Cabin Hatch Boards

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hjbutler

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Lake Texoma
Model
Adventure
Hello! I'm having to replace two of the hatch boards in the cabin of my 1994 Adventure 20. Any suggestions for a good material to use? The originals are plywood with a nice laminate on top and bottom. Not sure if this material is available anywhere. I would prefer something I don't have to finish. Thanks.
 

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Starboard is a good choice if you get it thick enough. It is not a structurally sound material for a lot of weight though. Another option is marine plywood with a laminate top installed. Could go to a local cabinet maker or kitchen installer or DIY. Could use a piece of Coosa board and fiberglass it over then spray or paint with a matching gelcoat. Not as hard as you might think and totally doable even for someone with no to limited skills in glass work. The pieces are small and you could do it fairly easily. Last one is to use hardwood boards and glue them together and finish. Again, a cabinet maker or woodworker could do this very easily and finish it with teak oil.
 
HDPE board should work fine as the house isn't very wide. I suspect those boards are likely 1/2"... maybe 3/4"? That's easy enough to find. Starboard is one of the brand names, but there are other. Expanded PVC board is another great option.
 
The middle space over the porta potty doesn't have a hatch cover per se. The filler cushion is part of the piece. It has a hard bottom , probably plywood. In other words, cushion and hatch cover all in one piece. The original cabin cushion set also had a similar cushion with hard base that fit over the rear end of the cabin. So a full cushion set was four pieces
 
Oh, wait - Seasick may have explained things better. Are you talking about the pieces in the middle to fill the hole? I wouldn't use HDPE or PVC there by itself. But a plastic angle attached going across the center will give plenty of strength. Make the large hole from two pieces for easier storage.
 
Hi, the cushions are long gone and need to be replaced also. I think having separate boards and cushions is best...rather than cushion attached to a board.
 
the best bang for your buck is a 4' x 8' sheet of PVC trim panel ( Verdana or AZEK at Home Depot)
Lighter than Starbpoard (HDPE) and a lot cheaper and in stock at Home depot or Lowes. No Shipping fees.

The edges of PVC are not as nice as HPDE but you won't see any edges in that use.

Cut it with a circular saw with a plywood blade.
 
Thanks everyone, for your responses! I ordered some precut pieces of Starboard HDPE in 1/2 inch thickness. Pretty expensive stuff, but at least it will not require any time or labor on my part.
 
SkunkBoat said:
the best bang for your buck is a 4' x 8' sheet of PVC trim panel ( Verdana or AZEK at Home Depot)
Lighter than Starbpoard (HDPE) and a lot cheaper and in stock at Home depot or Lowes. No Shipping fees.

The edges of PVC are not as nice as HPDE but you won't see any edges in that use.

Cut it with a circular saw with a plywood blade.
Click to expand...
This is the expanded PVC I had mentioned. You can buy this at the box stores? Wow, I never knew that! Excellent to know that!
 
Can always double it up with the bottom fitting inside the hole to keep it in place and make it stronger.
 
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