OCSS-064 DIY Compression-Style Hatch Latch 

Yes I do that specifically because it annoyed me that a lot of the sailing channels I watched never said the date!

Hah, thanks, it was a cool one to problem solve and build.

Agreed, those padeyes are over thought and over engineered. Looks neat though. I would have just epoxied on short hoops of webbing.

Yes I have some dozen + rope pad eyes too if you check out previous episodes. I like to try a few different ways.

You could use cable ties made into loops.

ps, no criticism of your work, you are doing an exceptional job. I would have wanted to be sailing in half the time…with half the quality

@@markthomasson5077 soft loops also have the advantage of not snagging ropes

Yes I can't imagine that. I've lived in a few different states and this is the best one for building a boat. I can epoxy through the winter and the summer as well without it being too hot (if I work in the morning or evening).

Hah, thanks! Gotta be careful out there 😂.

Just a few 😂. Not too long I hope.

Thank you!

Thank you! It looks like we are steadily heading that way.

A little hard for me to understand without a drawing, but feel free to e-mail me (in description.) I wonder what's the best way to attach the tube gasket to the lid... and one end of the gasket to the other end.

@@ocean_capable_small_sailboat the tube can just be glued with rubber contact adhesive, or even supaglue, it's not exposed to much in the way of stretching/elongation loads just compression. Excuse me if this sounds repeditive.....The hatch rebate is 90 degree step just like the hatch you built but the rebate needs to be a little deeper both vertically and horizontally, to accommodate the gasket/tube. For the gasket use hollow rubber tube (like speargun rubber - depends on hatch clearance tolerances .... the bigger the internal hole in the rubber gasket the more forgiving the seal will be), this is placed (can secure with a little silicon) in the rebate. The deck opening is chamfered/bevelled at 45 degrees. The o-ring installed in the hatch naturally beds on the 45 degree bevel and forms a very secure seal. We use this for underwater camera housing lens and ports and have more faith in the integrity of these over the commercial control rod fittings. Most people use a traditional face to face gasket/seal this works, I just see these failing a lot too. But Ike I said just an option

Glad you enjoyed it

Thanks Bob 👍. I wonder what it's like sailing in his canoe style cruiser.

Thanks but I think it is, haha. Google "Armstrong hatches".

It's ok, I can't see it unscrewing when lightly tightened down. Even if it does, there's no real harm done.

Thanks, I need one of those. I hate cutting small things with the jig saw. At least this blade is a carbide grit blade for cutting ceramics, so it has no sharp teeth.

@@ocean_capable_small_sailboat - I got my bandsaw from an Aldi sale. Cost me rather less than AU$200, if I recall. (I think you have Aldi in the US these days...) In the meantime, while you're waiting for Aldi to have a sale on workshop machines, the upside-down jigsaw trick should get you by nicely. Edit to add: Oh yeah.. *DO* be sure to check out some RU-vid videos on how to set up/adjust your band-saw correctly.. it will save you no end of grief!

Thanks. Yes all the giant panels are done. Now I'm excited to finish the deck and turn her over so the bottom can be glassed.

Thank you. That's my lead for the keel. I got it off Craigslist from a retired commercial fisherman.

Thanks, I'm also not sure what happens when I switch from building videos to sailing videos. It'll be a totally different kind of production. That mid section just happened to be a consistent width, but on the ends it got wider. It's not so easy to see in the video though. I'm sure I can still make a few small backing plates with what was cut off.

Yes it's true. To be honest I prioritize finishing the boat more than being successful at youtube. I just wanted to share the build with everyone and promote small boats for long distance sailing.

Thanks for the ideas. I'll have to be more careful when making the one on deck, the hole through the lid for the boat could let in water. But I bet if I just add a rubber washer it will keep out most water when the lid is screwed down tight. I'll also make the hole in the lid the same diameter as the bolt, no need for it to be larger.

