Building The Vera Cruise

[mrintense]

Roberta and Bryan, thanks for the responses. I'm pretty happy with it so far.

Roberta, thanks for the offer. My current plans are to figure out a way to form a shallow bowl with smoked polycarbonate that can be used for the skylight portion. Maybe I can heat it up in the oven but not sure what I am going to form it over. Perhaps a plywood form. At any rate, it will be some time before I actually do this since I won't be installing the hatch until after the boat is painted. Even the hatch hasn't been finished yet. It's stored away for safe keeping.

Next immediate step is to make the parts for the hatch opening structure. I worked out the details on that today during one of my daily walks.

[chugalug]

Looking good ,Carl.It sure is fun making your own parts.shows how resourceful you can be. I'll try to get some pics of the Chris soon as the boathouse door is still frozen shut.

[mrintense]

Thanks Tim,

It is a very satisfying hobby.

[DrBryanJ]

Carl, it's funny to hear you work out details on your daily walks. I do the same. I walk my dog, Darla, 3 miles every morning and I can't tell you how many times I've imagines all the things I want to do to my build. I really need to carry pen and paper to write them down. I forget many thoughts by the time I get home.

[mrintense]

Carl, it's funny to hear you work out details on your daily walks. I do the same. I walk my dog, Darla, 3 miles every morning and I can't tell you how many times I've imagines all the things I want to do to my build. I really need to carry pen and paper to write them down. I forget many thoughts by the time I get home.

What's even funnier, Bryan, is that I also have a dog named Darla, she's a Malamute mix.

When I am working out details during the walk., I focus on a very specific thing and force myself to stop thinking about it once I am finished. Then when I return, I immediately write it down.

[mrintense]

Having a difficult time trying to visualize how the bulkhead hatch opening structure needs to look. It has to solve several problems beyond simply strengthening the door opening. Because I am going to have a removable trim panel on the bulkhead, the door has to mount proud of the surface in order to bring it up to the level of the trim panel (including allowance for foam backed vinyl).

There needs to be trim around the door for appearances sake. The hinge side needs to have thick enough material to attach the hinge to. There needs to be a gap around the door, and the trim around the door also needs to be proud of the bulkhead surface so that it can help hold the removable trim panel in position.

I tried drawing this on paper and I thought I had it right, but of course I didn't. So I simulated all of this and took pictures. From these pictures, I am going to make up new drawings. Jeez, it's a door frame, who would have thought it could be this difficult?

The thick piece next to the hatch is to provide enough meat for the hinge screws while simulating the width of the trim on the other sides of the door.

Looking down on the hinge side. The plywood simulates the bulkhead.

Simulating the other three sides of the door. Notice the trim in front which will be thinner material, but the same width as the hinge piece in the other photo.

[slug]

Carl; Have you thought of NOT using hinges? I've used this approach several times in builds. (sorry no pictures)

Fasten two tabs to the back of the door at the bottom. These will hook behind your trim piece.

Fasten narrow stops along the side trim at the back. These stop the door from falling through the hole.

Make a couple small wooden (or use plastic ) turn buttons to hold door firmly in place.

This allows you to remove the door completely out of the way for easier access and solves a usual issue of getting good hinge fit'

Just my thoughts
Doug
I

[mrintense]

Actually Doug, it never even occurred to me! But thinking about it some, I like this idea. It simplifies the trim arrangement and as you said, avoids the hassle of getting the hinge alignment correct. Other than a bit more gap around the door, I can easily incorporate this idea into my boat. Thanks for suggesting it.

I like to think of myself as being able to think outside of the box, but it's suggestions like this, that make me realize I am not always so good at that!

[mrintense]

So I decided to go with Doug's idea of a hinge-less hatch. I started working on the hatch opening structure today. I have most of the pieces cut out, but need to sand them and round a few corners before assembly. I'll be working on that this week. But here's a picture of the work in progress.

Not shown here is the trim that will surround the door on the outside.

[JimmY]

I think Doug had a great idea there for you. It looks a lot simpler to execute and should be more functional when done.

[bob smith]

Carl,
Check these out:
http://plastic-domes-spheres.com/
http://www.eztopsworldwide.com/domes.htm
Just a couple of suppliers of Acrylic domes

[PeterG]

Carl you might consider making a DIY vacuum formed hatch cover? You make a pattern in the size and shape you need (maybe adjust its size to account for the thickness of the plastic). That is put into a vacuum forming table that heats up the plastic to a soft condition, the plastic is lowered onto the pattern then sucked down over it by a shop vac. The plastic cools and there you go, a hatch cover ready for trimming. That would be a pattern to hold onto to make replacements. Google "DIY vacuum forming" for ideas.

[mrintense]

Thanks for the links Bob, I will look into them further.

Peter, Yes, I am quite familiar with vacu-forming. Before I was a software engineer, I was an aircraft mechanic and worked composites. We used vacu-forming all the time. This was going to be one of the techniques I was going to experiment with when the time comes. In order to make this work, I believe it would be necessary to run the vac line into the oven and do it while the polycarbonate is still hot. But that is doable as long as the vac line can take the heat.

As for spares, if I were to buy one, well, depending upon the cost, it might be too expensive to buy 2 (unless I can get some sort of volume discount ), but if I make one, I will definitely be making an extra.

Thanks for the responses.

[Hercdrvr]

Hi Carl,
I've been a bit snobbish on the forum of late, concentrating on my build. Now catching up on your progress. This beautiful hatch your building is between the cabin and the anchor well, is that right? Enlighten me, why a hatch there?
I've been laying under my bow doing electrical work and pondering good uses for all the space.

Matt B

[mrintense]

Hi Carl,
I've been a bit snobbish on the forum of late, concentrating on my build. Now catching up on your progress. This beautiful hatch your building is between the cabin and the anchor well, is that right? Enlighten me, why a hatch there?
I've been laying under my bow doing electrical work and pondering good uses for all the space.

Matt B

Matt,
Thanks for the compliment on the hatch.

To answer your question:
There is a small storage compartment under the anchor well. The hatch is access to that storage compartment. The anchor well itself is only open to the outside. Hope this clarifies.