The Cratch

I’m on a steep learning curve when it comes to using the correct names for the various parts of the boat.  My first big mistake has been to refer to the foredeck as the cratch.  Apparently the cratch is the name of the vertically mounted triangular board mounted between the bow and the foredeck.  The plank that runs from the top of the cratch to the cabin is the king plank and the cover that goes over the whole area is the cratch cover (that part is logical).

We’ve decided to be somewhat unconventional with the windows in the cratch board.  They will open on the hypotenuse (the long side of the triangle for my Australian readers!).  There are two reasons for this.  The first is they will act as an air scoop during those long hot summer days. Ignore the current weather in the UK…. there must be some hot days during the year!  The second reason is they will fold away from the bow hatch which is where our water inlet pipe will be.  If the were to open outwards on the vertical post then they would foul the hatch cover.  If they opened inwards over the foredeck then they would foul that area.

I was think of bring some Australian Jarrah timber with me and having the cratch made from it.  Jarrah is a very heavy and strong Western Australian hardwood.  So hard that termites have considerable difficulty eating it.  However in the end we have decided not to do this as the cost of shipping the timber from Australia makes the idea too expensive.

Now we need to think about the design of the cratch cover.