Measurements Needed

[majacsjokat]

First time on Tugnuts. We have just purchased a 2012 Cutwater 28 in Grasonville, MD. We live in Lakeway, TX, and we're trying to provision from here. We've cruised before, but this boat is a lot smaller, and it has NO drawers, and only one interior door (head). I need some measurements from someone who may have them readily available. I would like to know the distance of the forward opening from under the windshield around the curve to the floor of the main cabin. My plan is to use some type of curtain rod to drape fabric from under the windshield, over the curve, so we can have some privacy in the forward cabin. The curtains that hide the berth won't help when trying to dress after a shower. It will be removed before getting underway. Also, what is the width and length of the door to the aft deck? This boat has only the factory installed curtains, so nothing was ever put on the glass door opening. Thanks for ya'll's help. Our launch date is the middle of May, so we're getting very anxious.

 

[ronnieg]

Good Morning,
I can get you all the measurements you need
Please feel free to contact me directly so I am sure what you are in need of.
The aft door on the Cut waters have a Velcro going around the inside for a canvas cover on the door. There is also a windshield cover for the outside to help for privacy

 

[majacsjokat]

Ronnie, I called and left a message a few days ago, but I'm thinking this is the best place to contact you. We're looking into Outland Hatch covers, and I need the make, size, model, and profile of each of the hatches. Also, what is the measurement from the top of the forward cabin opening, around the curve to the floor of the main salon? I have an idea for a cover for privacy when dressing in the forward cabin.
The windshield cover is with the boat. Did a cover for the aft door come with the boat, or do we need to have that made? Everything on this used 2012 is pristine. The former owners must have been very careful with everything. The carpets are still in their packaging, and there's not a scratch anywhere on the floorboards. I'm very impressed with the care they took.

Claire Ford

 

[steven_ickman]

Hi Claire, congratulations on your purchase. We have a CW28 and love it! We'd love to see any modifications you guys make so please share pictures. 🙂

The outland hatch covers you referenced look interesting. Just wondering how difficult they'd be to put on & off for the 4 top hatches. Anyone else have similar covers installed?

-steve

 

[majacsjokat]

Hey, Steve, I haven't heard back from Cutwater about the hatches. I'm going to call again, and hope Ronnie is in the office. If you want to see how easy they are to put on and take off, go to the website. Also, The Boat Galley website has an article about the one's they just received and installed. Carolyn has some wonderful ideas for boating. Also, I just found a website from one of Carolyn's posters called Boaterspal.com. It has a system that we'll be using on the 28. We can put some of the storage units under the stairs to the forward cabin for easy access to personal items. I don't know which year your Cutwater is, but the 2012 has these funky steps down to the forward cabin that is actually wasted space. We'll be taking off from Lakeway, TX, on May 7, with a launch date of May 24 or sooner. It all depends how long it takes me to organize the boat and stow the 18 boxes of materials we have ready to pack into the rented van.

 

[steven_ickman]

Hey Claire... Funny that you mention boaters pal. We have a set of their containers also. 🙂 I was at West Marine and they had a large NeoOrganizer Combo on clearance for $50. Thought it looked cool so picked it up. Now it's a matter of figuring out what to put in all those little boxes. 🙂 Would love to hear what you come up with. We were thinking small toiletry items in one, condiments & spices in another, etc. We'll store the big box in the lower birth while underway and pull out the smaller boxes as needed.

The guy at West Marine said they used to sale those boxes like hot cakes but then people just stopped buying them. I'm not sure why. They seem awesome...

-steve

 

[ronnieg]

Hi Claire,
Here are the measurements for you
our hatches are
12 x 17
16 x 16
19 x 19
the manufacturer is HMD/HI tide. Jim Black hatches.
We also sell some black out screens that are available that help make the hatches more private. On the other measurement I will get that today for you

 

[steven_ickman]

Claire, thought I'd share and idea I had this weekend with how to solve the privacy problem. My wife suggested putting a tension rod with a curtain above the steps leading down to the forward v-berth which works but has a couple of problems for me. You have to put it up and then take it down everytime you want privacy. You have to store it somewhere when not in use. And you still end up with a hole that anyone standing at the helm can look down into so not completely private.

An alternative idea I thought of is to create curtain that's long enough to cover the top of the hole and then drape down to cover the front so the forward cabin is completely enclosed. To attach you'd use industrial strength Velcro across the dash to completely secure the top of the curtain to the dash. You'd then sew in your tension rod which creates a rigid point for the curtain to hang from in the front. When not in use you simply roll the curtain up around the tension rod and snaps at the top (like on the curtains in the v-berth) secure the rolled up curtain to the dash. Shouldn't impact visibility at all when rolled up on the dash and should be quick to deploy when you want some added privacy.

-steve

 

[majacsjokat]

Hey, Steve. Sorry it's taken so long to get back on here, but we're finishing up our packing and making reservations for the trip. I like the idea about the Velcro for the forward opening. I'd already thought about the tension rod at the opening, but discarded it for the same reason you mentioned--hole in the top. My thought is to buy a shower curtain rod to rest on the portion of the dash under the windshield, then drape some type of material from the rod to the floor of the main cabin. I'm pretty sure I'll need some type of fastening mechanism so the material doesn't "droop" in the opening.
Thanks for "thinking" for me. I can use all the help I can get,

 

[Just Dreamin']

Hi Claire.
The thread you started regarding measurements for your Cutwater is what led me to also look at the Outland hatch covers for our Ranger R25 classic which also uses the Jim Black hatches from HMD/HiTide. I am expecting my first Outland cover today which I will be installing on the bow hatch over the berth.
After reading all I could on the Outland website I exchanged e-mail followed by a phone conversation with James Outland and found (as of last week) the cover I ordered for Just Dreamin' will be a first for them, i.e., Outland has never made a cover for the Jim Black hatch. I made all my measurements according to their instructions with regard to length, width and inside radius on lens curve as the HMD website did not give the dimensions needed. I really like to idea of blocking sun prior to hatch lens to reduce heat, etc.
We are going to start with the one cover and see how we like it and then may go to the over head hatches, if needed. Over this winter I installed an exterior grade window tint on the overheads which lists it heat rejection value at 80%, if this does not provide what we trying to achieve with regards to heat reduction then I may go to the Outland covers.
Hope this may help a little.
Best regards,
Mike Guthrie

 

[ronnieg]

Hi Claire,
I sent all the measurements to the outfit that is making your hatch covers. They were really helpful in getting me some paper work so I could make sure the measurements were all correct.