How to Make an Inside Hatch Cover

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The weather can be a fickle friend. With all the variations of cloudy, partly cloudy, and scorching hot sunny days, sometimes you need a variety of weapons to keep your boat's cabin perfectly cool and well-lit. For the hottest days, you can cover the outside of your hatch with a hatch cover that will block all the light and protect the glass.
Video Chapters:
  • Patterning – 0:17 min.
  • Sewing Hems – 2:33 min.
  • Securing YKK SNADs – 3:53 min.
  • Installing Snaps – 4:54 min.
  • Materials List – 6:37 min.
Materials List:
  • Phifertex® Plus Vinyl Mesh Sand 54" Fabric – #124311
  • PremoBond® Tex 90 (V-92) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. – #123337
  • YKK® SNAD® Fastener Adhesive-Backed Flexible Base Stud Clear 25mm – #104451
  • SnapRite® Snap Fastener Button 11/64" (Nickel-Plated Brass) – #104151
  • DOT® Snap Fastener Normal Action Socket (Nickel-Plated Brass) – #333050
Tools List:
  • 3M™ Tape Primer 94 - Adhesive Promotor 8 oz. – #104166
  • Sailrite® SnapRite® System (4 Dies & 100 Mandrels) – #104237
  • Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LS Walking Foot Sewing Machine – #311502
  • Tape Measure, Marker, Yardstick, L-Square, Scissors

But for those in-between days, why not use a lighter cover that will help shade your cabin while still letting a little light flow in? We’re going to show you how to do just that by making an inside hatch cover.

How to Make Inside Hatch Cover Video 2

Using an inside hatch cover allows you the freedom to attach or remove the cover from inside your cabin. Our inside hatch cover is made with Phifertex® mesh fabric, which has an open weave that allows air to pass through and has about a 70% shade factor. If you wanted more shade, you could use Phifertex® Plus or a Textilene® fabric with a 90-95% shade factor.

We attached our hatch cover using YKK® SNAD® fasteners. These adhesive-backed snap studs are great for this project because they adhere really well to surfaces and they don’t require you to drill a hole. We recommend using a plastic SNAD wherever possible on flat surfaces. Plastic SNADs are not suitable for curved or uneven surfaces; in these instances, silicone SNADs should be used instead. We also strongly recommend that you use 3M™ Tape Primer 94 Adhesive Promoter before installing the SNADs. Using the primer will result in the best adhesion results over a long period of time.

This project is simple to sew and great for beginners. In this video, you will learn how to pattern, sew and install an inside hatch cover.

Do you have covers for your hatches? What style are they? Share your experiences and ideas in the comments!

Materials List:

Phifertex Plus Vinyl Mesh Sand 54" Fabric

#124311

Phifertex® Plus Vinyl Mesh Sand 54" Fabric

PremoBond Tex 90 (V-92) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. (1,350 yds.)

#123337

PremoBond® Tex 90 (V-92) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. (1,350 yds.)

YKK SNAD Fastener Adhesive-Backed Flexible Base Stud Clear 25mm

#104451

YKK® SNAD® Fastener Adhesive-Backed Flexible Base Stud Clear 25mm

SnapRite Snap Fastener Button 11/64" (Nickel-Plated Brass)

#104151

SnapRite® Snap Fastener Button 11/64" (Nickel-Plated Brass)

Snap Fastener Normal Action Socket (Nickel-Plated Brass)

#333050

DOT® Snap Fastener Normal Action Socket (Nickel-Plated Brass)

Tools List:

3M Tape Primer 94 - Adhesive Promoter 8 oz.

#104166

3M™ Tape Primer 94 - Adhesive Promoter 8 oz.

Sailrite SnapRite System (4 Dies & 100 Mandrels)

#104237

Sailrite® SnapRite® System (4 Dies & 100 Mandrels)

Sailrite Ultrafeed LS Walking Foot Sewing Machine (110V)

#311502

Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LS Walking Foot Sewing Machine (110V)

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