Leaking Lewmar Hatch

[Brad Taylor]

My Hatch above the salon is leaking. Seems to be coming from the forward edge where the hatch is sealed to the deck. I could (and did) tighten each screw about 1 to 2 turns. When I tightened the forward edge screws some mosture squeazed out. Not sure yet if this will solve it. How big of a job is it to remove and reseal this joint?
Hull #1464 Year 2000

[Pete G]

Brad,
It's been a while since you posted, so I hope you've figured it out by now.  I'm having the same problem.  I tried a product (forget the name) that is supposed to seal hairline cracks, but it didn't work.  Any advice?

Pete

[scgunner]

Pete,

It's unlikely Brad even still has the boat. When I've been bedeviled by hatch leaks the main culprit has usually been screw holes.

[Pete G]

Thanks, Kevin.  I'll re-seal them and see how it goes.

Pete

[Ron Hill]

Brad : After removing all of the hold down screws; I'd take a heat gun and heat the existing caulk and remove the entire hatch!! 
Then clean things up, inspect the core for dry rot and repair - if necessary.  Then re bed with 3M 4200 or butyl rubber and reseat the hatch !!

A few thoughts

[Stu Jackson]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Then re bed with 3M 4200 and reseat the hatch !!

You don't need an adhesive, use Bed-It-with-Butyl from Maine Sail.  I did.

[Ron Hill]

Brad : When I removed that center hatch I found some deck voids!!  So I filled the voids with 3M 4200 and then with the tube of caulk open I just bedded the hatch in with the 4200. Don't be surprised if you also find some voids.

As Stu mentioned the butyl rubber works well!!

A few thoughts

[waughoo]

A quick note on Butyl... I prefer this stuff most of the time.  However, when I reset my forward hatch and tried Butyl, the screws into the fiberglass did not have enough purchase to properly compress and seal the hatch to the deck.  Additionally, in trying to compress them, some of the holes stripped.  When I have a fastener with good clamping force like a thru-bolt, butyl is great.  I ended up using something else for the hatch, but no longer remember what.

[Stu Jackson]

A quick note on Butyl... I prefer this stuff most of the time.  However, when I reset my forward hatch and tried Butyl, the screws into the fiberglass did not have enough purchase to properly compress and seal the hatch to the deck.  Additionally, in trying to compress them, some of the holes stripped.  When I have a fastener with good clamping force like a thru-bolt, butyl is great.  I ended up using something else for the hatch, but no longer remember what.

I had a similar "issue" when I redid mine.  But instead of thinking  the screws were the issue, I identified it as simply not enough thickness of Bed-It-with-Butyl.  Once I doubled the thickness of the butyl, things were just fine.

[Ron Hill]

Pete : A couple of years ago I removed my front V-berth (Lewmar Roll Top) hatch and sent it off to "SELECT Plastics".  They are in Norwalk CT (877) 874-3767

They put in a new lens (mine was severely crazed) and replaced the gasket. It was like new again!!  Give them a call they do all kinds of hatches.

A few thoughts

[Noah]

Ron—how long did it take and what did it cost? Did they also replace roll-stop hinge hardware?

[Ron Hill]

Noah : It took a couple of weeks (from the time that I sent it), I don't remember the cost ? (Select Plastics will give you an estimate on the phone) and I don't recall if they gave me a hinge kit or if I already had one??

A few thoughts

[WBev]

Late this past summer I contacted Select Plastics.  The turn around was said to be 6 weeks.  The cost, well, my new lens came from CD a week later. 
I have to say the hatches those guys repaired for acquaintances look to be done well.  It appears they know their stuff. They charge accordingly.  If you compare their cost, w/shipping, to a marine yard locally pulling the hatch, redoing the lens and resealing it all, they are likely cheaper. 

On my Pearson 27-2 I hit a Defender sale and the new hatch with shipping was less than the quote from Select Plastics in 2016. Installed w/Rod's Butyl Tape, easy job.

Now, if I could only figure out how to remove the top of the forward hatch to bring it home so I can actually replace the lens, I'd be in business. &*^%!

Good luck.

[Noah]

Although no leaks, I do have lots of crazing of the lens and my rollstop hinge hasn't supported itself open for years and have been using a stick to prop it open. So, I am doing my own replacement. I bought the lens from CD and a gasket and replacement handles and rollstop hinge kit from Select Plastics/Hatch Masters. I couldn't wait the 6-weeks lead time and inconvenience of shipping it to them. Should be fun. Wish me luck!

[Ed Shankle]

Since Select is based in Connecticut, they service a lot of east coast sailors and slow down in the winter. So they encourage doing the non essential jobs over the winter. Lead times might be better then.
Regards,
Ed