Locking Lazarettes/Compartments

B

BaylorU

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 23, 2018
Messages
57
Fluid Motion Model
R-21
Vessel Name
Grace
Hey y’all. Have any of you converted your cockpit lazarettes/compartments to locking hatch dogs? I’d really like to have at least one, probably two, that I can store things like my Honda generator and grill and stuff that I can lock. Even the engine compartment should be lockable, IMHO.
Additionally, have any of you installed lifting struts to any of the side compartments? It’s REALLY lame that they don’t have them, and when they slam down it reminds me of how the tiny details matter, especially on a boat! I imagine it’s a very easy project, but if someone has done it I would love to get the specs on strut length and lbs of lift rather than doing trial and error myself.
I love how many of the details Ranger has paid attention to, and that’s why we bought a Cutwater, so it’s hard to understand how they missed having locking hatch dogs and lifting struts on those compartments. One slammed compartment on a kid’s finger is all I need....
Thanks, everyone!
Ken
 
I had a battery stolen at my 20-hour service when left in the yard. Richard sent me a link to the company that makes the latches on my R23. Three locking hatches is cheaper than one stolen battery. The latches came very quick. Here is a link to my latch, but your model might be different. http://www.gemlux.com/catalog/latch-liftturn/1264-L-2
 
Hamster":2gnrk535 said:
I had a battery stolen at my 20-hour service when left in the yard. Richard sent me a link to the company that makes the latches on my R23. Three locking hatches is cheaper than one stolen battery. The latches came very quick. Here is a link to my latch, but your model might be different. http://www.gemlux.com/catalog/latch-liftturn/1264-L-2
Click to expand...

I have the same concerns with my Honda generator and batteries. Yes, at this point, the locks are an absolute necessity for me. I am currently studying Hamster's lock as well as several possible choices I found on Amazon. A serious thief can get past about any lock, but we can at least block the casual browsers.
 
ShortCut":2ubvnnw6 said:
Hamster":2ubvnnw6 said:
I had a battery stolen at my 20-hour service when left in the yard. Richard sent me a link to the company that makes the latches on my R23. Three locking hatches is cheaper than one stolen battery. The latches came very quick. Here is a link to my latch, but your model might be different. http://www.gemlux.com/catalog/latch-liftturn/1264-L-2
Click to expand...

The part that Hamster identified seems to be the only choice available that matches my C242 latches, so I'll order at least one immediately.
Click to expand...
 
I'm copying and pasting from an older conversation about locking compression latches. "Thanks to Richard at Ranger Tugs for connecting me with Gem Products, the manufacturer of the compression latches on my 2009 Ranger 29. Gem has only a few of these locking compression latches available to replace the factory units for the engine and side lockers. They aren't on the website. This link shows the non locking latch.http://www.gemlux.com/catalog/latch-liftturn/1264-2. Call Jerry Gutzke at Gem to order. I told Gerry I'd share this and he said to mention "The Hull Truth" and you'll get a 35% discount off the list price. I have no financial interest or connection with Gem Products."
 
My only concern would be if there are issues with salt water and the locks jamming up. Anyone had experience with this issue?
 
I am pretty sure the latches on my R23 are not compression latches. Compression latches are for watertight applications. My lockers actually have a drain in the rim to funnel water off the deck. Compression latches are also double the price I paid.

I think that the locking mechanism has a good chance of getting messed up with salt and dirt. They will lay horizontal to the deck. These are quality latches, but ... I would consider regular lubrication of the lock.
 
On the subject of lockable compartments, does anyone know if the hatches shown below (from Cutwater virtual tour) have lockable replacements?

main.php


Our battery switches are located inside those compartments and would like to be able to lock it up!
 
The locking compression latches shown on GEM's web-site are round. The latches that come from the factory are square with rounded corners and are 6x6 cm or 2.36"x2.36". The slight depression in the deck is also square. Has anyone changed theirs out for the round ones and found that they fit OK?
 
Forget my last post. Jerry Gutzke, at GEM emailed to say that there is a square version.
 
For at least the R23 owners out there, I switched out my latches in the storage lockers with this product: http://www.gemlux.com/catalog/latch-liftturn/1264-L-2. The latches installed by Ranger were glued in with probably 502, so you will need to cut them out. Also, the bolts are cut off, so plan on getting replacement bolts which will have to be cut to let the latch function again.

GEM also has an instructional video on how to install the latches. https://youtu.be/Q2jcQzlGYq8 You will note that they don't use any glue to put them in, but silicone them to keep the water from getting into the locker that way. I chose to use just silicone.

Some comments here are indicating the compression latch. That is not what I installed. Just the lift and turn latch. They are cheaper and more applicable to this application. My understanding is that the compression latch is meant for a truly water tight compartment, which these are not. They are all intended to take on water and drain to the bilge.

