Let us know if you find a good solution, I would also like to do something about it. Here are two ideas I had so far: I wonder if the dual PVC lip seals used on shower doors and sliding windows could work. One seal installs pointing upwards against the underside of the hatch, and the other pointing downwards on the leading edge. One would need a smooth sealing surface, so it would probably be necessary to modify the inside of the hatch to be perfectly smooth. Another option would be to modify the hatch to be a lifting instead of sliding hatch, more like a bow hatch. Then it could be clamped down tight with seals. I remember from the photos of Strawanza (the bluewater M17) that it merely had the hatch bolted down, so it could no longer open. Tyler Davis, CA M15 #157 "Defiant"
On Sep 2, 2015, at 1:35 PM, David Grah via montgomery_boats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> wrote:
Hello Montgomery Group! When we have the opportunity to sail our Montgomery 15 in larger waves that occasionally get up on deck, we find that water gets under the sliding hatch and into the cabin. This summer I found that towing the boat on the highway in rain has the same result, water getting into the cabin. This isn't a big problem but sometimes even a little water where you don't want it can be a nuisance (wet blankets and sheets for example). I wonder if anyone has improved this situation with some sort of seal attached to the hatch. For instance, I could imaging a strip of mylar attached to the hatch covering the gap between the hatch and the deck could cut down on water getting in to the cabin but also realize it could gum up the easy sliding of the hatch. Does anyone have successes, failures, or insights to share on this topic? Thanks!
David GrahBishop California