Just curious if anyone has cut out an opening in the front hatch and install tinted plexiglass to add some light to the front berth.
Adding plexiglass to front hatch
- Thread starter chp
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its been done. but likely to leak
What some have done is closed/sealed the front hatch and installed a real hatch in the fiberglass hatch. -that works much better.
try ebay lewmar / bomar
What some have done is closed/sealed the front hatch and installed a real hatch in the fiberglass hatch. -that works much better.
try ebay lewmar / bomar
I'll try to get a picture up of my forward hatch window.
I used about 50 fasterns, SS nuts and bolts. Due to construction variances in the thickness of the hatch, The faster lengths will vary. On this kind of installation, I believe that it is necessary to drill the holes in the hatch and lens oversized, to allow the plastic lens to expand and contract. Also since this surface will no doubt be walked upon, the lens must be sized to have enough rigidity to deal with a persons weight.
The hatch has a wooden center. It is probably plywood covered with fiberglass and gelcoat. How tight you make the mounting screws is a matter of feel, don't want to crush the laminations. I mainly depend on the adhesion of the clear rtv to attach and seal this window. The nuts and bolts just locate it.
Never leaked a drop.
I used about 50 fasterns, SS nuts and bolts. Due to construction variances in the thickness of the hatch, The faster lengths will vary. On this kind of installation, I believe that it is necessary to drill the holes in the hatch and lens oversized, to allow the plastic lens to expand and contract. Also since this surface will no doubt be walked upon, the lens must be sized to have enough rigidity to deal with a persons weight.
The hatch has a wooden center. It is probably plywood covered with fiberglass and gelcoat. How tight you make the mounting screws is a matter of feel, don't want to crush the laminations. I mainly depend on the adhesion of the clear rtv to attach and seal this window. The nuts and bolts just locate it.
Never leaked a drop.
can you please post a picture?
-and I stand corrected. -they don't always leak.... but note the expansion issues from oreana123.
Many boats used to come with solid forward V berth hatches, then they switched to see-throughs. First thing a lotta skippers did was cover the hatch with Sunbrella 'cuz they couldn't sleep in. Consider your personal habits before you do this. We have a solid forward hatch, and if I need light up there I either open the hatch (!) or use a flashlight. I sleep in, late sometimes, too. 
Hope you can get a picture up sometime. I would like to see it. Also good to know about the wood core. We never sleep up front. Too small and I store a lot of stuff up there. We always sleep in the aft queen size berth with a 5" memory foam mattress. I liked having the tinted hatches in the boat we chartered in BVI. Not that I need another project. It seems for every one I complete, I come up with 2 more I want to do.
Sorry for such a stupid answer. I was thinking of the cabin hatch door, not the forward hatch cover up forward at the V-birth.
Put mind in gear before opening mouth.
Chuck
On my 23.5 Hunter,I added a Beckson Vent-O- Mate,it has a clear inside cover ,lets in light and vents at the same time.Easy install ,works great
Just looked it up. That may be the answer. Kills 2 birds with one stone. I like it. Thanks. And not expensive and easy to install.
My friend Joel says that it is the Robocop look!Where do you keep the cash?
Jeff
3/8 inch thick dark tinted plexiglass. Routed the opening in the original hatch. Routed the edges of the plexiglass. Set with RTV, because it cannot be removed (there is a hole there now) , and because of how well attached the side windows were at the factory with RTV. I have replaced hatch windows because they expanded and cracked, so besides being attached to the top surface, the oversized fastener holes allow growth as well.
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