Now, the guy who climbed on my boat and stole a battery will face another challenge!
 
ShortCut":1um6w9qz said:
ShortCut":1um6w9qz said:
Hamster":1um6w9qz said:
I had a battery stolen at my 20-hour service when left in the yard. Richard sent me a link to the company that makes the latches on my R23. Three locking hatches is cheaper than one stolen battery. The latches came very quick. Here is a link to my latch, but your model might be different. http://www.gemlux.com/catalog/latch-liftturn/1264-L-2
Click to expand...

The part that Hamster identified seems to be the only choice available that matches my C242 latches, so I'll order at least one immediately.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

I bought the latch identified by Hamster and it is the right one for the C242. It was easy to remove the bolts from the factory-installed latch, but then I discovered that they did an excellent job of gluing the latch to the hatch. Now I'm not sure how to proceed with the project. The glue is hanging on very tight, and my concern is that I might damage the hatch while trying to get the old latch removed. The glue is white and possibly stronger than the fiberglass hatch. Has anyone successfully removed the glued-on latch without damaging the fiberglass? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Marshall
 
Marshall - they are glued in pretty well but I was able to remove them without damaging the fiberglass. What I did was I took a sharp utility knife and cut into the glue on the underside - not the topside that would cut the pretty side of the hatch. A slit as deep as possible into the glue will relieve some of that tension. Then, with that knife, take out as much glue as possible. On the underside of my latches, the glue oozed out into the hole and starts forming a bond on the underside of the hatch. I also used a hammer to pound on the latch bolt towards removal. It will still be stuck, so you will need to lift up on the latch super hard to set it free. This was also one reason I didn't reset them in the 502 glue for future removal.

I did all three latches and didn't find that it affected the fiberglass on any of them. When resetting, make sure the hatch is clean so that the new silicone forms a good bond. The video shows that process as well.
 
Hamster":z17yweyh said:
Marshall - they are glued in pretty well but I was able to remove them without damaging the fiberglass. What I did was I took a sharp utility knife and cut into the glue on the underside - not the topside that would cut the pretty side of the hatch. A slit as deep as possible into the glue will relieve some of that tension. Then, with that knife, take out as much glue as possible. On the underside of my latches, the glue oozed out into the hole and starts forming a bond on the underside of the hatch. I also used a hammer to pound on the latch bolt towards removal. It will still be stuck, so you will need to lift up on the latch super hard to set it free. This was also one reason I didn't reset them in the 502 glue for future removal.

I did all three latches and didn't find that it affected the fiberglass on any of them. When resetting, make sure the hatch is clean so that the new silicone forms a good bond. The video shows that process as well.
Click to expand...

Thanks snydzy and thanks Hamster. I'll try the utility knife approach first and then move on to the chemical approach if I get stuck.

Marshall
 
I converted the three deck hatches on my 2019 R23 to locking. Did not need to cut them out to replace the whole latch. Gem hardware makes the square "lift and turn" latch in a locking version as well as the non-locking which was installed on my boat. The current models of these two latches are identical except the turning bolts. I ordered three new locking latches, removed the bolts and switched them into my stock latches. Easy. One hour, no digging out glue to replace the whole latch.
Latches could be different on older models....
 
One question I have. Were your latches glued or sealed. I found a year ago that I have water leaking around my hatches. I installed new thicker weather stripping to seal all the hatches. When I tested the seals with water from a hose I found the hatches were still leaking. The hatches were leaking from the latches. I removed one latch from the hatch and found no sealant. There is a small piece of plywood used as a backer for the latches mounting fastener that was water soaked and rotten (2016 Cutwater) I removed all latches and found the same results. I dried to the wood, epoxy sealed and then used life calk silicone sealant to seal all latches to the deck hatches. No more leaks. This is a C26 with a full enclosure. I can't imagine if it wasn't. I also can't imagine that this is a practice by Fluid Motion just poor craftsmanship on my boat. I would advise checking though.
 
Where did you order the locking square latches? By locking, do you mean they require a key? I have been wanting to install locking latches but haven't found square latches online anywhere.
 
I have a pair of new locking latches referenced by "Hamster" that I will be willing to sell for $20 plus shipping. I bought too many, as they only fit the engine compartment hatch on my boat. I got in to much of a hurry to order before I looked at my boat. The latches on my other lockers are of a different type.

Barry Thompson
TOUCAN, R-27 Classic
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

  • Tugnuts.com is the community hub for Ranger Tug, Cutwater, and Solara owners. Since its inception in 2008, the Tugnuts forum has grown into an active and thriving community of more than 9,000 members. It serves as both a meeting place for the best boating community online, and an invaluable archive of information.

  • User menu
Back
Top