After some very scientific exploration with a hammer and chisel which revealed a problem that would only likely grow worse, this doctor employed the assistance of his trusty power tools to remove the affected area.
You'll note the increased depth added to the companionway for ease of access (especially for when the AC unit is in). The first concern I hear is understanding (from the folks, especially of the shorter legged variety like my mother and other regular crew members) and then one of potential vessel vulnerability in the case one is pooped (I'm always pooped but that is due to poor calculations between workload an sleep!). In weighing this issue I considered the cockpit drains (which themselves drain water very rapidly) and the cockpit coamings which allow water to easily flow out after flooding the cockpit to a certain level. The current hatch boards aboard Mischief are very stout (constructed from mahogany plank) and interlock. Under circumstances of heavy weather it is boat policy to keep the hatch boards in. That being the case it seems to be a reasonable calculation to lower the hatch step an additional 6 inches for better access.
During this process I am redesigning the hatch boards rather than having to deal with 4 separate pieces that must slide into place. The idea is to take an approach similar to a closet door that folds in two. Instead of hinges attaching one end to the bulkhead I'll make use of the existing slides for the current sliding hatch boards. The overall idea is to have a hatch board that consists of two vertical pieces that are hinged in the middle and are then essentially "pushed" into the companionway. I'll try to upload some preliminary drawings in a few days. With this removable option I can still utilize the AC unit, build a screen version an only have one thing to deal with at a time rather than 4 boards.
Below are some photos of the hatch project underway! Note: the photos didn't upload in the correct order.
