76 Hunter 30 hatch questions?

[okia42@hotmail.com]

Has anyone replaced the hatch on there 76 hunter 30? not the forward hatch. The one that is between the mast and cockpit.
If you have can you give me the make and model of the hatch that you used.

Thanks in advance

 

[ggrizzard]

I own a 79 H30 and both hatches were made by Bomar. They are available (from this web site store) but aren't cheap.
I replaced the lenses on both of mine for about $65 each at a local glass company who provided the 3/8 in. Plexiglass material, I also refinished the frames and they now look brand new. Why replace your whole frame?

At any rate, if you do buy a new one, get the exact match (if possible) so that you don't have to do fiberglass work to install it.

 

[rardiH36]

Ggrizzard makes good points. Consider first if possible to refurbish your existing hatch. Most likely the quicker and less aggrevating solution. Thats what I did. One of the hatch hinges was even broken when I bought my boat and was able to effect a repair which has lasted (good for bay sailing anyway). Painting the frames with the appropriate primer and a good quality paint does wonders to the appearance. I used Rust-Oleum's Hammered finish paint three years ago (which is self priming) and its still looking good. But I'll redo next year since I'm thinking about changing the color scheme anyway. If your plexiglass isn't crazed deep and its just oxidized on the surface, using very fine wet/dry sandpaper (1000 grit then say 2000), followed by a special plastic polish with ultra fine rubbing compound built in will restore the surface of the plexiglass to a good shine and a fine view of your well trimmed sails when looking up from the cabin. However it seems to me that plexiglass must have a special coating on the surface. Once its gone, then oxidation ocurrs more rapidly, so the polish will have to be used every so often to maintain the new look.

 

[J Hunter]

My h30 hatch adventures

I did mine about 4 years back, I used a Bomar/Gray molded series 900 in black ***update I think the one I used is this exact one, selling for $249 http://shop.hunterowners.com/detail.htm?group=1255&cat=2006, came out nice, I'd have to measure it for size I'm going down there tomorrow ( I bought it from Pompanette but I think they sell them on this site too. ) I oversized it from the previous opening and simply cut a larger square opening where the original was. Also bought the optional "trim ring" installed from below on the overhead, covered the rough opening perfectly, used only the sealing tape Bomar sells, leak free for years now. That part on the deck is flat, unlike the forward hatch which I'm guessing you already contended with. If you did, how'd you tackle that?

I did my forward one for the third and hopefully last time at the same time I replaced the midships hatch. Used the Bomar molded plastic trapezoidal to fit almost perfectly into that crazy raised combing Hunter molded into the deck that one year. Over the years I had twice made crappy looking wood frame hatches, dreading the day I would have to do the glasswork required for a flat bedding there, but I ended up leaving most of the combing in place, just flattening the top port to starboard and laying the new Bomar on top, I used one narrow strip of aluminum painted white to fill in a very small gap at the aft edge, but the job that haunted me since the day the that hilarious one piece molded lexan original cracked and split after only 4 years of service turned out OK. Did you ever see the original?

 

[J Hunter]

I don't have an original photo of the midships hatch, but the midships hatch that year had to be the silliest, cheapest hatch ever made. It literally was like a tupperware top (in '70's orange) with a tiny thin rubber gasket around the perimeter that sat on a razor thin hard plastic deck opening with a couple of steel strip x's with knobs at the bottom to lift it up and down. You'd have to see it to believe it Rardi, I'd be willing to bet that ones long gone from okia's fine vessel.

 

[Steve Dion]

You may want to contact Select Plastics and see if they have what you need. They specialize in Lewmar, but may be able to help you out.
http://www.selectplastics.com/index.php/Home.html

 

[jorgefife]

rardi,
Sorry to butt in, but do you remember what plastic polish did you useA?
I want to buff up my hatches, rather than replacing; it seems to me as a good solution
Jorge

 

[rardiH36]

Jorge:

Here's a link to the plastic polish I'm using. It restores the gloss, but I have no idea whether its better or worse than any other. Price is right. I apply and rub with a dampened paper towel.

http://meguiarsdirect.com/detail/MEG+G12310

 

[okia42@hotmail.com]

Thats what I have the tupperware hatch. Mine is green. it really does not seal. I am scared to step on it.

