Flip top hatch cover clearance?

[Jake19851]

O.K....we launched the boat succesfully last weekend and what a hoot! (I will update the website soon). I even had one person, who was busy grinding gel coat blisters in the storage yard, think the boat was brand new. After I told him how hard I had worked on fixing all the topside leaks he asked me why I had to do that on a boat from the factory! Onto the topic. The hatch folding thing looks like a really great idea - but mine is shy of clearing my boom by about 1.5" so there's no way I can flip the hatch up with the boom attached. Is this normal?On another note, I noticed that the mainsail is shy of reaching the top of the mast by aobut 8 to 12". I'm not sure if this is due to age shrinking of the dacron or if my boom might be too low on the mast (or both). Any ideas?

 

[Steve677]

Same, Same...

The hatch over the salon can't open straight up. I have made some braces that hold it at about a 45 degree angle. I drilled a 3/8" hole in the teak about half way up. Another in the end of my brace. I use a 3/8" dowel in the end of the brace/into the hole to make sure the brace doesn't bounce out and drop her on my head!I've always looked at the 6 or 8 inches of mast sticking up above the top of the mainsail and wondered if I couldn't fly a little more main too. I've got a few inches at the end of the boom as well. If I was using all of the mast and boom I could probably get another yard out of the main.

 

[NautiDuck]

Mainsail and Mast

I'm not sure about the Hunter but many boats have class rules about the sail dimensions and how high the main can ber raised and how high/low the boom can be. Under class rules my Catalina 22 main does not reach the top of the mast. Nor does a friend's Santana 20 which is raced and has a black band about 8 unches from the mast top to show the limit that is legal to raise the main. For sailing convenience in the cockpit having the boom higher is better I have found. Less chance of a whack on the head. Randy

 

[Greg Pecaut]

Raise the boom

If your not going to race, why not raise the boom, sounds like you should have no problem raising it 6" and then the hatch problem is gone, plus a little less likely to wack your head.

 

[Jim Kolstoe]

another thought

Concerning raising the sea hood (flip top hatch cover), I don't want it up while I'm underway. I do not want to worry about seeing around it, even a little bit, and I do not want to worry about splashing water into the cabin (the conditions causing such splashing being the most fun). Consequently, I only raise it when the main sail is down, by tying a short length of rope through the padeye and around the boom. I think the sail was not designed to go all the way to the top. Look for a black tape band at the boom level and near the top. These represent (respectivly) the lowest point for the boom and highest you can raise the main. Personally I do not see the need to raise the boom. Why pay good money to recut your main so it gives you less performance.  As for the inconvenience of a low boom, it is generally not a problem unless you're tacking or gybing. My wife and kids ignore it as it goes over their heads. I learned to duck.Jim Kolstoe, h23 Kara's Boo