​@@ocean_capable_small_sailboat Thank you for replying... I imagine a washer / gasket could work sufficiently at hatch lid thru hole location like you said if you decide to make other hatch covers using the same method of securing them tight. I must admit I'm quite a casual watcher of your Channel's videos, (as in I've caught a few here and there in-between so forgive me if you've covered this all-in depth before...) Hence, I was thinking you were saying you had more "interior storage hatches" to secure perhaps in the way you had in this video sometime later on... I guess I didn't think much about exterior storage hatches if any or if that is even what you are speaking about in your reply to me here when you said, "I'll have to be more careful when making the one on deck." If "the one in the deck" is referring to the main entryway/doorway hatch you'll be passing thru for getting inside your boat" Then maybe I have another idea to share with you that I once tried to explain to Sven Yrvind regarding his entry hatches. I had a hard time explaining it to him. Additionally, his boat is quite tight in the entry compartments. So, anyway I made some illustrations for him to see of which I'm still not clear he saw the whole concept before discounting the idea. Oh well. If you had any interest in a concept for a fairly simple scratch-built hatch closure security method similar to Sven's concepts a.k.a (the Ratchet strap) but sort of coincides with your compression mechanism here (as in it employees a longer bar underneath hatch lid) I invite for you, if you'd like to perhaps, look at my illustration videos meant for Sven at the time on my channel found at, just my name here... There is only 3 rather short (like 3mins or so) videos published there so you don't have to hunt. The video sequence is as follows, the first video or earliest one does not have a number in the title. I was just trying to get him to see the concept at first. The second video "the hatch part of it" comes in at 4:18 or so.... And lastly the 3rd video is about a hatch "hinge" mechanism. I thought might work in his case with the right tweaking... (Probably would require a two-bar linkage hinge of sorts to be most effective for him which was too complicated for his liking.) Apparently, he is going with the concept of securing his hatch on with means of rope and eyelets... Oh well If you'd like to check out what I proposed once to him your welcome to perfect any of it to your liking. It's not any technological breakthrough concepts by any means it is just ideas / concepts that might apply to what either of you are striving for in this case a watertight hatch security method engaged from inside the boat. If you have that all worked out already no worries, then.

​@@ocean_capable_small_sailboat Thank you for replying... I imagine a washer / gasket could work sufficiently at hatch lid thru hole location like you said if you decide to make other hatch covers using the same method of securing them tight. I must admit I'm quite a casual watcher of your Channel's videos, (as in I've caught a few here and there in-between so forgive me if you've covered this all-in depth before...) Hence, I was thinking you were saying you had more "interior storage hatches" to secure perhaps in the way you had in this video sometime later on... I guess I didn't think much about exterior storage hatches if any or if that is even what you are speaking about in your reply to me here when you said, "I'll have to be more careful when making the one on deck." If "the one in the deck" is referring to the main entryway/doorway hatch you'll be passing thru for getting inside your boat" Then maybe I have another idea to share with you that I once tried to explain to Sven Yrvind regarding his entry hatches. I had a hard time explaining it to him. Additionally, his boat is quite tight in the entry compartments. So, anyway I made some illustrations for him to see of which I'm still not clear he saw the whole concept before discounting the idea. Oh well. If you had any interest in a concept for a fairly simple scratch-built hatch closure security method similar to Sven's concepts a.k.a (the Ratchet strap) but sort of coincides with your compression mechanism here (as in it employees a longer bar underneath hatch lid) I invite for you, if you'd like to perhaps, look at my illustration videos meant for Sven at the time on my channel found at, just my name here... There is only 3 rather short (like 3mins or so) videos published there so you don't have to hunt. The video sequence is as follows, the first video or earliest one does not have a number in the title. I was just trying to get him to see the concept at first. The second video "the hatch part of it" comes in at 4:18 or so.... And lastly the 3rd video is about a hatch "hinge" mechanism. I thought might work in his case with the right tweaking... (Probably would require a two-bar linkage hinge of sorts to be most effective for him which was too complicated for his liking.) Apparently, he is going with the concept of securing his hatch on with means of rope and eyelets... Oh well If you'd like to check out what I proposed once to him your welcome to perfect any of it to your liking. It's not any technological breakthrough concepts by any means it is just ideas / concepts that might apply to what either of you are striving for in this case a watertight hatch security method engaged from inside the boat. If you have that all worked out already no worries, then.

