Day Hatch Tethers on NDK Boats

I just took delivery on my new Romany, and I was surprised that there is no attachment point for a tether on the day hatch.



Has anyone added a tether? If so, how?



I’m considering getting one of the D ring on a Hypalon plate and using a flexible adhesive to glue it to the inside of the cover. http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=1463



But, I see no need to reinvent the wheel if others have a better solution.



Thanks,



Michael

2 other choices
Mine…thin cord around the hatch cover, tied off then tied to the deckline. Others, drill a hole through the tab on the hatchcover, thread line through then tie to the deckline.



I’d be worried that adhesive stuck to the hatchcover would get loose after opening and closing it a few times. It can’t be stiff adhesive or it will crack and it can’t be soft adhesive or it will eventually get air/water/sand/dirt/salt inside. That’s just how I visualize it, I’m most definitely not an adhesive expert.



Lyn

overkill
The D-ring is probably overkill. Just a strip of vinyl glued at the ends with an unglued “hump” in the middle should be fine.



Weldwood contact cement should be good enough.

My solution
Day hatch cover (Valley) - Bungie cord drawn tight and tied around the hatch cover, then some thin (and colorful) static line from EMS tied around that at one end and finished on the other with a plastic clip to a rear deck bungie. Got a handful of the plastic clips at a kayak/bike/outdoor sport store.



For the front and rear hatches, I took a small diameter cooking skewer and punched a hole through the tab on each hatch cover. (Still using Kayak Sport manufactured ones I assume.) I then ran the static line thru that hole and finished the other end with a plastic clip again to the perimeter line for those.



Do not neglect to tether the front and rear hatch covers. The Kayak Sport made hatch covers do NOT float as I found out when I had to fish for one of mine that had gone into the water while I was packing up from camping on an incoming tide. Luckily I found it, but I wasted no further time in getting the darned things tethered.

just tie it
tie a loop around each one with thin static line, then tie it off to a perimeter line. no clips, no glue, just tie them, at least that’s what i prefer.

Which Day Hatch?
Until recently, NDK boats had Valley day hatches. The most recent ones I’ve seem have Kajak-Sport (NDK branded) day hatches.



The Kajak-Sport hatch covers usually have tabs which can be used to run line through for tethering. For the Valley ones, a line around the indent works fine.

New Valley Day Hatch?
My recent(2006) VCP day hatch has a tab on the inside with an internal tether.

Hey Michael
Good to meet you last Sat., see ya next time!

Chuck

FSKA.org

Hatch Tethers
Mine did not come with tethers either. The front and rear covers have tabs; the day hatch cover does not.



I had to drill out the tabs on the front and rear, and I also drilled through the lip on the day hatch cover. There’s plenty of room on the lip for this, but obviously be careful.



The idea about looping a line all the way around the day hatch cover is good. Not that I dislike the method I used, but I wish I’d thought of this at the time.



Maybe I can take some pictures when I get home.

Internal tab
That is how I tethered the day hatch on my Romany.

Small nut and bolt.
Since your boat is new you probably don’t want to drill the hatch cover. But for further information, you can attach an inside tether by drilling a small hole in the lid and using a stainless bolt and nut/washer and a plastic wire loop. When you tighten the nut it squeezes the rubber and it won’t leak.

I like that solution
It’s how I rigged my NDK hatches.



I like external cords better. Less of a pain to change out, and the internal option sounds like cord would get in the way when I’m packing.