How Do You Lock Your Mac
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I have a V-21. Locking the cabin was one of my first problems when I got the boat as I had to pull it back to Michigan from Costa Mesa, Ca. Obviously one of the concerns was break ins but from the prospective of; if they do, what will be the total damage. I figured it would be better to stop the average scavenger than to stop the determined thief. A determined thief would get into the cabin no matter what I used to secure the cabin. Bottom line, I did not want to put a lock on the cabin that would require a determined thief to do more damage to the boat in prying open the cabin than any thing that he may find in side.
I basic use a drawer lock with an extended and re-enforced flipper. The flipper is long enough that it catches the top hatch behind the the piece of wood across the front.
A personally modified version of this lock from Rockler
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=658
I basic use a drawer lock with an extended and re-enforced flipper. The flipper is long enough that it catches the top hatch behind the the piece of wood across the front.
A personally modified version of this lock from Rockler
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=658
You can see one half of the hasp to the right of the bird on the sliding hatch.
The other half is on the companionway hatch right below the pop-top cover. They work fine for us like this and no plans to change them.
One thing we would like is the option of locking the boat from the inside and we will do something about that. We have one trip in mind for the future where Ruth might stay in the boat overnight at a marina while I take the Suburban/trailer to our destination and then fly back to where she is. In a situation like that we would like to be able to lockup from the inside.
Also we sleep in the boat on the road in Walmart parking lots and such and it would be nice to be able to lock the boat from the inside there.
c ya and good luck,
Sum
Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID
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Ive got a latch similar to Sumners shot (I wonder if the bird had good or evil intentions..).
One time, I locked my keys inside the cabin. Long story made short, I came back with a 3/16 drill and drilled out the aluminum rivets, removed the latch. When I put the latch back on, I used aluminum rivets again.. I guess Id rather have someone drill out the rivets than use a crow bar. Hopefully its not something I need to worry about (and the outboard would get stolen first)..
One time, I locked my keys inside the cabin. Long story made short, I came back with a 3/16 drill and drilled out the aluminum rivets, removed the latch. When I put the latch back on, I used aluminum rivets again.. I guess Id rather have someone drill out the rivets than use a crow bar. Hopefully its not something I need to worry about (and the outboard would get stolen first)..
Our 26c has the same loop on the slider. I wanted to be able to remove the hasp from the hatch boards I made so they would stack better. I drilled out the rivets of the hasp and replaced them with #10 SS machine screws that are locked onto the hasp, in my case with a small oak block I had to use in my application as a spacer. I drilled holes through the top corner of the top hatch board. Now I have a removeable hasp that can be fastened from the inside with the wing nuts. In other applications, the screws could be attached to the hasp with tightened nuts. If I lose the hasp, I'm up the creek, but then, I never lose anything.:Liar:
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At least it looks like you won't have to worry about losing the key to the lock
.I like that set up and the window. Do you have more pictures of the hatch? What is is made out of?
We are thinking of maybe sailing your area for a while on our way to the Keys next fall. What is it like there in late Sept into October? Is there a cheap place to put in and leave the vehicle/trailer for a couple weeks? If we had 2-3 weeks in the area do you have any trip suggestions. This would be our first experience with salt water, tides and currents, so go easy on us
. Maybe this should be a new thread (you could start it) or PM us. Thanks,
Sum and Ruth
Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID
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Sum, as you requested, here's a few more pictures of my hatch boards. I made them out of exterior 1/2" ply and dadoed about half the thickness off the edges so they would slide in the aluminum holders. The meeting edges were cut on a 45 degree angle. The opening for the top board was cut out with a handheld jig saw. Metal screen wire was fastened over the cutout with oak strips sealed with clear Boatlife caulk and stainless screws. The flap was made from an old bimini. I backed out the screws after the caulk set, put washers on them, folded the canvas edge under, caulked a bead along the top of the oak strip and put the screws back into their holes this time through the canvas. On the ends I included 2 strips of canvas for ties. I put one stainless snap at each corner bottom corner of the canvas and the male part of the snap screwed into the oak screen moulding on the bottom. Before I put the canvas on I painted the ply with 3 coats of porch and deck polyurethane white gloss from ACE Hardware.
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Thanks. We really like that. If it is cold we leave the pop-top down and having that light come in would be nice. Also do you ever just have the bottom board in by itself for any reason?
c ya,
Sum
We leave the bottom board in only if we're inside and might want more ventilation and the bugs aren't hungry. I was thinking about your comment about Ruth's security if you had to leave her in the boat at a dock or marina. The wing nut idea might work there. The rivets holding the stainless loop on the sliding hatch could be drilled out, #10 screws put in, fastened on really tight with nuts, the phillips heads ground down so no screwdriver could open them and use wing nuts to fasten the loop from the inside. All she would have to do if she needed to leave the boat is unfasten 2 wingnuts on the loop and 2 on the hasp, maybe not even those on the hasp, push the screws through with a nail set or stiff wire to push out the lock. I keep an extra supply of wing nuts onboard in case I lose one. Come to think of it I lost one yesterday.
