E25 Front Hatch is old and rotting...

A

adamd

Member II
So there are a few things I want to update on my Boat, one of them is my front hatch (Above the head) It doesn't stay open because one of the hinges pulled out of the rotted wood.

I was thinking about just reusing the top plastic and making a new hatch with my mitre saw? I think it's pretty straight forward, should I use pressure treated? I'll probably paint it white anyways, but would like the extra protection from the pressure treated.

Thoughts?
 
W

wngzfan

New Member
front hatch

In the middle of doing my front hatch. I stained mine for color and now using a clear epoxy to coat wood. This can be finished with a primer and paint just be sure to scuff up the epoxy coat for good bond with primer and paint. this will keep it plenty protected.

Art
 
davisr

davisr

Member III
I'm also restoring the forward hatch on my E25. Adam, if I remember correctly, your hatch is the same as mine, which means it is original to the boat. My frame is made of teak. I recently removed the lexan and scraped and sanded the teak. It looks really nice. I will probably re-screw and re-glue before revarnishing and putting it all back together. I would not think that the teak on your hatch is a lost cause. I used to think that my teak grab rails were a lost cause. When I purchased the boat they were black and green. A healthy few hours worth of sanding brought them back from the dead. Do you think you could salvage your hatch frame simply by drilling out the old screw holes and filling with epoxy?

Roscoe

P.S. I don't think epoxy, varnish, and other such marine oriented products work well with pressure treated lumber.
 
A

adamd

Member II
3 sides of the frame are ok the back (aft) side is really bad, the hinge has a huge chunk of rotten wood attached to it. and the other hinge is starting to go bad.

I could fill the rotted area I suppose? But maybe I'll go with pressure treated and paint white.
I still need to replace the plexi on top as it's cracked.
 
E

Emerald

Moderator
If you're heading to pressure treat because of the price of teak, why not use some mahogany? It's not as pricey, and is much more in keeping with what one would use on a boat. It's not rot resistant like teak and does require a proper finish, but is a wood that's been popular on boats for years and looks nice without paint. If you want something that will never rot and is very strong and cheap, get some black locust. This wood has also been used in boat building over the years. Just a thought.

One more thought - I think black locust is a wood that is somewhat a North Eastern U.S. item, and many outside of the area don't seem to be familiar with it. Here's a link to a fellow not far from me who has it - you can order or just use it as a price reference:

http://www.woodfinder.com/listings/011595.php

and a picture of the stuff:
 

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A

adamd

Member II
Cedar and attaching

Cedar is readily available @ HomeDepot and I think it's probably as rot resistant?



For the plexiglass, I don't think it needs to be screwed in. Will attaching it with silicone be ok or Should I use a polyurethane type adhesive?
 
Loren Beach

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Unless the hatch lens is inset into a frame, I would feel better if it had screws holding it plus a strong adhesive-sealant like LifeSeal.
LB
 
davisr

davisr

Member III
Hey Adam,

In a city the size of Montreal there should be a good lumber yard that has a wide variety of exotic woods at competitive prices. At a local lumber yard here in Charleston I just bought some sapele, which is an African mahogany. If you're going to go the cedar route, I've heard of people using Spanish cedar on boats. I've also know of people who use ipe, a South American exotic wood, as a substitute for teak. As Loren suggests, these are the types of suitable woods for the marine environment that you can find when you get away from Lowes and Home Depot. They'll likely add a little more value and a lot more beauty to your baby.

Take care,
Roscoe
 
A

adamd

Member II
If anyone is going to their boat this week, could they confirm the hatch dimensions for me?
I'll go this weekend, so it's not urgent. I just think I measured wrong..

I have

22" x 19 1/4" x 2 1/4" inches.

Thanks!
 
Randy Rutledge

Randy Rutledge

Sustaining Member
One of the members of our sailing club has used composit deck boards and cut to size to replace teak on his boat. Looks similar to weather greyed teak and should last a very long time. I have foot rest and a hump seat for the helmsman on my e-29 made of red oak and it is a few years old and holding its own.
 
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