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After installing the hasp staple on the top drop board (and getting a little rain in the cabin that night), I discovered after re-reading the instructions that you are supposed to install a block below the staple so that when you lock the hasp to the staple the hatch slide has to come out further over the drop boards, thus keeping the rain out. The only problem is, it does not say how long to make the block. (It also says to make it in the shape of a truncated pyramid, but until I find out how tall it should be I'm not going to all that trouble.)

Looking at the picture, I guessed it to be about 1 1/4" long, so I made it 1 1/2" for good measure. I can always cut it shorter but I can't make it longer. I haven't tested it in the rain yet, but I'm hoping I didn't make the block so big that the hatch lets rain in at the opposite end--a lot more rain! Does anyone know exactly how long the block should be?

Hi Dana,

3/4" same as the aft edge of the hatch. The beveled edges are just for looks too. The rest of the dimensions will depend on the size of the hasp you're using.

Take care,

Chris

Thanks. Yeah, I knew the shape is cosmetic, but I thought it looked pretty nice. Might replace it some time when I have nothing better to do. I was thinking, though, that it would be a good idea to bevel the top edge so water will run off, but then it would run right into the lock!

Now that I looked at it again, the 1 1/2" block I made just barely has the edges of the hatch out far enough to keep water out of the slots by the edges of the drop boards. I might take a cup of water out there tomorrow and pour it on the hatch. If it does not run into the cabin, but rather down and out through the hood's drain holes, I think I'll leave the block as is.