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New brochure
It has arrived…. Please click here for our new PDF brochure.
We do have several hatch sizes in stock, but are constantly building custom sizes. Should you have a need for a hatch outside of the marine industry or of a different size, please let us know.
New bolts and hardware
Our hatches are made to be durable and functional. We seldom get these requests, but have just completed a set for a client. This client had 5 of our hatches in his boat that were made in 2000. These 13 year old hatches had some wear but were in great shape overall. His problem was that some of the washers around the bolts were cracked and causing leakage. We freshened up his hatches with new bolts, washers, sleeves and dogs to hopefully last him another 13 years or more…. While in our shop, we also installed new gaskets as well. We will shortly be putting these parts in our regular stock, but if you have such a request, you can contact your local dealer, or we can send some pieces down to your local dealer for you.
Half anodized?
Here is something a little unusual. We wanted to have something to show clients the difference between our hatches being anodized and not. Our anodizing supplier was able to do this for us. Right now, I’m going to be taking this to show to some local boatbuilders and get their feedback. We use a grade of aluminum for our hatches which offers the most durability to salt water, and the anodizing goes a step further and protects your investment.
The gasket on our hatches
With the winter season in full swing, we’re getting lots of inquiries from individuals doing maintenance on their boats, and of course, their hatches! Being subjected to expected use, and over time, the gasket on our hatches eventually takes a toll and doesn’t perform like when it was new. Should you find that your hatch is in need of a new gasket, your local boatbuilder, or boating supply retailer should be able to provide you with some. Our Anchor Hatch gasket is a triangular neoprene gasket which is self adhesive. The triangular neoprene compresses the right amount when dogged to keep your hatch secure and keep the water out.
If you are changing the gasket yourself, make sure the old gasket is removed, along with the old adhesive. You can use a small handheld propane torch to warm it up a bit to allow for the old adhesive to soften. Make sure it’s not warmed up too much with the torch, or that the flame is too concentrated You’ll notice the moisture moving away from the edge. The hatch cover should be at least 80 degrees F for the new gasket’s adhesive to adhere (little bit more than room temperature). A plastic scraper can be used to remove the bulk of the old gasket. A screwdriver or metal scraper would not be recommended to remove the adhesive, as it may gouge the hatch and the anodized coating. The new gasket should also be warm, at least to room temperature, for the adhesive to work well. Lastly we normally use an adhesive to glue the two joining pieces to assure a good seal.
Hatches with new logo
Soon, we will have our new Anchor Hatch logo machined on our hatches by our in-house CNC machine. Today, I just picked up our first sample from our anodizing supplier to evaluate. What are your thoughts on it?
Hatch in a hatch
Although not as common; we do get inquiries on our larger hatches to have a smaller access hatch. Here is a recent example where we did 2 of these for a client. The anodized hatch measures 48″ x 48″, and the smaller hatch in the centre is one of our 12×12 Quick Release (ANC QR 1212) models. We also installed some more solid lift handles as opposed to the lift rings on our regular models.
Locking door
Here is something a little out of the norm for us, and came as a result of customer requests. This door is made to still keep the water out like our regular hatches, but is powdercoated white to not have as much of an industrial look. The compression lock on this door can be locked with a key, and the studs welded on the back of the frame add to the security of this door. It is also hinged, so that it will be fixed to the floor or wall of your vessel and does not need any tools to operate.
What is anodizing?
At P&E Manufacturing, we take quality seriously with our Anchor Hatches brand. In our early days, we could build hatches cheaper and faster, but they didn’t last! Even by using 1/4″ 5086 H112 marine-grade aluminum (which is one of the best combinations of aluminum to combat corrosion) it still wasn’t durable enough for our client’s harsh environment in the humid, salty waters off Canada’s east coast.
Then, we raised the bar in the industry by anodizing our hatch covers; and it made a world of difference to our clients! Since the hatch covers wouldn’t corrode, the gasket would stay adhered, prevent leaking, and would extend the life of the hatch 2-3 times of what it used to be. We take pride in knowing that our produts are rugged and sturdy, but also are a long-lasting investment on your boat. To our knowledge, we may be the only hatch supplier who takes this extra step in all our products. We cut and form the hatch before this pro-grade protection to ensure that the critical bolt holes and edges get anodized.
Here is a detailed description of the anodizing process from our supplier:
Anodizing involves the formation of a protective aluminum oxide film on the aluminum surface by means of an electro-chemical process, giving it a durable non-toxic and easy to maintain surface. The aluminum goes through a variety of chemical baths to clean and prepare the surface for anodizing. In the anodizing tank the extrusions are immersed in an electrolyte (water containing 5% sulfuric acid) and when an electric current is passed through, negatively charged anions migrate to the aluminum where the oxygen from the water combines with the aluminum to form an aluminum oxide film approximately 4 to 7 microns thick (Clear Anodized). From this process a further step can be taken if an electrlyte coloring (two step anodizing) is specified. The aluminum is immersed into a bath where an alternating current is applied to deposit a metal coloring agent at the base of the pores of the anodic coating. The coloring agent consists of tin sulfate and sulfuric acid. The AC voltage is applied from 20 seconds to ten minutes, depending on the color required. Colors range from champagne, light, medium, architectural & dark bronze and black. The final step is to seal the open pores in a high temperature sealing solution to close the pores for the anodic coating. The sealing provides protection against weathering, fading and corrosion resistance.
Stainless BBQ stand
Here is another stainless steel residential product. This client brought us his stainless steel BBQ and wanted a stand with storage built around it – to fit in the 8ft wide area he got specifically landscaped for it. Everybody in the shop was very impressed with this item and it was very well received by the client and his staff which were on hand to help unload and install it.