The front hatch of my "new" 1980 Hunter 25 is completely unattached from the frame and appears that the prior owner's "quick fix" with excessive amounts of caulk failed to seal it as well. I located an old post on this site entitled "H25/27 Forward Hatch Replacement" that was submitted by Jon Bastien in October of 2008. His post was as follows:
I do not want a "Band-Aid" to fix this hatch/leaking problem, but I also would like to find the most cost-efficient means possible of sealing this hatch. I am debating whether to continue my search for replacement pieces to fix the old hatch vs. installing a new hatch. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
"There have been a lot of posts regarding replacement of the trapezoidal forward hatch on H25s and 27s (Both boats use the same hatch). When I bought my boat, the hatch was not attached by anything like a hinge, and held to the deck with a piece of light line tied to the toe rails.
Needless to say, it leaked like a sieve.
When I was shopping, I had no luck finding the drop-in replacement, and the recommended replacement from Pompanette was about an inch and a half too long (front to back). Since I dont do too well with fiberglass work, and cant cut a straight line to save my life, I looked for other options. What I found was the Lewmar Ocean 60 flush mount hatch- It has no flange to worry about, and it appeared that all the hinge/latch hardware would fit into the opening on the deck. I ordered it and looked forward to dry nights in the V-berth."
Being that post was submitted roughly 7 years ago, I wanted to see if there were any other suggestions. I too have had trouble finding the trapezoidal forward hatch and had looked into merely installing a square hatch. Needless to say, it leaked like a sieve.
When I was shopping, I had no luck finding the drop-in replacement, and the recommended replacement from Pompanette was about an inch and a half too long (front to back). Since I dont do too well with fiberglass work, and cant cut a straight line to save my life, I looked for other options. What I found was the Lewmar Ocean 60 flush mount hatch- It has no flange to worry about, and it appeared that all the hinge/latch hardware would fit into the opening on the deck. I ordered it and looked forward to dry nights in the V-berth."
I do not want a "Band-Aid" to fix this hatch/leaking problem, but I also would like to find the most cost-efficient means possible of sealing this hatch. I am debating whether to continue my search for replacement pieces to fix the old hatch vs. installing a new hatch. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
