CD25D cockpit hatch

[john vigor]

Apropos Mike Ritenour's posting of March 23, has any 25D owner installed a cockpit hatch to give access to the aft end of the engine, the shaft coupling, the stuffing box, the fuel tank fittings, and so forth?
Ever since I first saw a Pacific Seacraft 25, in which the whole cockpit floor is removable if you undo 22 screws, I've wanted to put in an access hatch.
Specifically, if anyone has installed a hatch in a 25D, I'd like to know if there is room for you to go down through the hatch, as Mike does in his CD33, or whether you lie down in the cockpit and reach through.
What has stopped me so far is the feeling that (a) there's not enough room for a body beneath the cockpit floor, and (b) it may not be possible to reach down as far as the stuffing box, even while lying on the cockpit floor.
I get distinctly claustrophobic when I squeeze down into the cockpit locker and find myself sliding forward and inward because of the slope of the hull, with my elbow in my ear and right leg around my neck. My instinct then is to shout for help, and let the darned stuffing box look after itself.
Any advice would be appreciated.
John Vigor



jvig@whidbey.net

[Ken Cave]

John: as for the stuffing box, I had Cap Santa Marine (south yard)in Anacortes install a PSS unit so that I will not have to worry about leaking, dripping, flowing, or whatever else that device does that it isn't supposed to do. It was a tough one to put in as there is so little room, but they got the knowledge and no-how on how to put one in!

Sorry I can't help you on the rest.

Ken Cave



bcave@whidbey.net

[Dan VanWinkle]

John,

I've often wondered about this myself. I've have sailed on a Pac Seacrafg Dana and a 34 cutter and know how great it is to be able to get at the engine. In the Dana you could go down and sit next to it! I think it could be done in the 25D, but I'll never have the guts to try it and change the 25D construction and perhaps sale value. Wish I could afford a Pac Seacraft.

Apropos Mike Ritenour's posting of March 23, has any 25D owner installed a cockpit hatch to give access to the aft end of the engine, the shaft coupling, the stuffing box, the fuel tank fittings, and so forth?
Ever since I first saw a Pacific Seacraft 25, in which the whole cockpit floor is removable if you undo 22 screws, I've wanted to put in an access hatch.
Specifically, if anyone has installed a hatch in a 25D, I'd like to know if there is room for you to go down through the hatch, as Mike does in his CD33, or whether you lie down in the cockpit and reach through.
What has stopped me so far is the feeling that (a) there's not enough room for a body beneath the cockpit floor, and (b) it may not be possible to reach down as far as the stuffing box, even while lying on the cockpit floor.
I get distinctly claustrophobic when I squeeze down into the cockpit locker and find myself sliding forward and inward because of the slope of the hull, with my elbow in my ear and right leg around my neck. My instinct then is to shout for help, and let the darned stuffing box look after itself.
Any advice would be appreciated.
John Vigor

[Joe Sankey]

John:
We owned a 28 that the original owner had modified with a plywood hatch in the cockpit. I haven't measured the 25D cockpit, and you'd need to do so, but I imagine it could be done and would be helpful. In our case it almost turned us off at purchase time, but the cosmetic aspects of it were outweighed by the realization that it was probably a good idea. That later turned out to be the case, as it made access to the exhaust, heat exchanger, shaft, etc. much easier.

It was fabricated by putting a 3/4" piece of plywood as a rim around the hole in the sole. A thin rubber gasket was glued to this as well as to the appropriate matching area of the 3/4" plywood cover, which was in turn screwed in place with a number of #10 wood screws. I later made a teak grate that fit over the cover, which leveled the sole and hid the plywood. All things considered it was a positive addition.

I understand several boats have had cockpit failure due to delamination, etc. If nothing else, this was a strong fabrication.
Joe

Apropos Mike Ritenour's posting of March 23, has any 25D owner installed a cockpit hatch to give access to the aft end of the engine, the shaft coupling, the stuffing box, the fuel tank fittings, and so forth?
Ever since I first saw a Pacific Seacraft 25, in which the whole cockpit floor is removable if you undo 22 screws, I've wanted to put in an access hatch.
Specifically, if anyone has installed a hatch in a 25D, I'd like to know if there is room for you to go down through the hatch, as Mike does in his CD33, or whether you lie down in the cockpit and reach through.
What has stopped me so far is the feeling that (a) there's not enough room for a body beneath the cockpit floor, and (b) it may not be possible to reach down as far as the stuffing box, even while lying on the cockpit floor.
I get distinctly claustrophobic when I squeeze down into the cockpit locker and find myself sliding forward and inward because of the slope of the hull, with my elbow in my ear and right leg around my neck. My instinct then is to shout for help, and let the darned stuffing box look after itself.
Any advice would be appreciated.
John Vigor

sankey@gulftel.com

[Dan VanWinkle]

I'd be tempted to use that basic approach but to form one on fiberglass/epoxy/gelcoat to emulate the PacSeacraft style. It would be gasketed and held donw by stainless dogs of some type. It would be raised above the level of the cockpit sole and the "gutter" formed would direct water to the cockpit drains as it the PacSeacraft. Still a scary thought.dvw

John:
We owned a 28 that the original owner had modified with a plywood hatch in the cockpit. I haven't measured the 25D cockpit, and you'd need to do so, but I imagine it could be done and would be helpful. In our case it almost turned us off at purchase time, but the cosmetic aspects of it were outweighed by the realization that it was probably a good idea. That later turned out to be the case, as it made access to the exhaust, heat exchanger, shaft, etc. much easier.

It was fabricated by putting a 3/4" piece of plywood as a rim around the hole in the sole. A thin rubber gasket was glued to this as well as to the appropriate matching area of the 3/4" plywood cover, which was in turn screwed in place with a number of #10 wood screws. I later made a teak grate that fit over the cover, which leveled the sole and hid the plywood. All things considered it was a positive addition.

I understand several boats have had cockpit failure due to delamination, etc. If nothing else, this was a strong fabrication.
Joe

Apropos Mike Ritenour's posting of March 23, has any 25D owner installed a cockpit hatch to give access to the aft end of the engine, the shaft coupling, the stuffing box, the fuel tank fittings, and so forth?
Ever since I first saw a Pacific Seacraft 25, in which the whole cockpit floor is removable if you undo 22 screws, I've wanted to put in an access hatch.
Specifically, if anyone has installed a hatch in a 25D, I'd like to know if there is room for you to go down through the hatch, as Mike does in his CD33, or whether you lie down in the cockpit and reach through.
What has stopped me so far is the feeling that (a) there's not enough room for a body beneath the cockpit floor, and (b) it may not be possible to reach down as far as the stuffing box, even while lying on the cockpit floor.
I get distinctly claustrophobic when I squeeze down into the cockpit locker and find myself sliding forward and inward because of the slope of the hull, with my elbow in my ear and right leg around my neck. My instinct then is to shout for help, and let the darned stuffing box look after itself.
Any advice would be appreciated.
John Vigor

[john schwartz]

what is a PSS unit? I have a 25D and live in washington and I would be very interested in some additional security.



john@wirfs-brock.com