I left a step out in the post about building the hatch boards. In the process I left excess height in the top board, then cut the 45 degree angle, put the boards in while I was inside the cabin and used a pencil to trace the shape of the closed sliding hatch against the plywood, then cut it out. That way I got a pretty tight fit to the sliding hatch.
I left a step out in the post about building the hatch boards. In the process I left excess height in the top board, then cut the 45 degree angle, put the boards in while I was inside the cabin and used a pencil to trace the shape of the closed sliding hatch against the plywood, then cut it out. That way I got a pretty tight fit to the sliding hatch.
Thanks, I'll consider that. I'm thinking about making it out of just one piece and put in a taller not so wide window (RV type) that would slide and have a screen. Do you see anything negative about that?
c ya,
Sum
Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID
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I use the stock hatch when I want to lock up the boat, and padlock it. For sleeping, my PO left me a thin plywood panel with a large rectangular hole cut in it and screen wire stapled over it. Gives good ventilation (have a vecro-attached screen for the bow hatch). Only problem is that there is too much clearance over the top; I can stick my whole hand out between the slider and the screened hatch board. I'm going to redo that this spring, and maybe glue some foam rubber under the aft edge of the slider to help seal to the hatch board. At present, I can't lock up from the inside, but I can count on my two friends, Smith and Wesson, to look after us. -Paul
I never thought about locking from the inside. But couldn't you mount a springloaded arm to the frame of the pop top that prevents the hatch from sliding forward? With the companionway hatch in place, and the hatch dogged, it would slow an intruder down
That sounds cool if it could be made so you don't injure your noggin on it. You could perhaps just put a simple pivoting wood latch on a bolt through the top middle edge of the top hatch board so with the sliding hatch slid completely over the top hatchboard, pivot the wood latch from inside from horizontal into vertical thus locking the sliding hatch shut. I guess we're still on the same thread of locking stuff.:neutral:I never thought about locking from the inside. But couldn't you mount a springloaded arm to the frame of the pop top that prevents the hatch from sliding forward? With the companionway hatch in place, and the hatch dogged, it would slow an intruder down
How about a cable that would loop around the lader and attach to the lower portion of the stock hatch and if you have hatch boards attach it to the top board.
You could use a screen door hook on the hatch.
On the slider something like a stick that spans from the aft part of the opening in the hull to the aft portion of the slider.
Attach the stick to the slider's cross bars with a couple of bungee cords.
You could use a screen door hook on the hatch.
On the slider something like a stick that spans from the aft part of the opening in the hull to the aft portion of the slider.
Attach the stick to the slider's cross bars with a couple of bungee cords.
When I made a new companionway door for my Mac25, I used a simple lock to secure the entrance to the boat. If someone really wants to break in, I thought it would make less damage to my boat if its a simple lock. They will simply break the door instead of having to destroy half of my boat to get in ! The original lock was fixed to the plexiglass door with the metal part hanging from the boat's top panel. I used to bang my head into it every time I was going in or out... So for my new door, I fixed the lock on the top and the hanging part is on the door, that way I dont 'scalp' myself anymore
There is also a flap made with sunbrella that covers the lock and the gap between the sliding panel and the door.
Here's a pic of the door with the lock in place.
Have a nice day,
Martin
There is also a flap made with sunbrella that covers the lock and the gap between the sliding panel and the door.
Here's a pic of the door with the lock in place.
Have a nice day,
Martin
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A hatch design that worked well
The picture is from our Matilda 20. There is screening under the louvers plus a thin piece of ply/plastic slides over the opening from the inside.
This has never leaked in any storm we've been in (even with the inside slider open).
I like that you can control ventillation from the inside - actually we almost always left it open and never had mold/smell issues with the boat.
Unfortunately it's beyond my carpententry skills. It was a beautifully crafted hatch from "the old days" - even used copper nails...
Chris
The picture is from our Matilda 20. There is screening under the louvers plus a thin piece of ply/plastic slides over the opening from the inside.
This has never leaked in any storm we've been in (even with the inside slider open).
I like that you can control ventillation from the inside - actually we almost always left it open and never had mold/smell issues with the boat.
Unfortunately it's beyond my carpententry skills. It was a beautifully crafted hatch from "the old days" - even used copper nails...
Chris
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