Hatch Sealant

ed c. · Post by **ed c.** » Jan 17th, '12, 12:07

What is a good sealant that never gets hard and stays sticky most of the time? Thanks in advance

Charlie J · Post by **Charlie J** » Jan 17th, '12, 12:10

boat life i think its called

mike ohlstein · Post by **mike ohlstein** » Jan 17th, '12, 12:27

I don't think that the Boat Life Caulk remains sticky. There are some gooey black caulks that window guys use (butyl caulk) that do.

Exactly what are you trying to do?

ed c. · Post by **ed c.** » Jan 17th, '12, 13:11

Hatch covers. I was looking at Dolfinite. I am not fasting the covers down.

Charlie J · Post by **Charlie J** » Jan 17th, '12, 14:22

if thats the case why not just use silicone

ed c. · Post by **ed c.** » Jan 17th, '12, 15:40

charlie,I'm thinking about it, looking at all the options, including plumbers putty.

Pete Fallon · Post by **Pete Fallon** » Jan 18th, '12, 06:44

ED C,
Which hatch are you trying to seal? I used a heavy duty gasket material around my forward deck hatch, not a leak in 5 years. Got it at the local window doctor store here in Stuart, Florida. There is a commerical sealant (black) that the windsheild installers use, it never gets hard but gets on everything if your not careful. Dolphinite will harden after many years exposed to the sunlight.

ed c. · Post by **ed c.** » Jan 18th, '12, 09:13

Rear deck hatches, temporary. I can not find a hatch that will seal out the water without spending a lot of money. The 2 small hatches are about 16" sq. and the large one is 26" sq. They are original hatches. I have talked with a number of fiberglass guys about this.
My deck is fiberglass over the 3/4" plywood, which was done in 1988.

Charlie J · Post by **Charlie J** » Jan 18th, '12, 09:17

ed
if you need acess to them what about a rubber gasket

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Jan 18th, '12, 09:47

Rear deck hatches, temporary. I can not find a hatch that will seal out the water without spending a lot of money.

Even temporarily sealing these hatches will prevent easy/immediate access to your rudder assemblies and center bilge.

Why not just design and install a gutter system that will channel water to the center bilge rather than flooding down on the rudder assembly?

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Jan 18th, '12, 09:49

I have to assume you are trying to keep your bilges dry(er). Have you considered drilling and installing hosed drains to a bilge pump area?

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Jan 18th, '12, 10:30

ed c. · Post by **ed c.** » Jan 18th, '12, 12:58

Capt. Pat, I have looked at this idea, however we do a lot of tuna fishing and I am tired of all the blood, etc. going into the bilge. Bomar has an alum. hatch which will do the trick, but the cost is very high. I have some other ideas that I might try. Thanks to everyone for your comments & help.

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Jan 18th, '12, 13:11

My Galss Tech deck hatches came with some flimsy cork gaskets underneath which went to pot pretty quick, and the vibration from the Cummins at idle and the hatch rattle eventually wore holes in the underside of the hatches, letting water in that rotted a lof of the balsa core. With the expert help of Capt. Patrick I rebuilt the hatches, then one of the Faithful - who's in the business of building heavy refrigerated doors, sent me some neoprene gasketing about 4" wide that I glued to the underside of the newly refabbed hatches with rubber cement. Does not make a totally watertight hatch, but real close, and cut all the rattle out. Should last forever.

The Capt. Patrick trick for the hatches was to first dig out the wet rotten balsa, let it dry well, then pack the voids with a thick mix of vermiculite (the expanded mica they use in pot plants) and epoxy, let that set up real good (me being a real newbie to this I used the extra slow hardener) then using a 4" side grinder wtth 120 grit sanded the vermiculite/epoxy filler smooth. Then to finish, mixing a thick slurry of micro baloons and epoxy and applying with a putty knife, then a final hand sand with 180 grit and a nice coat of Interlux on the bottom before applying the neoprene strips. The Glass Tech hatches are very thick glass on the top and sides and only the underside is flimsy. So working with the hatches upside down gives you a built in "tray" to keep the epoxy from running all over (as much). Next time I'd use the regular hardener or the slow & not the extra slow....even working in 80+ degre temps the extra slow will drive you nuts.

A real good solution to an apparently impossible problem. And as usual, Capt. Patrick showed the patience of Job explaining to me how to make this happen.

UV

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Jan 18th, '12, 13:36

Capt. Pat, I have looked at this idea, however we do a lot of tuna fishing and I am tired of all the blood, etc. going into the bilge.

Simple... Install a through hull into the transom and route the drain hoses to it.

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Jan 18th, '12, 14:41

CaptPatrick wrote: Simple... Install a through hull into the transom and route the drain hoses to it.

That is what I did. I made gutters by epoxying 1x4" fir boards under the deck around the hatch (hatch ledge in Capt Pats drawing). You might need to move the factory hatch bracing inboard on the hatches to get enough room for the gutter. I then took a bowl cutter router bit with a top bearing and routed a gutter in the fir using the deck as a template.

http://www.amazon.com/Magnate-7833-Plun ... 787&sr=8-8

The gutter needs to be wide enough to epoxy the hose fittings into flush with the bottom.

I drilled holes in the rear corners of the fir and epoxied in PVC pipe fitting which were attached to hoses that ran to a thru hull just above the waterline in the transom. The fir was epoxied on all six sides.

So far the only thing I would change is making the 1x4 a 2x4 and deepening the gutter. There isn't much fall from the hatches to the waterline so keep everything up as tight to the deck as possible. If they plug up I just stick the washdown hose nozzle into the PVC and blast it out.

ed c. · Post by **ed c.** » Jan 18th, '12, 16:20

I was also thinking of draining the water overboard myself, I have not decided what to do, but I still think the best bet is to stop the water entering the bilge. Maybe I'll get a brainstorm.

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Jan 18th, '12, 17:18

The Glass Tech hatch openings have molded in gutters with holes in each corner and it would be a snap to plumb the two rear ones by just threading in a plastic fitting from underneath and attaching your half inch hose.....plug the two front corners with rubber plugs or such. My neoprene gaskets do a good enough job that I chose not do go to the trouble. Plus AJ is moored under a big ole short leaf pine tree and the constant shedding of pine needles would be a clog nighmare. I just lift the hatches every now and then, scoop out the needles & crap from the gutters with a narrow spoon, give 'er a good water blast and you are done.

UV

Brewster Minton · Post by **Brewster Minton** » Jan 18th, '12, 17:20

Tuna blood? I wash down with bleach and then put Tide in the bildge. About one cup. Smells great. If you are catching tuna the blood will go everywhere, there is no stopping it. I have had it on the raft on top of the deck house.

mike ohlstein · Post by **mike ohlstein** » Jan 18th, '12, 19:45

Nothing slings blood like a pissed off Mahi (except a Detroit Diesel.....).

ed c. · Post by **ed c.** » Jan 19th, '12, 16:12

For all you folks that helped, I found the perfect hatch.

Bomar - G81618-W
Cutout is 16-1/4" x 17-5/8"
Opening is 14 x 16

bertram31.com

Hatch Sealant

Hatch Sealant

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