We moved down to Hillmorton to have our sliding hatch enlarged. “Well replaced really.” Our previous boat was a ‘semi trad’ which had a back deck with sides making it more open for crew and guests. This boat is a ‘Trad’ which only has room for the skipper at the back. The hatch was a bit small and difficult to get in and out. The replacement procedure was a bit more than we had imagined and the boat yard seems to have taken on more than they could chew! The wooden roof lining and one side including engine controls were all removed. Otherwise it may have been set alight when the access was cut to the larger size. It was quite upsetting to see it all ripped out. They say it had to get worse before it could get better. 
‘Metal Man’ arrived to do the cutting and construction. He was from a boat called Arc Angel so at least we are using boating business. By the end of his first day he had the new runners welded on, the hole enlarged and the new hatch from Reeves boat builders had arrived. He used a grinding wheel to cut out the metal and even that generated enough heat to burn the foam insulation. We had to abandon ship in case the arsenic fumes generated got into the boat. Once finished we were happy with the outcome.
The hatch is much easier to move and we can stand upright when getting out.
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