Companionway hatchcover

[TerryGufshoz]

I just purchased a 29.5 and saw that the fiberglass within which the hatchcover slides (does it have a name?) is cracked and splintered in several places. Has anyone had any experience in repairing this? It seems to be one large piece and covers the lines going forward as well. It was really a design snafu because it's the perfect place to grab when you go down the steps and it has virtually no support. It seems to be mainly a cosmetic issue since the hatch closes well. I know that if I only fix the cracks and don't reinforce it, my guests will only break it again. Any ideas?

 

[jtm]

I have the 28.5 and I've seen that cover called the "garage"(for the sliding companionway cover). I know what you mean as mine had a hairline crack on the front vertical portion on delivery-new.

Its caused by those wonderful people that give the companionway cover a real strong shove to open it and the lip bumpers flexes the facing fiberglass on the garage lip. Its a PITA to dig out the caulking around the garage to get at the screwdownds underneath.- should one want to try stiffen/rebuild the area from behind. If yours is cracked on the top I wonder if one of those wonderful people jumped onto the garage top or possibly, while installing the mast, they put it down on the garage- which is my suspicion. In my case the yard apparently put the mast down heavy on the deck(without putting a cushion or life jacket under it :< ) just in front of the mast base and that hairline lemon fracture showed up a while later. I overcame that visible annoyance by cutting in a hole around it and inserting a Day/Nite NICRO vent over the area - which worked out nicely. Unfortunately your garage top cracks won't be so easy to work around.