J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment hatch choice help

Good afternoon. I have recently purchased a 1984 J30. The hatches are what I believe to be OEM. They're black plastic and are pretty well sun rotted to the point that they're brittle and some small leaks have started. I would like to find a more robust replacement. However, just like everything I'm learning (new to sailing), there's a lot more to it than I originally thought.

First, I would like the hatch to be watertight while not snagging sails or other rigging...Wait, first, I would like to find one that will fit what I believe to be OEM cutouts. The forward hatch being something like 19-7/8" square. Second, I would like them robust and long-lived. Third, I would like them to compliment the looks of the boat. She is white with light pearl grey nonskid. The toe rails and mast are black and all bright work has been replaced by stainless. Stainless would be ideal for looks, except it seems that most I have seen in stainless don't have reinforced windows. Next choice would be cast aluminum with a clear or black anodize. I'm not sure what material, construction, brand, or profile I should go for. I've been looking at Lewmar and Bomar.

Can anyone please chime in here?

Thanks,

Nate

lewmar Ocean 60, no flange for the forward hatch

Lewmar Ocean 10, no flange for the other two

You can look at the pic of Zephyr on the front page.

Dennis,

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Why no flange? The ones I currently have on there (rotting black plastic), have a flange...This is assuming that the plastic that extends from the sealing surface (screwed to deck) through the cutout opening is the flange. I'm not arguing...just trying to understand.

Thanks,

Nate

Dennis,

I also noticed that you replaced the two smaller ones with the hatches facing rearward. I couldn't tell if you did that for the forward hatch. What was your reasoning there?

Thanks,

Nate

That's actually not my boat, but I've done the same thing.

I don't know that the flange for the Lewmar hatches fit the opening properly. Flangeless works fine.

You can mount the small hatches any way you wish. If I remember both of my originals were facing aft, so I did the same.

Thanks again. Aside from installing how they were, are there any advantages to forward or rear facing? Also, do you recommend any particular day/night vent fan?

Forward facing hatch could encourage more air circulation, but catch more water if a wave came over.

No idea about a vent fan. Sorry

You need the flangeless hatch as the one with the flange is too big.

Thank you. Without taking everything apart, it's difficult to really get a good measurement. I did verify with the previous owner that everything is OEM. He rebuilt a lot of things, but the hatches have remained "as is". I'm glad I didn't learn the hard way.

Majic carpet now has the Lewmars listed above. These are very robust hatches and I suspect they will survive a very long time. The installation required filling a lot of old holes and then drilling and isolating the new ones. all of the new bolts are full length thru bolts with acorn nuts This is a key detail to keeping the flange sealed to the hull. No short cuts here. the new hatches kept rain and snow out all winter here in Oregon so I think they are good to go now. These also work great and the large hatch can be left in multiple positions and it stays in place the same is true for the smaller hatches. This was not an inexpensive upgrade, but it is a worthwhile one if you like to keep the H2O on the outside of the boat and not in the cabin The old hatches on my boat were so bad it was like being under a waterfall when it rained.