I plan to get into the pool this year and be ready to come out in a Nordlow, haven’t measure the hatches but I think they are the same as the Aquanaut. Two large ovals and I think the day hatch is an 8 inch but don’t quote me on that.
@PakaRiverman One thing I skipped over, I have no idea what you mean by having to buy the rims too. I went back and looked at the Sealect site, which has what I have seen in some paddling stores. Just the hatch covers. Including ones specifically labeled for VCP. But if I am guessing what that means I may skip them, Original VCP covers had a kind of double seal which was drier than most big ovals, but I often could not release on my husband’s boat. At least if he needed something grabbed while we were on the water. If the VCP flavors have that, I will go with regular ones and keep my dry bags for the bulkheads in good shape in the bulkheads.
I also found plenty of sources of hatch only. If you type Sealect Design VCP Hatches in Google and select shopping, you will get options. The cheapest one I see for the oval is $69.95, but there is shipping on top. A $79.95 option comes with free shipping and no tax. But if you are buying a few, perhaps the cheaper price one might work out as a better deal if they group shipping.
The new size on some Valley/North Shore boats (Valley Gemini also uses) seems to be something you can only get from Valley for now.
Necky no longer sells boats (let alone boats with oval hatches), so that route isn’t an option any more.
I replaced a smaller day hatch with the Sea-Lect style a few years back. It’s not bad, and has held up ok - with a little cracking where the flexible rubber-like part meets the hard plastic. It’s been as water tight as anything else I’ve owned. However, I do find that making sure it’s on properly is a bit of a task. Having to smack it in the centre while rotated and having my arm/shoulder flexed behind me is not a great position to be in.
If I had to do it over, I may go with the original VCP style. When I replaced my two oval hatches I decided to go genuine VCP because I just really like the way they work, despite sometimes having a short lifespan.
@Celia said:
@PakaRiverman One thing I skipped over, I have no idea what you mean by having to buy the rims too. I went back and looked at the Sealect site, which has what I have seen in some paddling stores. Just the hatch covers. Including ones specifically labeled for VCP. But if I am guessing what that means I may skip them, Original VCP covers had a kind of double seal which was drier than most big ovals, but I often could not release on my husband’s boat. At least if he needed something grabbed while we were on the water. If the VCP flavors have that, I will go with regular ones and keep my dry bags for the bulkheads in good shape in the bulkheads.
I had call them last year and was told that I had to buy them as a set. See the photos attached. If it fits, you need not cut off the original rims and replace them with the ones provided. This is not that difficult if it is for one kayak.
Why would VCP produce Replacement Hatches with Necky Logo? I find this unusual and wonder what materials are being used.
@Sparky961 said:
I replaced a smaller day hatch with the Sea-Lect style a few years back. It’s not bad, and has held up ok - with a little cracking where the flexible rubber-like part meets the hard plastic. It’s been as water tight as anything else I’ve owned. However, I do find that making sure it’s on properly is a bit of a task. Having to smack it in the centre while rotated and having my arm/shoulder flexed behind me is not a great position to be in.If I had to do it over, I may go with the original VCP style. When I replaced my two oval hatches I decided to go genuine VCP because I just really like the way they work, despite sometimes having a short lifespan.
How long does your hatches last?
@PakaRiverman OK, I just checked their site and I see the problem. They list n/a for the lid only option. And the link to their dealer network seems dead. This is not the situation I recall, Time ti figure out what the heck is going on with this company.
I was looking into buying more of these a while back and found several sources for the covers only. Here are a couple:
https://www.duckworksbbs.com/product-p/k746189-parent.htm
Here’s a good article on them:
http://gnarlydognews.blogspot.com/2012/06/gear-sea-lect-designs-hatch-covers.html
If you go here, you can get the part numbers for the covers (“lids”) only, so you can be sure of what you’re ordering:
http://sealectdesigns.com/categories/deck-plates-hatches/hatch-covers-performance
@bnystrom Thanks for the links. I seem to have found a couple as well. But if Sealect itself is not issuing the correct ones as covers only, it makes me concerned about the supply going forward. Methinks I will go out and measure those hatches on the Nordlow this coming week and put in an order somewhere.
@PakaRiverman said:
Why would VCP produce Replacement Hatches with Necky Logo? I find this unusual and wonder what materials are being used.
Valley had an agreement to make the hatches for some Necky products (the Chatham series comes to mind), and in doing so, made versions of the hatches with Necky logos.
@PakaRiverman Kayaksport has made NDSK logo hatches for at least a couple of decades. Someone was making WS hatch covers at some point too, I forget who. This arrangement type is not new.
Celia, Sealect does list the covers separately. If you check them out at http://sealectdesigns.com/categories/deck-plates-hatches you’ll see that although they’re not available in bulk packaging that’s geared toward boat manufacturers, they are available in individual packages for retail display.
@bnystrom n/a shows on this site for VCP hatches, which is what OPer was looking for. Doesn’t discriminate between bulk and not. http://sealectdesigns.com/groups/2002-kayak-hatch-covers-vcp-oval
I received my Sealect day hatch yesterday and took it for a paddle today. It feels like the most well-made hatch I have ever used. As Gnarlydog mentions in his review, it can be closed with a soft push at the centre.
It also “feels” tight. But haven’t really tested that yet.
Celia, I’m not sure what you’re trying to say here, as that page clearly shows both their Performance (K745270-1) and Recreational (K745370-1) hatches as being available as “Lid Only”. They’re in the second column, which is for “Display” packaging. The first column is for “Bulk” packaging and they’re “n/a” in that configuration.
@PakaRiverman said:
How long does your hatches last?
Couldn’t say, really. When I bought the boat the hatches were already deteriorating. I nursed them along for a couple years, then replaced the day hatch with a Sea-Lect cover. Then a few more years and I replaced the oval hatches with VCP. I can’t recall, but they may have been Necky branded. Doesn’t matter to me. I’m pretty sure it’s all the same stuff. That was perhaps 2-3 years now, and they’re still in great shape.
I’m not too concerned. I don’t have a huge fleet to worry about, and I completely acknowledge that this is an expensive hobby. Initially it’s the most expensive, but maintaining and replacing equipment costs money, and going different places to get in the water and paddle would really add up if anyone was foolish enough to keep track.
No, I don’t have some magical ATM that spits unlimited amounts of money at my command. Nor am I destitute. I just try to choose carefully what I spend my hard-earned money on, in a way that it will maximize my experiences and enjoyment thereof.
When I go on a trip, the last thing I want is to have a hatch failure or be constantly dicking around with getting it closed properly. I just want it to work. If it works, it’s money well spent.
@bnystrom Sorry! I had not caught that the Bulk packaging v. Display was dealer v. individual sale. Probably not the only one who would miss that…
Fortunately, my Artisan Millennium’s (Kajaksport) hatches have lasted and are still in good shape after 18 years! And they are tethered inside. Big one in the back is a bitch to put on, but none of them leak at all!
No problem Celia, I figured you probably just missed it. They certainly could make it more obvious.