I watched your videos to Sven weeks ago and I commented, asking if you would help me! I'd love for you to e-mail me (e-mail in description) and we can work on my hatch hinging for the main hatch into the boat.

​@@ocean_capable_small_sailboat Really, are you sure you commented to me??? I wonder why I never saw your comment then? And honestly still do NOT see it on any of my videos currently. There are only 3 presently so it's not hard to check that. I'm not sure what is up with that... Communication via RU-vid comments has drove me crazy... As strange as it may sound to you...I purposely wasn't visiting my published videos thinking I could then see via the activity monitoring built into RU-vid studio when Sven watched it... Then I advertised / made attempts to invite him to see them a number of times and that's finally when a group of I suppose his followers took notice... So. I finally saw a few views register in the RU-vid analytics in what was to be a video mostly directed for his viewership. Anyway, until he mentioned something featuring a bit of my concept later on, I must say I really could Not figure out via RU-vid if he ever saw it, much less understood it in its entirety... Oh well... Was your comment requesting help with your hatch design perhaps within his commentary of one of his videos? Or would it of NOT included my RU-vid name perhaps as I sure did Not get any notification you had directed any comment my way. I'm sorry to report to be candid with you... Of course, that is until just recently when it's been commentary between us via your channel here and regarding your latest video uploaded... Hmm. Like I said RU-vid comments / attempts to have conversation(s) within them and such, along with viewership details are still a bit of a mystery here to me unfortunately. As for assisting you with your entry hatch mechanism or hinge, on your watercraft I'd have to say I'm flattered. Yet I imagine perhaps it was maybe the illustrated model / quasi 3D looking animation that may have piqued your interest, I don't know perhaps something else... I guess it just helps to see something drawn out or mocked up or modeled in some way other than in your mind's eye... Maybe just bounce one's idea(s) off someone else for their critique. Well, all that said, I must inform you I'm NOT an expert about such things in the least or an expert merely attempting to be modest... [ I suppose with that notion clearly stated I guess I could discuss further with you more specifically some more about details of your hatch requirements and placement. Yet can't promise I'd have the solution you are seeking here or could perhaps be able to provide the missing link in the succession of your hatch building process to ensure you will be successful in producing what you need. But sure, I'm willing to listen or take a look at more or less what you might be considering for an entry hatch. Then you'd probably have the luxury of bouncing the concept off your viewership here for refinement or possibly a more expert critique I'd have to assume. On a side note, yet about your, I believe still to be upcoming aft exterior hatches... I was wondering is the intent to have that whole rectangular area you are pointing towards at approx. 14:40 mark in this video to be opened? Say, like a classic rectangle cooler lid might be removed or child's toy chest might lift/ hinge upwards from one side? Essentially What I'm trying to determine by asking is... Will there to be elongated items stored in this locker box or bulky things that must come in and out of it? Or is that locker space's size just a function of its location and you will primarily be placing smaller form factor items in there? I ask as I'm wondering... Can the hatch lid(s) be smaller and /or more circular round once again possibly and still work for what you'd like to be storing in this compartment you have allotted for topside? Well I'll leave this comment at that for now... It's already containing a few questions for you to sort thru if you're able to wade thru this all as it also feels like I've said so little, and inquired about an array of things here in so many words... I'd be curious if you'd have any insight of any ideas where your initial comment about a request for hatch help is at now? You can reply here for now, It seems to be working okay... and I'll maybe soon connect with you via email. if you don't mind

If it's tying anything down it can't rattle. If it's not in use it's easy to stop rattling with one thin rope.

Probably not the one you mean, but check out SV Tapatya.