OK, ladies and gentlemen, I'm about to open a BIG can of worms. I can buy a Gebo or a Vetus hatch for over my bunk for around NZ$550/£300/US$400. Knowing how slow I am at making things, and how important it is for me to have a hatch that doesn't leak, I've decided to go for one of these. I know lots of people will have opinions about this matter and I am prepared to listen to all of them. The new Vetus seems better than the ones I saw about 5 years ago and I think they look better than the Gebo, but I can't find any comparisons on the Internet. So I'm coming here.
However, alloy hatch manufacturers go bust, get bought out and taken over with monotonous regularity. The big boys buy out the small companies. So it's no use discussing the hatch that you bought ten years ago - the one they're making now will be quite different and possibly quite a different quality.
I am aware that these hatches will leak if they are not mounted perfectly, but mine will be set on an epoxy plinth using the hatch for a pattern. I think that putting the handles through the acrylic is madness and asking for leaks along the way, but that's how they all do them now, as far as I can see.
So opinions, please, on these - and for that matter other comparably-priced hatches.
Does anyone have a cast Canpa or Goiot hatch in their store that they want to get rid of?