Hatches In Rear Bench

[BigTerp]

I'm planning on putting 2 Tempress hatches on my rear bench. One on each side of the pin mounted seat. The top of the seat measures 64" across, but I'm figuring on 48" of working space due to the angle of the sides of the bench and clearance underneath. Probably have more than 48", but we'll go with that to be conservative. And the width of the bench is 18". So I'm think of the following:

Seat base - 7" x 7" Requires a 2" or so hole to be drilled into the seat which will be dead center.
Standard 1317 Hatch - Requires a cutout of 10 5/8" x 14 1/2". Outside measures 13" x 17 3/8"
1115 Tackle Hatch - Requires a cutout of 8 5/8" x 12 1/2". Outside measures 10 3/4" x 15 1/8"

I'm figuring by adding up the outside dimensions, there is plenty of room for all of this on the bench. My question is, am I going to make my bench top weaker than crap by cutting all of this out of it? If so, is there a way to reinforce my seat base and/or entire bench? I'm trying to get as much storage space out of my boat as possible but still want to keep everything solid.

 

[tnriverluver]

Just a suggestion, but if you haven't already bought the hatches, Cabelas has metal hatches that when bolted or riveted down would not compromise your strenght nearly as much as the plastic would. I ordered a fairly large one last year and they are the same as what is used by many boat manufacturers. https://www.cabelas.com/product/Boating/Livewells-Bilge-Pumps-Hatches/Hatches-Storage%7C/pc/104794380/c/104743980/sc/104378580/Custom-Hatch/699966.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fhatches-storage%2F_%2FN-1100642%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104378580%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104794380%253Bcat104743980&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104794380%3Bcat104743980%3Bcat104378580

 

[BigTerp]

Thanks for the link. But I'm not so much worried about the hatches themselves being weak, but more concerned that by cutting those size holes in my bench on each side of my seat base that it will weaken the entire top of my bench. I'll be decking from the bench back to the transom and plan to fish from that deck and bench alot. Just wondering if by cutting such large holes in the top of the bench if I'll be greatly compromising the integrity/strength of it.

 

[bassboy1]

Just a suggestion, but if you haven't already bought the hatches, Cabelas has metal hatches....

So does FishOn Fabrications. Available in absolutely any size.

To answer the original poster, take a look at the 1448 in my sig. Obviously, those are welded in, not riveted/screwed down, but the stiffness principles will be the same. I do that particular mod all the time, and find it to be a great source of very usable space with minimal intrusion. And, in some cases, it makes the bench seat more rigid.

On the bench seat, I leave a minimum of 1", but probably no more than 2" on the forward and aft side. On the sides of the boat, leave at least 6 inches, and a good foot or so in the middle is good.

With an aluminum frame, and it isn't going to matter too much whether it is welded flush like the Tracker in my sig, or if it is flanged and riveted on, like the aftermarket hatch lids. The fit and finish is nicer with the welded one, but structurally, the riveted one will be about equal. The top of the bench seat mainly provides torsional resistance on the hull, so the opening alone would weaken the hull, but the lid frame is rigid enough that it replaces all or almost all of the torsional stiffness of the bench seat.

At the same time, however, it actually can stiffen up the bench as a deck surface. Many benches only have a stiffener in the center, for the seat base, but have nothing on each side, so they oil can when walked on. The lid frame, when firmly affixed to the bench, stiffens the bench, and the lid in the center is often made stronger than the flat sheet of the original bench.

I have no problems installing these in either a customer's boat, or one of my own.

 

[tnriverluver]

BigTerp » 48 minutes ago[/url]"]Thanks for the link. But I'm not so much worried about the hatches themselves being weak, but more concerned that by cutting those size holes in my bench on each side of my seat base that it will weaken the entire top of my bench. I'll be decking from the bench back to the transom and plan to fish from that deck and bench alot. Just wondering if by cutting such large holes in the top of the bench if I'll be greatly compromising the integrity/strength of it.

That was the reason I recommended the metal hatches. The frames if properly installed will help add back some of that lost rigidity. Plastic not so much.

 

[BigTerp]

Thanks for all the responses!!

So the consenscus seems to be I'd be ok installing the hatches I listed above?

 

[RiverBottomOutdoors]

Wanted to pass this along: I put 3 Tempress brand hatches in my previous boat, all 3 leaked in the rain.

 

[BigTerp]

RiverBottomOutdoors » 37 minutes ago[/url]"]Wanted to pass this along: I put 3 Tempress brand hatches in my previous boat, all 3 leaked in the rain.

Thanks for the info.!! What kind did you have? Slam, cam lock or utility?

 

[RiverBottomOutdoors]

BigTerp » 30 minutes ago[/url]"]

RiverBottomOutdoors » 37 minutes ago[/url]"]Wanted to pass this along: I put 3 Tempress brand hatches in my previous boat, all 3 leaked in the rain.

Thanks for the info.!! What kind did you have? Slam, cam lock or utility?

I had the cam locks. They didn't jut leak a little bit either. It wasn't as bad as say leaving my stuff out in the open. But whenever it rained, I had to take all my stuff out to make sure it didn't mildew or rust.