A hatch stay or gas strut is the arm that holds a sailboat hatch open against wind and gravity — when it weakens or fails, the hatch drops or won’t stay up at all. Match the type to your hatch first: MAURIPRO stocks Lewmar telescopic retrofit stay packs, Vetus stainless gas struts, and Whitecap gas springs sized to fit most sailboat hatches.
This is written for the cruiser (~30–45 ft) whose hatch either slams shut on its own, drops onto a hand or head mid-task, or never held position reliably to begin with. It’s a small part with an outsized safety consequence — a hatch that won’t stay open is one you end up holding with one hand while working with the other, or one you stop opening altogether.
There isn’t one universal part for this job. Lewmar, Vetus, and Whitecap each build the mechanism differently — a telescopic mechanical stay, a gas-filled strut, or a manual friction lever — and picking the wrong type for your hatch means it either won’t mount, won’t hold the hatch's weight, or won’t last.
Hatch stays & gas struts at a glance
| Product | Type | Spec | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewmar Hatch Stay Retro Fit Pack (Black) | Telescopic mechanical stay | Universal retrofit across multiple Lewmar hatch models | $59.95 |
| Lewmar Low Profile Hatch Stay Retro Fit Pack | Telescopic mechanical stay | Low Profile hatches specifically; opens to 95° | $59.95 |
| Lewmar Hatch Stay Retro Fit Stainless | Telescopic mechanical stay | Stainless-steel upgrade version of the retrofit stay | $97.95 |
| Vetus Stainless Steel Gas Strut (GASSP38) | Gas strut | AISI 316 stainless, 9″–15″ (229–381 mm), fittings included | $131.00 |
| Whitecap Gas Spring, 15 in., 30 lbs | Gas spring | 15 in. (381 mm) length, 30 lbs (13.61 kg) force, black nitrate finish | $18.99 |
| Lewmar Low Profile & Medium Profile Hatch Friction Lever | Manual friction lever | Mechanical hold, no gas cartridge to lose pressure over time | $65.95 |
Shop all Lewmar hatch spares →
What Is a Hatch Stay, and What Does It Actually Do?
A hatch stay is the arm or telescoping rod mounted between the hatch lid and the frame that holds the lid open at a set angle instead of letting it swing freely on its hinges. Without one — or with one that’s failed — a hatch is only held by whatever angle you left it at, and wind, a heel, or a bump can drop it shut on its own. On most Lewmar Low Profile and Medium Profile hatches, the stay is a small telescopic mechanical arm; other builds use a gas-filled strut or spring instead, which does the same job with gas pressure rather than a mechanical catch.
Why Won’t My Hatch Stay Open Anymore?
If your hatch is a mechanical telescopic stay, the most common failure is worn friction inside the sliding arm itself — the parts that grip to hold position simply lose their bite after enough open-close cycles, and the hatch starts creeping shut under its own weight. If your hatch instead uses a gas strut or gas spring, the cause is different: these rely on pressurized gas sealed inside the cylinder, and that pressure bleeds down gradually as the seals age, especially in a salt-air environment. Either way, the fix is the same — replace the worn stay or strut rather than trying to service the sealed unit yourself, since neither the mechanical stay's internals nor a gas strut's cartridge are designed to be opened and repaired.
Gas Strut vs. Telescopic Stay vs. Friction Lever: What’s the Difference?
A telescopic mechanical stay — like Lewmar’s retrofit packs — holds the hatch through mechanical friction in a sliding arm; it has no gas cartridge to lose pressure over time, but the friction surfaces themselves wear with use. A gas strut or gas spring, like the Vetus and Whitecap options above, holds the hatch on pressurized gas inside a sealed cylinder; it tends to feel smoother in operation and assists with the lift, but the gas charge is what eventually depletes. A friction lever, such as Lewmar’s Low Profile & Medium Profile lever, is a third, simpler option: a manual ratchet-style catch with no gas and no telescoping arm, just a lever you set by hand. None of the three retrofit directly onto a hatch designed for a different type without matching the original mounting points, so start from what your hatch already has, not just what looks similar in a photo.
How Do I Measure My Hatch for a Replacement Stay or Strut?
