Tag: hatch

Bucket sink galley

The bucket sink is versatile and moveable. In Dawn Treader, the first location was below the companionway.

Original sink and galley
Original alcohol stove was below counter hatch
Original location of new bucket sink, alcohol stove removed, Atom stove in place

After altering our companionway and building a new water tank, we got to work on the galley. We created 3 storage sections (where there was one) with watertight bulkheads.

Original hatch size
Resizing opening
Wide open single compartment
Cutting out a little more countertop
Divider bulkhead
Longitudinal divider
Dry fit of bucket sink
Filling holes
Painted!
Nice and clean, ready for hatch covers

Our simple galley design has made its everyday use clean, easy, and fun.

Painted countertop (Interlux Perfection). Open hatch, empty space for bucket
Bucket fit
Closed hatch with faucet
Sink (giant salad bowl) in place
Water filter and foot pump
Finished sink
Finished galley with Atom stove by James Baldwin
Moka pot and Ed Hose art!
Curry! We painted our table too!

Watertight Companionway

Traditional sliding companionway designs seem to be the standard, few other options are available. However, we were not satisfied with Dawn Treader’s original design. While researching watertight designs and oceangoing rowboats, we found interesting hatch options that looked to be compatible. We chose the Lewmar Ocean 70 hatch for its large entryway, strength, and watertightness.

Dry fit of hatches
Original design with nesting dinghy on top.
Bridge deck and portion of cockpit footwell had to be cutout
Installing bulkhead to support the hatch, Changing the cockpit footwell dimensions
Primer coat
Hatch installations complete!
Applying fairing compound
Fiberglassing bulkhead
New solid top, all joints were fiberglassed
General view
Another view
Dinghy in place over little hatch, experimenting with lashing
Continuing with construction, making hatch framework

A few things changed simultaneously with the new companionway; look for new posts coming soon! Our cockpit footwell volume was reduced. Cabin ventilation was enhanced with the addition of a Lewmar Ocean 30 below the nesting dinghy. Inside the cabin, we now have more space! Our galley area has more elbow room, the new navigation station is in progress, and the cabin design is more open. The cabin sole also has 2 more usable feet of space (we are installing new sole as a result of the water tank project), and now there is ample room for a yoga mat!

Original interior, icebox on the right
Mahogany frame with pine filler piece
Filling
Filled, trimmed, and rounded
Sharp corners rounded
Instrument holes filled, trim epoxied in place
Icebox removed, Sink moved from center to starboard side
Painted frame
Closed hatch, good visibility!
Aft cabin view

We are happy with the companionway redesign! Exit and entry are easier than before, and we are excited to test our watertight hatch at sea! With this big project done, we are one large step closer to sailing.

Forward Hatch

In pursuit of our watertight cabin goal, we decided to replace the original forward hatch with a Lewmar Ocean 60 Watertight Hatch. We built a mahogany combing to mount the hatch on a flush surface, and to avoid splash when the hatch is in its vented position. At first this hatch was difficult to close. So difficult we thought it faulty. However, with strength and weight focused on the handles at their attachment points, we can now close it with increasing ease (thank you James).