New Bomar hatch installation

[crieders]

Any good instructions on this?
For the hatch right behind the mast?
Some literature i have read suggests epoxy as a sealant and others, the good old 3M caulking?
Would you fill the prior screw holes with epoxy?
Thanks

[Patches]

I highly recommend butyl tape.  I put in a new Lewmar Ocean hatch (trapezoidal) a few years ago and used butyl.  No leaks, and easy to work with.

Patches

[Noah]

I would oversize drill the holes. Fill them with thickened epoxy then re-drill new pilot holes in same place and install hatch with butyl tape. 

[waughoo]

I put in a new Lewmar Ocean hatch (trapezoidal) a few years ago...

Patches,

Did you do the new lewmar with the infinite friction hinge?  I have been looking into that option.  Hatch masters wants 450 (ish) to put a new lens in my existing hatch and a new lewmar is 1k.  The value of the infinite stop possition is compelling.  What was your experience?

[Noah]

Depends how much you labor is worth but you can buy the lens for the trapezoidal hatch for approx. $200
https://www.catalinadirect.com/shop-by-boat/catalina-350/hatches-ports/replacement-lenses/hatch-lens-lewmar-trapezoidal/?SearchResults=1
Not sure about new rollpin hinge hardware. I use a dog bone shaped teak stick to prop up mine.

[waughoo]

I bought the rollstop repair kit from hatchmasters so it does stay up.  I am not sure I trust myself with the removal and reinstall.

[Noah]

Hatch Masters has a very good rep. But a very long lead time. Could not see shipping my hatch to them and being "out of commission" for more than a month. Replacing the lens is not hard.

[Patches]

Alex:

I bought the Lewmar front hatch for about $600 during a Defender sale a couple of years ago.  I guess it might be the 'infinite hinge."  The original "roll stop"--or whatever they called it--had long ago failed and so I decided to replace it.  So my situation was a little different because the hatch would not stay propped open.

The mounting holes on the new hatch don't exactly line up with the original, and I recall there was something a little more difficult about attaching the flange closest to the mast because my Mark 1.25 has a lip in the deck there that more recent models don't. 

But, it went in and I'm happy with the result.

Patches 

[Ron Hill]

Cliff : I wrote a Mainsheet Tech note article w/pictures about installing a new Bomar center Hatch from "start to finish"!!!

Later on in many posts on this board, I recommended that MK I owners with a Bomar center hatch CHANGE  to a Lewmar Hatch as the Bomar adjuster design is prone to crackingthe lens!!!!!!!!!!!!

A few thoughts