I have an O'Day 34 with a cracked anchor locker hatch. The boat yard said they could make it almost like new again for $1600 or epoxy it back together for $350. Any suggestions as to how the repair should be made and does anyone know where I might find a new or used hatch cover?
Anchor Locker Hatch
- Thread starter Robspratt
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Shocking prices either way. Why don't you post up a picture of it. Also, are you willing to do any repair yourself?
Yes. I could do a fiberglass repair. The hatch cover has a core which is broken. I'm not too concerned about the cosmetics and I know that the crack would still show even if I repair it from the underside. Should I try to epoxy glue the crack and reinforce it with fiberglass on the underside? If so, how many layers would be necessary to give it enough strength to stand on it?
Check out west systems website. There is a downloadable manual called fiberglass boat repair and maintenance. It should have some good info for you.
Joe
Joe
Remove the lid and lay it upside down. Drill about 100 1/4" holes in the bottom of the lid. Mark the drill bit with a piece of masking tape so as not to drill through the lid. Cut a piece of 1/4" or 1/2" thick plywood to the shape of the lid so it will fit on the bottom side of the lid. Drill lots of holes in the plywood as well, all the way through the board. Mix fiberglass resin and hardener and pour it all over the bottom side of the lid. Before the resin dries Lay the plywood piece in place on the bottom of the lid and poor resin over it, completely covering the board and all of the holes. For extra strength you could also drill 4 or 6 holes through the lid and plywood, and bolt the two pieces together with stainless steel bolts. If you do the bolts then bed them with 3M 4200 or 5200 to keep water out of the core. After all this, you could then repair the crack from the top or seal it up with some epoxy if you want. Whether you try this or not, best of luck to you! -Jonzi
Sounds like you speak from experience. I have a 3'8" sheet of marine grade plywood and will do as you suggest. Should I cover the exposed side of the plywood with fiberglass cloth and mesh? Should I put a layer of fiberglass between the original cover and the plywood or is that just overkill?
Experience? I don't think so. Take a picture and I can suggest a method of repair. Take photos of the top and bottom please.
I do have some experience with this sort of thing, but please decide for yourself what method of repair you think is best for your situation. There are several ways to successfully solve your problem, each with its own pluses and minuses. A repair similar to this has been holding fine for 7+ years now on a cockpit locker hatch on my 34 O'day. I step on the hatch every time I board the boat, and it does not give under my 220 pounds. To address your question, I probably would not lay any fiberglass matting in between. It may not hurt anything if you did, and it could even help. My concern is that if there are any tiny voids between the wood and the lid that it may interfere with the bonding of the two pieces. Your lid is only 1/2" (or less) thick, so the plywood, if securely bonded to the underside, should provide ample strength even without any fiberglass mat. Another thing I thought of; be sure there is enough clearance between the bottom of the repaired lid and your anchor winch and/or windlass. If the space is too tight you might be able to create enough clearance by cutting a hole in the board in the appropriate spot. Good luck with it!
To Barnacle Bill; I take no offense to your remark about my experience. The repair method I suggested may be a bit hackish in the eyes of an artisan, but it is simple and strong. I have worked for a high end automotive collision center for the past 19 years, and I would not suggest this repair method to someone seeking a cosmetically perfect repair. Just a simple means to an end for someone who is more interested in getting back on the water than winning best of show is all. Happy Sailing! -Jonzi
It's never easy. I hadn't realized that the hatch cover is curved so unless I use a very thin plywood that I can bend and find large enough clamps to clamp the middle, that method won't work. Also, the main part of the hatch has a core but is tapered to the outside edges and that's where the main crack is. If I put a backup board across the entire hatch, it wouldn't close. If I cut it down to where the taper starts, it won't cover the weak points and the crack. The boat yard suggests I just poor in as much structural epoxy as I can and clamp it back together.
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The idea of laminating up thin pieces of plywood can be worked by making cauls that follow the contours of the curves, with regular 'ol woodworking clamps compressing the cauls from the outer edges.
Good luck.
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