I bought a couple of VCP yaks (Skerray & Avocet)about 3 years ago, am very happy with 'em. This last week as I was loading up I noticed the day hatch on the Avocet has a ~3" crack around the top edge of the cover that goes completely through the hatch. After reading the archives, I see that something like 303 might’ve prolonged the life of the hatch, but I’m just curious about the life of the hatch cover. The other hatch covers look fine & will receive a coat of a protectant regularly. They’ve always been stored inside the garage (no a/c, but no sun exposure either) when not in use & I never did grease 'em up with a lubricant. And I’ve always hosed both boats down with clean freshwater regardless of where we’ve paddled. Thanks for any insight!
What is the day hatch made of?
I don’t think UV exposure was the cause of this. It could have been a slight miscalculation by the maker in how the hatch cover is sized relative to the thing it fits over.
Probably because…
you use(take off, put on) the day hatch more than the others…
the hatch
The material the hatch is made out of is some kind of black rubber/flexible stuff that’s on other kayaks. It’s not a stiff plastic cover.
They break down over time…
…due to UV and ozone exposure. It’s a common problem with Valley hatches, which 303 will help to reduce. I understand that the new owners of the company are experimenting with other hatch materials, but I haven’t seen or heard of anything new from them yet.