In December I acquired hull # 58 - August Dame. Its moored one dock away from Calypso, in Deltaville, Virginia on the Chesapeake Bay.

I'm interested in creating easy access to the area beneath the port cockpit seat, and have noted the write ups on this forum on how it has been done. I've contacted Todd Uecker at Cape George Marine Works and found he will supply one molded locker lid and one complete molded water trough with up to 6" of adjacent deck attached for $300 each - for a total price of $600. The price does not include hardware - (2) hinges and (1) latch. The thought is purchasing a lid and water trough will result in a better (less costly, less time consuming, better looking) alteration to the port seat than would result from cutting out and reusing the existing seat and laying up on-site a water trough. If you are interested in purchasing these parts please let me know soon, as there will be a cost savings if Todd receives multiple orders.

Hi Mike, I am interested in one too, but would need to see photos and instructions on how to install one , before I place an order .

Many thanks for the info .

I am very interested, and in doing it next month if possible -- depending on the details of course. Any idea of the likely production schedule?
Thanks,


Scott Odell
(Itchen - BCC #73)

I am interested in adding an access hatch to my boat as well. I would not do the modification until next fall but would like to be included in a group purchase.Let me know the cost and delivery schedule.

Thanks

Eric Pomber
BCC 29 Thistle

Eric Pomber

Great. Looks like there is interest and potential for multiple orders. Todd indicated when the first order is placed it will take two to three weeks to have the set ready to ship. Contact Todd Uecker at Cape George Marine Works, in Washington state, to place an order or have questions answered. Todd's phone number is 360-385-3412. I plan to place an order in the next week to ten days. With orders for a couple more sets by the end of the month Todd can spread the initial set up costs over multiple orders instead of just one.

Mike Miller
August Dame - BCC #58

Hi Mike, what do you think the initial set up cost is for one hatch assembly ?

Do you think all the orders will have a time to order sensitive date ? Like once all the orders are received, they will fabricate, then ship ?

Will the hatches come with a matching non-skid and cream color gelcoat ?

When I first spoke with Todd it sounded like there is a couple of hours labor to move the molds into the shop and clean and prepare them for molding. I will call Todd today and ask if he will provide more details and answers to us on this forum regarding the other questions.

Mike Miller
August Dame - BCC #58

Congratulations Mike ,,, we saw and met former "August Dame" owners in Morro Bay , California , way back in , was it 1996 ???

I think it was Rod , who was her owner, back then .

I instantly admired her bowsprit platform , and that impression is still with me .

Most of us owners would really like the port side cockpit locker lid for access to the area below .

I would use that access to service a watermaker pump and filters .

I did see a port side cockpit seat locker hatch on Herb Renolds's (sp-?) BCC , way back , circa 1994 , in San Diego ,,,, as Herb was the forman at the Sam Morse Yard , for many years , building his own BCC there ,,, and he was a scuba diver as well . He needed that opening locker to stow his wet gear after a dive ,,, I also got many other V Good ideas from his modifications to his BCC , bow pulpit and stern pushpit , too !

It seems a shame that the BCC Forum is in absence of many wonderful ship modifications that the owners themselves have made to their boats !

I mentioned to Mark Fuller of BCC Xiphias , just recently , about what BCC "Teresa de Avila" went through in her owner modifications , but I may have her name wrong , or her owner was Greenville or some such .

FWIW , I am extreemly glad that owners like Ben , of BCC Elisabeth (sp-?) have shared so much with us in his compilation of photographs , of our boats .

Much Good On You Ben ,,, we were a Looong Time in waiting ,,,, not Forgetting our Professer Bil ,,, who got most of it down in black and white ,,,, A Big T Y , you guys !

We all have much gratitude to those who came before us ,,, God Bless .

Hello Mike and all the others considering this modification-

I've attached a couple of photos showing the mold and a sample hatch lid. It appears there is no easy drop-in solution to adding this hatch gutter system without doing a bit of grinding to the adjacent cockpit footwell and surrounding deck area. The cleanest solution might be cutting the existing deck away just outside the gutter perimeter and bonding the molded gutter underneath it. We could add an appropriate spacer to the gutter's perimeter to account for the deck thickness. Where it joins the vertical cockpit side may not be as straightforward and would likely require grinding, glassing and re-fairing to blend it in followed by a re-paint or gelcoat touch-up. Perhaps we need a willing and talented owner to be the first guinea pig!

In any event, with a bit more serial production we could reduce the price to $500 for the set.

Thanks,
Todd




Edited 1 times. Last edit at 04/18/12 03:59PM by CGMW.

A Big T Y , CGMW , for the photo illustrations ,,,, they do provide a heap of info , especially if the person viewing them, is a F/G experienced worker . I too wish to place an order with you for this port side cockpit hatch assembly .

