How much trouble am I getting into if I replace my forward polycarbonate Forespar hatch with a 16 7/8" X 16 7/8" cutout with a slightly smaller aluminum hatch with a 16 9/16" X 16 9/16" cutout? Do you think that I would have to build out the fiberglass opening. The corner radius is the same. The rim dimensions will fit. I do not want another polycarbonate hatch. This is on an Oday 272LE boat.
ANOTHER FORWARD HATCH QUESTION
- Thread starter StanleyJ
- Start date
That is kinda big gap to make up, One of those "roll the dice" things where you are at the mercy of the guy who cut out the original opening. If you are lucky, he manually cut it pretty tightly and you'd have enough lip. You'll need enough lip to support a person. Ya can't know until you remove the old one and start measuring and fitting.
Perhaps you could make an aluminum adapter plate out of 1/4" or 3/16" plate aluminum? You could bolt it into the old holes and drill it for the new holes. Given the size difference, you are going to be drilling new holes amd sealing old ones. An adapter plate might save some of that work.