess but it was soon sponged out.
A wooden block to reinforce the rudder's lower gudgeon fitting was in perfect shape too..
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The edges of the hole were filed to the line and smoothed out. Then the hatch frame fit in pretty well. The fastening holes were drilled with a bit slightly smaller than the diameter of the hatches screw holes. Then they were widened to take the 2.5 mm diameter stainless steel bolts.
A bead of silicon sealant went around the frame before final bolt-on. Under-deck were washers and lock-nuts. Finally white plugs hid the bolt tops.
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| lock nuts and washers |
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| Bolted down with plugs ready |
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| Plugs hide the bolt tops. Flexible lunch box fits in. |
Stowage
A teflon cutting board made a good floorboard to cover the keel slot. (Spare 600ml water bottle stowed under, in the keel slot). The safety gear fit to one side (V-sheet, flares), spare stuff bag. The clamp on navigation lights stowed on the other side. Room for 2nd waterbottle, flexible lunch box , 2 small gear bags and even a 10" hand line reel. Everything was easy to access in an easy to get at part of the dinghy while underway.
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| Safety gear and internal structure |
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| Fishing reel fits in |
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| navigation lights |
The Hatch was an "Easterner"
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| Hatch specifications |
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| Underside of hatch |
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