Hatch for light and ventilation in roof

[REBrueckner]

Can anyone recommend a large size opening hatch, likely aluminum framed,
for ventilation and light, marine style or otherwise?

Maybe 36" x 36" or even bigger so one could fit appliances in and out when required? And enjoy sea breezes otherwise.

One possibility is a home type 'skylight', like this 46" x 46" VELUX brand:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/VELUX-46...Laminated-LowE3-Glass-VCE-4646-2004/202842559

An issue is that the typical flashings available, as I recall from a similar home installation 20 years ago, don't look so nautical sticking out around the skylight maybe 3" inches all around. In home roof installations these are typically tucked under roof shingles. Has anyone tackled such a conversion to a rather flat boat roof? And this home style does protrude above deck/roof more than some might like. I don't see why one couldn't scribe one's own roof curve, have a weld shop cut to fit and weld on a solid aluminum roof mounting bracket all around.

Some BOMAR brand hatches are 'low profile' so look rather cool, but I'm not sure what sizes are available. I saw nothing online nearly as large as I'd like.

 

[MikeP]

A friend at the marina installed a Bomar over the galley of his 58 MY when he needed a new fridge. He got one specifically large enough to allow the fridge to go in/out. So Bomar definitely made them large enough - at least a few years ago. I pooh-poohed the idea when he first brought it up but I warmed up to it after it was done - he did a nice job - looked like it could have been from Hatt originally, added some nice ambient light to the galley, and, of course, allowed fridges to be interchanged!

So check out the Bomar catalog...

 

[SeaEric]

Here are photos of the hatch Mike mentioned. It's important to note that the hatch opening itself is not large enough for the appliance access. It has to be disassembled back to the rough opening in the roof to get the refrigerator etc. through.

 

[MikeP]

Good point, Eric. I had forgotten that was the case re the hatch itself having to be removed to actually clear the new fridge but removing the hatch is pretty easy…as long as you don't use 5200 to seal it when installing!

 

[REBrueckner]

BOMAR looks really good...

but I'm getting forgetful:

An easy way to make a hatch of considerable size: Get any retail acrylic shop to make one out of, say, 1" thick acrylic....put edges on the thing for water intrusion protection......a piano hinge and a pneumatic cylinder for opening/closing...and a gasket of your choice on the underside.....

I made ones maybe 15" square for a flybridge hardtop.....loved them.

Making an opening in an already solid roof and installing proper trim around the new opening would be the more time consuming portion of the job.

 

[mdshore]

tempered smoked glass set in a marine plywood frame . I got the (coffe table) glass for 16.00 from IKEA..