Start with what's already there: measure center-to-center between the two mounting points with the part fully extended, then again fully compressed, and note the rod or arm diameter and the type of end fitting (ball stud, eyelet, or clevis). For a Lewmar telescopic stay, the profile matters as much as the length — Lewmar sells the retrofit pack both as a universal-fit version and as a Low-Profile-specific version, so confirm your hatch's profile (Low Profile, Medium Profile, Ocean, and so on) the same way you would for any other Lewmar hatch spare. For a gas strut or spring, the extended length and the force rating both need to be a reasonable match — too little force and the hatch won't hold open on its own; too much and it can stress the hinges or pop open further than intended.
How Do I Install a Replacement Hatch Stay or Gas Strut?
Have someone hold the hatch open — or prop it — before removing the old stay or strut, since nothing else will be holding the lid once it's disconnected. Most ball-stud end fittings simply pull or snap off their mounting studs; a few designs use a small retaining clip that needs to be released first. Fit the new stay or strut onto the same mounting points, matching the orientation of the original (on a gas strut, the narrower rod end is typically mounted lower than the wider gas-filled body). If you're adding a stay or strut to a hatch that never had one, use marine-grade stainless fasteners for the new mounting brackets and reseal any new fastener holes in the deck or frame.
Which Should I Choose?
If your hatch already has a telescopic stay and it's just worn out, replace it in kind — Lewmar's retrofit packs are the direct swap, and the stainless version is worth the upgrade if the original hardware shows corrosion. If your hatch uses a gas strut and it's lost pressure, replace it with a same-length, similar-force gas strut or spring rather than switching mechanisms, since the mounting points are usually drilled for that specific style. If you're retrofitting a hatch that's never had anything holding it open, a manual friction lever is the simplest mechanical option with nothing to lose pressure over time, while a gas strut gives a smoother, assisted lift if you're comfortable with a part that will eventually need replacing again.
Expert notes
From our rigging bench: the single most common mismatch we see isn't length, it's profile — a customer measuring only the extended length of an old Lewmar stay and ordering the universal retrofit pack when their hatch is actually a Low Profile model with its own dedicated part. Confirm the hatch profile before the length.
On boats that spend a lot of time at anchor with hatches propped open for ventilation, we also see stays and struts fail faster than the seals or hinges around them — repeated open-close cycles and constant sun exposure wear the friction surfaces or gas seals well before the rest of the hatch needs attention, so a stiff or drooping hatch is very often a single-part fix.
Common mistakes
- Ordering by length alone. A Lewmar telescopic stay is also sold by hatch profile — the universal retrofit pack and the Low-Profile-specific pack are not interchangeable descriptions of the same part.
- Assuming a gas strut and a mechanical stay mount the same way. Swapping mechanism types usually means the existing mounting points won't line up without new hardware.
- Matching length but ignoring force rating on a gas strut or spring. Too little force won't hold the hatch open; too much can strain the hinges.
- Trying to re-gas or service a sealed gas strut. The cartridge isn't designed to be reopened — replace the unit instead.
Frequently asked questions
What is a hatch stay used for?
A hatch stay is the arm or strut mounted between a hatch lid and its frame that holds the lid open at a set position instead of letting wind, heel, or gravity swing it shut on its own.
How do I know if I need a mechanical stay or a gas strut?
Match what your hatch already has — the mounting points are usually drilled for one specific mechanism. If you're retrofitting a hatch with neither, a friction lever is the simplest mechanical option, while a gas strut gives a smoother, assisted lift.
Why did my gas strut stop holding the hatch open?
Gas struts and gas springs rely on pressurized gas sealed inside the cylinder, and that pressure gradually bleeds down as the seals age — especially in a salt-air environment. Once it drops, the strut needs to be replaced rather than serviced.
Can I use a Vetus gas strut on a Lewmar hatch?
Only if the mounting points, extended/compressed length, and end-fitting type match. Measure your original part's dimensions first rather than assuming a same-brand or same-looking strut will bolt straight in.
How many stays or struts does one hatch need?
It depends on your hatch's original design — check whether your hatch shipped with one mounting point or two before ordering. If you're not sure, match the quantity of the original hardware you're replacing.
Recommended gear
Lewmar Hatch Stay Retro Fit Pack (Black) — the direct swap for a worn telescopic stay across multiple Lewmar hatch models.
Vetus Stainless Steel Gas Strut (GASSP38) — a marine-grade AISI 316 gas strut sized 9″–15″ extended, fittings included.
Whitecap Gas Spring, 15 in., 30 lbs — an affordable black-nitrate gas spring for lighter hatches and lockers.
Shop all Lewmar hatch spares →