 

[rardiH36]

Tupperware Hatch: A lesson for me not to jump into threads about a different boat, even if its a Cherubini sibling. A little paint, some sand paper and polish isn't an alternative for that hatch!

rardi

 

[okia42@hotmail.com]

Here it is and yes it is was blue but has faded to green.
If anyone can tell me the hatch make model and size they used.

Thanks again

 

[J Hunter]

I just got back from my boat and I measured it, it's a Gray Bomar p/n G966---1100, find it in the Pompanette catalog here:http://www.pompanette.com/pompweb.n...facd9fc590ec8f3b85256a3900447968?OpenDocument

But like I said it's for sale right on this site here:http://shop.hunterowners.com/detail.htm?group=1255&cat=2006 for a little less money.

Looking at your photo has me concerned though, our boats are definitely both '76's, because Hunter had gone to standard hatches for the '77's (bomar I think), yours can't be a '75 either I don't think because those hatches were totally different and the h30 '75's were all the shoal keel/centerboard combo. It looks like in your photo there is a ridge in the deck around that hatch flange. Mine definitely didn't have that. I cut out the rough opening and sunk the new hatch down flush with the deck, there was no raised area to stay inside of (or cut all the way out around). Unfortunately you'll need to make sure any hatch you get has a total lid dimension of a tiny bit less than that raised area in your deck (mine is 19 1/8" X 19 3/8"). As others have noticed before, Hunter sometimes made changes during the model years production. Maybe they decided to change hatches and modified the deck mold but hadn't received the new hatches yet before yours got delivered. Look at this photo of a '77 and if you look close you can see it has the raised flat areas for both hatches, mine did not. Yours looks like it does, even though that's the same hatch I had on my boat when new in 1976. I found this picture of a '77 if you look close it has the raised flat area that it looks like yours has as well.

 

[J Hunter]

Ok here's an even clearer picture of an h30 '77 with the raised flat area molded right into the deck for both hatches. Like I said mine doesn't have this so the hatch I used may work for you, but won't if the outside edges overlap the ridges of the raised area anywhere. I'm really curious about your forward hatch . Are you the original owner or is there a way to tell whether yours had the style forward hatch in the old photo I posted above? Mine has individual flat spots molded into the deck for the hinges of that thing. If yours has a standard hatch forward and has that nice flat raised area like in the photos of the '77s, it's definitely a different deck mold then my '76.

If that's true it means Hunter probably changed the mold to get away from these cheap hatches during the '76 production run, stopping immediately the use of the one piece molded lens forward hatch, but still stuck that crappy midships hatch on yours near the end of the '76 run just because they still had some around, but after they knew they were going to change it for '77. Ouch, they've come a long way.

 

[okia42@hotmail.com]

I will take photos of the forward hatch next week and post.

 

[Seasick1]

We also used Rust-Oleum to repaint our hatches after stripping them of the old paint. The hammered finish is from a spray can, right? Anyway the paint we used was applied with a brush.

We replaced our cruddy plexi with smoked lexan. It looks great.

All we have to do now is replace the "arms". The forward hatch (the one in the v-birth) is missing an arm. Now that I think about it both hatches only have one arm and both have a tendency to slip.

Like everyone already said, stick with what you've got. These Bomar hatches don't come cheap.

 

[rardiH36]

Dear Seasick:

Yes, the Hammered finish does come in a can as well as spray. A quart costs about double as one spray can. I've used the spray cans a lot, but I like the brush-on more for most projects. Several reasons: The brushed product doesn't leave brush marks. Put too much on a vertical surface and you can still go back a minute or two later to even out the runs. Brushing doesn't need to be masked as well for overspray. The quart can lasts a long time. Seal it well and use it again a few years later. The paint can be thinned with xylene. With spray, to get the hammered look, the spray needs to be layed on thick otherwise the paint drys too quick and the effect is mix of gloss hammered and flat powder coating. This is tricky on a vertical surface. My opinions about the stuff anyway.

 

[okia42@hotmail.com]

Just ordered the hatch. Got a great deal on it $160. I will let you know how it goes.

 

[billclay]

I need to replace the forward hatch on my '79 H27. It's been leaking and the plastic knobs and such have become brittle over time, so I want all-new.

How do I go about figuring out which replacement to get? I believe it is a trapezoidal hatch (will double-check this week), but which dimensions should I measure to figure this out?

Thanks!