No matter which type of boat you have, almost every mono and multi-hull sailboat has this essential covering/portal item that makes access from the boat deck to the storage or additional living space easier.

Even though you carry many of them in your boat, most of the sailors don't know exactly how is this marine equipment composed. It turns critical if someday you need to replace any part of your hatches or if you need to check the conditions they are in when doing general maintenance. That's why MAURIPRO's team has made the following tech article: to help you identify the parts that compose one of the most famous models of the favorite English manufacturer of our cruisers and racers.

Don't forget to look at our past article Lewmar Hatches Selection, a how-to guide that will help you identify your Lewmar hatch.

Parts of the Lewmar Low Profile

Seal: rubber material located around the acrylic that keeps it in place. When replacing the seal, make sure to find the air hole. It's located on the handle end of the acrylic, so when the hatch closes, the air escapes from the hinge end, round and out through the last possible point.

Acrylic: it's the most important part of the hatch. It is strong enough to support a sailor's weight. There are many different colors available such as grey, smoke, and green.

Handles: to help open and close the hatch from both sides. Handles from the outside are smaller than the hatches from the inside. Outside handles allow the hatch to be opened from on deck if not locked.

Hinge kit (friction): the most important parts included are the hinge caps that cover the whole kit, the hinge pins (that keep the upper and lower part of the hatch together), and the black cap (also known as Spacer). They are essential parts that need to be removed when replacing the lid.

Joining inserts and screws: to keep the two parts of the lid frame together. There are two inserts on each side of the frame. About the screws, they are four on each side of the lid, 8 in total. They keep the hinge kit in position.

Upper and lower frames: made of anodized aluminum for corrosion resistance, these are the parts that give the lid the characteristic 22mm thick of the low profile hatches.

Friction leveler: keeps hatch in an angled position while opened.

Check our Lewmar Low Profile Spares available at Mauripro Sailing: