Lost
a Kayak Hatch Cover? What now?
Many kayaks come with storage options. Internal storage space below deck is common. A hatch cover allows internal access and it keeps the water out of the hull. Hatch covers are often misplaced or lost; hopefully not while it is on the water. Without a fully functional hatch cover your kayak will have a gapping hole in it, and will not be safe to use. Replacement of a lost hatch cover is essential to use the kayak again.
By
reading this series you will be able to determine the type of cover
your kayak is or was outfitted with, and how you might go about replacing
a lost or damaged cover. If you are lucky you can remember the lost
hatch cover in detail, or find a replacement part number from the manufacture
of your kayak. It can be worth a call to the kayak maker for these details.
A database of replacement parts for kayaks does not exist. The kayak
industry is not at all like the auto parts industry. Many kayak companies
do not keep accurate records of past kayak models or the parts they
take. The older the kayak the greater the challenge.
Most of the parts used to assemble kayaks, including hatches, are made by boating and marine supply companies and plastic molders. These companies may label the hatch cover with their own brand, or "brand" the cover with a kayak company logo of the kayak manufacture that is buying them for assembly of their kayaks. Some may even have a part number molded into it. We will start this series with rubber covers.
Rubber
Covers |
Double
Covers |
Deck
Plates |
Strap
Over Covers |
Rubber Covers
Rubber covers work like a Tupperware and may, or may not, be rubbery. This style is pressed in place, and snaps down onto a lip that stands up from the kayak deck. Sometimes this lip is molded as part of the kayak deck, other times the lip is a ring bolted, or glued to the kayak deck. They can be round, egg shape or oval, in a multitude of sizes.
Rubber
covers function very much like a Tupperware container and as such can
be approached in the same way, as if packing soup for lunch. For this
type of cover to seal, and just as important, to stay put, the cover
must be pressed firmly all around the perimeter. Failure to do so will
allow the cover to leak, or come off while car topping on the highway!
This style of cover is very vulnerable to loss while car topping. You may want to consider adding a cover strap. The keeper cord will not prevent loss while traveling at 60 mph.
Once the cover is lost replacing it can be difficult because you do not have the cover any more to find a match. Like a Tupperware, there are many sizes of covers, and a close fit is not a good fit. You must have an exact fit. Some kayak makers use standard covers found on many brands of kayaks. Other kayak makers have unique covers useable only with a certain make and model of kayak. Fortunately many covers are still available, while only a few are completely discontinued.
Kajak
Sport and Valley
Canoe Products (VCP) brand hatch covers are very common. They are
from Europe. Kajak
Sport brand covers are common on Perception and Aquaterra kayaks
of the 1990s, and many sea kayaks represented in a wide range of brands.
Perception and Dagger now make their own "dual density" Covers (Black and gray). Perception and Dagger accually made plain black rubber hatches, one round one oval, with logo, circa 2000, now largely unavailable.
The 10-inch version was based on the Kajak Sport 24cm, and it is the closest possible match. Kajak Sport has several round sizes (10, 15, 20, 25 centimeters) and a couple oval sizes.
VCP
covers are very common on sea kayaks. Many high-end sea kayaks are outfitted
with them. Wilderness Systems used VCP covers in the 1990s; they now
make their own "dual density" covers. Modern Necky brand kayaks
are outfitted with these British made covers.
Valley Canoe Products are often marked: Nottingham England. Valley has only two covers, round and oval, and these have not changed for decades.
Some rubber covers may have been outfitted with a locking ring or bungee loop. In many cases these are not 100% needed, but if your kayak was originally outfitted with such you should continue use as long as it is still serviceable. Bungee can replaced, locking rings may be quite difficult to source.
 |
 |
 |
Rubber
Covers come round, sized by diameter, oval, sized by length and width,
and egg shape, also sized by length and the widest dimension. Typically
the hatch is "named" by the working dimensions of the hatch
opening.
This means that an eight-inch hatch will have a useable opening of approximately eight inches, but the cover will be slightly larger than that.
The outside dimension of the hatch lip, around the hatch opening will be your key to finding the replacement cover.
Match
the out side dimensions of the hatch lip to the inside dimensions of
the hatch cover. Bear in mind that the cover will fit very snugly, and
is rubber so will stretch a bit. Also, the cover has an internal groove
around the inside of the edge that matches a ridge on the outside edge
hatch opening.
Expect maybe a ½ to ¼ inch discrepancy. The grove inside the hatch cover must also match the lip, in terms of placement, up, or down, above the deck surface.
These factors will make it difficult to confirm a fit by size alone. The proof is in the fitting of the cover to the kayak. Be prepared to make a 2nd try.
If you cannot find a cover that fits you may have to re-install the entire hatch. Typically this will mean cutting off the old hatch rim/lip, leaving, as much of the deck surface are intact as possible.
As with a cover fit, you may not find a good fitting the rim the 1st time around. Plan carefully; do not cut the deck unless you have a positive fit. Be prepared to test a second rim for fit. The Harmony kits that contain Kajak Sport hatches have instruction on how to do this.
Rubber
covers will tend to deteriorate over time, like an old rubber band.
Check your covers periodically for weakness. If you have any doubt
about the cover seek a replacement, or at the very least use a float
bag.
In the next installment of this series we will cover deck plates that screw in, close with latches and press fit.
Shopping for hatches at Tom's TopKayaker Shop:
Article Resources:
- Kayak Hatch Replacement Options - Part I - Rubber Covers
- Kayak Hatch Replacement Options - Part II - Deck Plates
- Kayak Hatch Replacement Options - Part III - Double Cover Hatch Systems
- See our Kayak Repair & Customization Index here at TopKayaker.net for instruction on hardware mounting or modifications made to your kayak.
- Tom's TopKayaker Shop - Kayak Parts - For all your kayak hardware needs: strap eyes, well-nuts, brass snaps, buckles and more.
We hope you've found this information helpful.
We appreciate your feedback & support.
Using these links to purchase or to participate makes TopKayaker.net possible.
Tom's Shop 
R.E.I 
Amazon
MyTopo 
Join Forum
Find more TopKayaker.net Affiliates
