So Karma's anchor hatch has finally bit the big one and needs a rebuild or replacement. Seems that the hatch (at least on my '81 34) is a laminate consisting of fiberglass and foam. After dissection my hypothesis is that over the years water has gotten to the foam core (apparently not closed cell) through hinge screws and, over the years from freezing and thawing, cracked the underside of the cover which is the source for the cover's rigidity. End result is that the deck side now has a crack due to stepping on the cover during docking and anchoring.
Yes, I'm kicking myself in the butt for not addressing the issue before and having to deal with both a structural and now a cosmetic issue.
The process of dissection has rendered the deck side even worse for wear, so I'm going to rebuild the hatch and have given up on matching the non-skid pattern and simply use non-skid paint.
Has anyone been through this process?
Any ideas on a source for a replacement hatch?
I hesitate to reach out to D&R as I'm pretty sure the cost of a replacement hatch, even if available, to be out of the question.
Yes, I'm kicking myself in the butt for not addressing the issue before and having to deal with both a structural and now a cosmetic issue.
The process of dissection has rendered the deck side even worse for wear, so I'm going to rebuild the hatch and have given up on matching the non-skid pattern and simply use non-skid paint.
Has anyone been through this process?
Any ideas on a source for a replacement hatch?
I hesitate to reach out to D&R as I'm pretty sure the cost of a replacement hatch, even if available, to be out of the question.