: Does anyone have a link to the construction of Moby hatch hold downs? I have
: tried a search but haven't come up with anything that describes them, how
: they work, and how to build them. I remember seeing a post quite a while
: ago about them but can't find anything other than the recent post on hatch
: hold down systems.

: Charles Robinson

I don't know - that information is on here somewhere but it seems like over the last few months I have found it nearly impossible to find older information on the KBBB. Also, the links on my website which I had to those early discussions are now broken.

They are fairly simple to construct. You need to create some sort of mount to hold the latches, the whale-shaped "moby" latch piece, and a bungee between a pair to provide the tension. The moby latch pivots on a shaft (I used 1/8"? aluminum rod). Someone e-mailed me a template that I printed & used to cut out the pieces. I could pass it along to you too if needed.

The mobies work by being a spring-loaded latch which applies pressure to the underside of the deck hatch lip. As mentioned, a bungee goes between two latches on opposite sides of the hatch lid in order to supply that tension. I used 1/4" bungee and the force that it applies is significant. Weather stripping, neoprene, or some other gasket is compressed and that is what forms the seal between hatch lip and the hatch cover.

I have been meaning to create a post dedicated to the Moby Latch System (tm) on my blog but have not yet done so.

Bryan