Broads Cruisers - Hatches

[Paul H (admin)]

I'm interested in the lifting hatches on Broads Cruisers, there is a lot of pictures of a 1934 wooden carvel boat here:

http://norfolk.boatshed.com/broads_traditional_sailing_yacht-boat-161312.html



Notice the entire cabin roof can be raised for extra space, with canvas to fill the triangle gaps.





I'm looking at ways to hinge the hatch on MilliBee. But it's interesting that builders had decided to hinge the entire roof 81 years ago!

-Paul

[John P]

The hinged roof on the old broards hire yachts is a nice idea, but perhaps difficult to make it light enough to raise easily and also strong enough to stand up to boat hirers jumping about on it. You don't normally see that kind of roof on sea going boats. I havent sailed on one of those broards boats but I wonder if they use a halyard to help raise the roof.  These days a gas spring could help a lot. If it is a heavy lifting hatch or roof then some kind of counterpoise would at least reduce the risk of squashed fingers - make it so that you gently push it down then it wont drop down with a bang.

I quite like the look of Iain Farrier's trimarans. Many of his smaller designs have only sitting headroom but some of them have hatches that can lift straight up as well as tilt so as to give headroom to stand under the hatch for putting on oilskins etc. There are probably a few pictures somewhere on the website at http://www.f-boat.com/
 
John