Hatches

Do any high performance skis come with hatches for gear storage? I'm talking about boats in the V12/Mako Elite/Red7 Pro/Nelo class.

Realistically I'm probably choosing from one of those four and I don't think any of them come with hatches, so the supplementary question is do people cut holes in their skis and add hatches or is this a really bad idea?

Think Uno has a hatch at the front of the foot wells.

Just remember if you cut a hatch into a the deck of a ski it may interfere with the centre rib , also there are no bulkheads like a sea kayak, so things may "float around" inside the ski.I suggest one of the circular waterfroof hatches with a bag on the back of it so you don't lose your stuff (they are about the size of a 1/2 loaf of bread ) you also need a flat surface so the front of the footwell is probably the only place you can fit one.

check huki website

looked at Huki website but saw nothing about retrofitting hatches , was there somewhere special to look?

www.huki.com/store/index.php?main_page=p...th=13&products_id=64

Stow Hatch with Fat Bag
$45.00
Almost all current and past canoes built by HUKI can be retro fitted with a stow hatch. Unscrew the clear, hard plastic hatch cover to place your hydration system, shoes and other items (six-pack....of soda) into the removable orange canvas bag. Pictured here are the 6 inch hatches which can be placed in front of the steering pedals or behind the seat. They also come in 5 inch and 4 inch. They can be mounted on any flat surface of any kind of craft.

Thanks for that Hiro - though I'm in the UK so won't be buying from there. Have also found the circular hatches on their own for far less than that ($8 to $10). Can add my own bag to the back when I fit it.

Anyway things have moved on - I've bought a V12 with no hatches and want to add one. The front of the footwell would be the obvious place, and I think I could fit a 5" one there, the obvious issue being the stringer which sits in the middle of that panel. Of course on a V12 I have a alternative location nearby - the flat bits at about a 45 degree angle just in front of that. Can definitely fit a 4" hatch, maybe a 5 with a little tweaking.

The question is would I be compromising the structure of my nice brand new boat by cutting a hole in either of those places? It's a Performance construction which looks like it has a honeycomb sandwich (not what it says on the Epic website).

I'd really like a bigger one in the back deck though - the issue being that there is no flat surface. Would it be feasible to build up a little with some resin in order to make a flat surface for mounting my hatch to? Shouldn't be much structural requirement to the build up - the hatch would still seal onto the original boat layup.

Or should I just forget my attempts to turn my ski into an ultra-fast sea kayak?

I have added a hatch in front of the foot well in a V10. It is pretty much straightforward. You cut out the hole. Yes you will cut through the stringer. I personally added extra support to the existing stringer. I would not worry too much about the stringer s long as you use some foam board and build up a new one.

I can send you some pics if you want. Email me
darebet (at) yahoo

As for cutting up an ultra v12? First off, yes... it is odd to cut up something that is fragile on its best day. I'd have no problem cutting up a perf. v12. The ultra just seems so dainty so your 'ski lifetime' may not be all that long, hatch or no hatch. If you are thinking of reselling it a racer might query why you added weight to it.

You can buy a bag with the hatch which limits your storage to a wallet, keys, and a sandwich. I prefer to have a big bag on a string that keeps your stuff from sliding out of reach but gives you ample storage.

good luck

I think the structure will be ok if its at the front of the footwell,and only a small hatch. I would not put it on the 45 degree area as your blade may catch on the edge of it when you are paddling, make sure you have a hatch WITH a bag before you cut a hole as those bags are fairly rare !(porthole/inspection hatch is easy to get).You can usually use the lid of the hatch as a template to cut the correct sized hole

keep the hatch up high above any water level ,You will have to cut a bit of the hole with a Hacksaw blade only and you will know where the stringer is !!
Definetly don't bother with any bigger hatch or "building up with resin" at the back!

I forgot to include my choice tools. Once you decide where to put the hole (in your perfectly good ski) mark it. I use a drill to get it started. Drill a hole slightly inside your area to be removed. I then used a rotozip (a type of high speed dremmel) to cut the rest out. It gives you a super clean cut without harming surround areas. It does have a tendency to wander if you are not careful that is why I suggested to start a little inside the line. A rotozip will shave the around the edge of the hole if it is too small for the hatch.

Once it is out and to size I then built reinforcing stringers. I sandwiched the existing stringers making them three ply. I used gorilla glue and clamps.

I'd do any inside work before you install the hatch. You need all the access room you can to work within the hull.

When you put the hatch on. Use liberal amount of silicon caulk. Do not drill all the holes at once. Get one in, mount the stainless steel bolt (use washers). Then go to the opposite side an do the other, bolt it. Then you can drill the rest. You don't want to do all this work and then screw up the mounting holes.

I agree with the other poster. Do not put it on the side. You'll catch it with the paddle and far worse, make your ski unbalanced. Best to have any weight no matter how small balanced.

Thanks for all the helpful comments. It is a performance construction, not an ultra. I have to admit I am still tempted by the side location for a few reasons:
My paddle stroke doesn't go that near that panel - my arms aren't that long.
When you mention making the ski unbalanced, I presume you mean due to the kit I'm putting in the hatch rather than the hatch itself, which shouldn't weigh much more than the bit of boat I've removed. That's not really an issue here, as there's a great big hole through the middle of the stringer there, so I can happily distribute kit both sides.
That hole in the stringer also makes putting the hatch in the front of the footwell a problem as I'd have to cut right through the web of the stringer which would significantly impact on its strength (it would also make reinforcing the stringer an issue, as there is nothing to bond extra pieces to at the point I want to).