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Where to buy round Valley day hatch lid?

rider

Paddler
Joined
Jul 12, 2005
Messages
1,859
Location
Coquitlam,BC
Hey. So I decided I like my Cat4 enough that I want to replace the Seadog/Sealect day hatch lid that the previous owner put on with a Valley lid that it should have, and found out it's not as easy as I thought. Last time I called Western, the sales person had no idea what a "Valley hatch cover" even was (facepalm), Deep Cove instantly knew what I was talking about, and had an oval lid which I happily picked up to replace the rotten bow hatch lid, but didn't have day hatch covers, Ecomarine said they are out until sometime in the spring,maybe. Aparently things got harder since Necky nixed all the models that used them. Um. Amazon.com seem to sell them, but not Amazon.ca ...Does anybody have any suggestions of other Canadian retailers that ship, or any recommendations where to buy in US online? Ebay?
 
Rider, you should be able to order one from Body Boat Blade on Orcas or from Kayak Academy outside of Seattle.

Doug
 
Does anybody have any suggestions of other Canadian retailers that ship, or any recommendations where to buy in US online? Ebay?

Contact Duckworks Boat Builders (US).They have Sealect hatch covers and specifically mention fitting Valley kayaks http://www.duckworksbbs.com/product-p/k746189-parent.htm. The last time I ordered from them the shipping to Canada was reasonable. Sealect has distributors in Canada (including Western) if you look on their web site, but may not carry these. Their web site also has details on hatch fitting: http://www.sealectdesigns.com/categories/deck-plates-hatches
 
Doesn't the SeaLect hatch cover seal properly?
I don't understand why you'd prefer the Valley rubber hatch cover - they don't seem to last long.

EDIT: Like erik, I'd order from Duckworks - that's where I get the hatches for my projects.
 
It has a Sealect lid on it now. I have a SeaLect on the bow of my Nifty and it stays almost dry in almost any conditions, but the same lid on the day hatch of the Cat4 let in about half a coffee cup of water during a rolling session while the main hatches with Valley lids stayed bone dry. It's more of a "I want" rather than "I need" thing.
 
I hate leaky hatches, so I understand your motivation!

I'm not familiar with the Cat4. Does it have bleeder/vent holes in the bulkheads?
Without small holes in the bulkheads, I've seen water 'sucked past' a hatch cover when rolling in cold water, with once-warm air in an empty compartment.
The 'downside' of the holes is that water can get through during a very active session of rescue practice if there's a lot of water in the cockpit - not an issue if you were rolling only.
 
No vents, but i feel like that suction effect would be much more of a factor with the big Valley lids at the bow and stern, and they were dry.
 
Thanks red kite! I had to google seaward kayaks parts because the link to parts does not seem to be on their main site, but found them. ...$85 delivered...I miss the days when I could walk into two or three local stores and buy one for $50 :-(
 
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