I am sorry that I am unable to justify the phone call expenses to my wife , as we expect to arrive in your area 2014 in time for the September , PT Wooden Boat Show , what fun that show is !

So it is a bit of a wait and see , what the other BCC owners are inclined to order first .

I , personally am soo very glad that your Cape George company has taken over the BCC molds and are willing to fabricate this great sailing vessel , for those future sailors "in the know " .

Like Roger has said , this may be the last boat you will never have to purchase ,,, and I agree with his exclamiation , whole heartedly !

A Loving and privledged owner , BCC Calliste , Singapore .

Need one other order (for a total of two orders) and price will be $500 for a hatch lid and gutter system. Todd will adapt the gutter mold so gutter system can be installed by bonding to underside of existing deck - thus no need to rework adjacent non-skid areas on the deck. Who else wants to give this a try and gain access to all that additional storage volume ?

Mike Miller
August Dame - BCC #58

Mike,
Count me in for hatch and molded gutter at $500. I have a quarter berth under the port side cockpit seat but have enough room for a shallow locker to store small items.



David
Rose Hull 76

Great! I called Todd and told him there are two orders. Todd asked that you please notify him of your intent by sending him an e-mail at cgmwster@gmail.com. I look forward to receiving the parts!

Mike Miller
August Dame - BCC #58

Hello all,

Just a bit of a heads up about this hatch retrofit.

My BCC is in Port Townsend and I thought that before I take it back East I'd have Todd have a look-see and possibly fit that nifty port hatch on her. ( Hull # 62 ) As it turns out it won't fit. It seems that the cockpit commings on the earlier boats are a bit inboard as compaired to the later ones. A bit more deck space and a bit less cockpit space. I have no clue when the change was made but because of the comming placement on my boat the hatch is a bit to large. Todd says that to have a hatch on my boat he would need to make awhole new mold. So I would guess that before getting all excited about installing this hatch cover you'll want to confirm with Todd that it'll fit.

Needless to say I've passed on the whole project.

Todd did include a photograph showing the lack of space and I'll try to attach it to this post. Never done that before so not sure it will work.

Hello All,

Just a bit of a heads up about this retrofitting of a port cockpit hatch cover.

My boat is in Port Townsend and I thought that before moving it to the East Coast I'd have Todd look into installing the hatch for me. Turns out it can't be done. Won't fit. It would seem that on the earlier boats ( mine is hull # 62 ) the cockpit commings are a bit inboard as comapred to the later boats which were designed to have the port hatch. Of course I have no clue whan this change was made but I would suspect that only the boats that were designed to have the hatch in the first place have room enough for it. Todd tells me that in order for me to have such a hatch installed on my boat he'd have to make a whole new mold. Naturally I passed on the whole project.

Todd did attach a photo of the hatch and showing the lack of room which I've attached to this post.

But before getting all excited about retro fitting this port hatch cover I'd surely get some pretty exact measurments to Todd first.



Baba
Loon BCC # 62
( Lille1941@gmail.com )



Edited 2 times. Last edit at 10/04/12 07:24PM by Baba.

Welcome Aboard our Forum , Baba ,,,, of course we too would like to have a port side cockpit locker hatch , that to access a Spectra Watermaker pump and filters.

We didn't know what Todd pointed out to you , so T Y for sharing that !

We would also like to split our lasserette hatch , to gain access without shifting the tiller to stb or port while underway .

Maybe if there are enough of us interested in a split lazarette hatch Todd could develop one for sale?

Gary
Dioscouri (#064)

Doug,
Does your lazarette have the hinges that pull apart when the hatch is lifted? Is your tiller too low to allow this when it's in a fore and aft position? Is your tiller the standard SLM? I wonder, because Shaula's hatch can be removed at any tiller position. Maybe your taffrail gear is the problem?
Dan Shaula

Hi Dan , my factory fitted lasserette hatch has bronze hinges with fixed SS pins on one hinge flap.

I have to raise the hatch nearly verticle, then slide the hatch to stb two inches, then the hatch can be lifted away.

My tiller is the same curveture as the factory ones .

I keep my re-fueling filter and 12v fuel pump in the lasserette. So when re-fueling at sea, I have to stop the boat, and lash the tiller to stb, to open the hatch for the fueling equipment. This is not always desireable to do, depending on weather and sea state.

Bil has the same problem and we investigated setting up a hinge on the tiller. Roger had a custom made SS hinge for his tiller on Nerious (sp-?)

I hadn't ever thought about a split lasserette hatch , but now that I have seen one , I am interested in one for my BCC .

Doug Dan,
I recently modified my hatch. I have a few photos on Picasa :

[picasaweb.google.com]

David
Rose 76

David
Rose Hull 76