After we finished our NANOOK skin-on-frame kayak kit last year and started selling it in our online store, we still faced the development of a hatch system, which we already had figured out the basics of.
The Problem
Skin-on-frame kayaks have one disadvantage: they are difficult to load, because the installation of hatches in the flexible skin is more complicated than in hard-shell plastic kayaks. This means that a skin-on-frame kayak can only be loaded through the cockpit with difficulty, or the luggage can be stowed on the deck. With the fuselage frame construction, the frames also narrow the open space inside the kayak, which in turn makes it more difficult to load gear into the kayak.
Our hatch system
The original plan to make the hatch ring and the cover out of multiplex has been discarded and instead we have developed a system in which basically every round hatch system available on the market can be installed. In the meantime the system can be ordered in our store together with the NANOOK kayak kit. It includes three additional milled parts, a hatch from the Finnish manufacturer "Kajak Sport" and several small parts for installation. The hatch has a usable diameter of 24cm and consists of a mounting ring screwed to the kayak made of durable ABS and a hatch cover made of lightweight rubber. The hatch cover has a small eyelet on the outside and inside, with which the cover can be secured. The diameter of 24cm is also suitable for loading bags, tents and sleeping bags into the kayak. The hatch is located behind the cockpit and the entry aids on the stern deck.
Installation into the kayak
The three milled parts are oiled and then installed together with the other components during the construction of the kayak frame. An additional frame is installed and, together with frame 7, carries a ring onto which the hatch ring will later be screwed. First, of course, the kayak is skinned and varnished. After the varnish has dried, the hatch ring is put on, sealed with some sealant and additionally screwed to the ring inside the kayak. Then the skin inside the hatch can be cut out and the hatch is ready for use. The hatch cover is secured inside the kayak with a cord (you have plenty of fixing options in skin-on-frame construction).
Installation in other Skin-on-Frame Kayaks?
We would also like to develop a variant of the system that can be installed in traditionally built kayaks or other kits. We will inform you about news in our newsletter!