Hatch board

[Michel]

I need to replace the hatch boards on a 1975 c22, does anyone know if I can use birch plywood and if it will wistand the humidity without warping after a few coats of varnish?

 

[john meyer]

hatchboard

I used oak plywood with about 4 coats of varnish. It's held up for 5 years now in the Pacific Northwest - it's under a dodger though.

 

[Jeff]

No

Exposed to the weather in Ohio or the N.P. plywood will begin to separate and the layers will curl. 2 years tops. Regular old birch plywood is very inexpensive compared to marine grade but it is something you will have to remake regularly. If you can get marine grade it should hold up. I can't find it where I am located so I have coated the birch plywood in several coats of epoxy this past year. I do not think it will hold but I am experimenting.Jeff

 

[R Kolb]

Try Plastic

If my hatch boards ever needed replacement I'd go with the new plastic ones from CD. No maintenance, ever.

 

[Timm R]

Mahagony

I too had the very same problem .I replaced them with solid mahogany.This matched the wood on the inside,by its nature is resistant to moisture and is readily available.Buy some osb or chipboard first.Practice getting all the angles first.

 

[Bob B.]

Exterior fir plywood

I also practised on fir plywood. They turned out so good I painted them white (3 coats) & they have been in use for 11 years. I have a partial cabin cover that extends over the hatch boards when the boat is not in use.

 

[Ted G]

Winter storage

I made a temporary set from plywood while I had my original boards home for refinishing. It occurred to me that if I use the plywood set just during winter storage, it will not be so hard on the finish of my originals, and I shouldn't have to refinish as often.