My Formosa 46 sailboat has an aft cabin, and a sliding hatch that allows outside access into the cabin. This hatch had plywood under teak strips, and the plywood was rotting away. So, I decided to try to build a new hatch. I tore off the old hatch to see how it was constructed, then tried to build a new one using the same general design. Here is how the project progressed:

First, make a drawing. The theory is that if I understand it well enough to do a drawing, I might understand it well enough to build one. As you can see, there is a curve on the top of the hatch to let rain water drain off. The curve is exaggerated in this sketch.

Next, buy some teak and get out the power toys.

Next, epoxy the frame together. I used a sort of tourniquet contraption to hold the pieces together.

Now, a center support beam is notched into the frame. Both the frame and the center beam will need to be cut away at the ends to create the curved upper surface.

Now, notches are made for the plywood. Because of the curvature, I used 2 thin pieces of plywood, rather than one big piece.

Next, the teak strips are laid over the top of the frame and plywood.

To finish up, I had to

1. sand everything

2. seal the plywood with epoxy

3. wait for spring

4. put on some varnish