Lewmar Hatch

[ghebbns]

Hi all,

I have a lewmar hatch on my 1990 C34.  I cannot seem to figure out how it is supposed to stay open.  All my previous hatches had a lever that locked at different lengths.  I have attached a couple of pictures of my setup.  Am I missing something?

Thanks,

Greg

[Kevin Henderson]

There should not be a lever or anything to hold it up.  It should stay open by itself at about the halfway point of opening and also when fully open at nearly vertical.
I suspect that at sometime someone may have been a litle over anxious and sprayed some silicone into your hinges. 
How do I know that?     I did the very same thing last year and my hatch would not stay open.  Finally, this spring it began to "tighten" up again and now remains open at the halfway point with no problem.
Maybe  you don't have to do anything than just wait.   

[Roc]

Is there a screw that you can tighten to create more friction at the hinge?  I have Lewmar hatches too, but the hinge looks different.  There is a screw on the sides of the hinge that can be tightened to keep the hatch open.

[ghebbns]

Thanks Roc, I think your pictures have solved the mystery for me.  It looks like I am missing the part of the hinge that locks into the slots.

[Ken Juul]

Give Lewmar a call.  I think they sell (or used to) kits to refurbish the hold up mechanism.

[patrice]

Hi Greg,
Looking at your pictures, I have the same hatch, and same issue 
It does not stay open, at any angle.  So I have a wood stick that I use to keep it open.
Not the best, but it works for now. 

[DaveM]

Greg

Looks what you have is what is called a Rollstop hatch. There is supposed to be a rubber piece in the hinge that pushes in the groves. I have them and after a year they got so stiff the hinge bent on closing. Hard to get parts for them.

Roc

I thought of replacing my Rollstop with Lewmar Medium Profile. Are yours Medium Profile or Ocean. Also how do you like them. If don't know name height above deck will tell. Thanks.

Goodwinds
DaveM

[Roc]

Dave,  Not sure what specific Lewmar model.  These are the hatches that came with the boat.  I have a 2000 MkII model.

[Ron Hill]

Greg : You have a Lewmar Rollstop hatch.  The hinges have always been a problem.  There is no adjustment for the rubber stop.
You can purchase a hinge repair kit form Select Plastics and they will also replace your lens.

After all these 26 years I final figured out what I was doing wrong that killed the rollstop feature!! 
The hatch can only be left in one of the 4 positions - Closed, straight out, 45 degrees or 90 degree straight up!!!  If you leave the hatch in any other position you'll kill the rubber stops.  You also need to put some silicone grease on the rubber stop.

A thought

[ghebbns]

Does anyone know the size of the hatch on a 1990?  I have contacted Select Plastics and they are asking.  I can measure when I go to the boat next but that probably won't be until the weekend.  I am assuming that the hatch size is consistent for all boats of this year??

Thanks,

Greg

[Ron Hill]

Greg : Ask select Plastics to go back in their records and look for the work order they did on my trapezoidal Lewmar hatch a few years back.

It's under Ron or James R. Hill.