Down the (New Design) Hatch!

[...3TacksontheWater]

On the old "to do list" for Waffle House was to replace the lens on the fore-hatch. Why replace? It had a deep chip on the upper port side as well as a non functioning solar vent. During this past weekend's heavy weather sail when we "flexed the hull" in the wave action, the installed lens's old sealant failed, requiring a new gasket and reseal. My plan is to go the full Monty and replace the complete assembly. There is currently no replacement lens available as anyone who wanted to replace their lens on a New Design knows - CD does not offer a drop in replacement. You need to buy a complete new fore-hatch assembly and epoxy the old screw holes and re-drill for the new screw mounting points. Has anyone done this? How did the install go? How much time should I allow myself to remove the old hatch, and reinstall the new hatch. It's spring time and the weather if fickle. It sure presents itself as a real simple swap out but my experience tells me that nothing is as simple as it seems. If it were, then there would be no need for forums to ask questions on. I should also mention that the improvement of being able to open the dogs from both on and below deck were a consideration in the decision to order up the new hatch.

Thank you all in advance for you replies.

George

 

[Calif. Ted]

George I've replaced Lewmar size 44's on a 320 and it was simple, holes matched but some were stripped so I usually epoxy holes with something as simple as JB Weld. It had been installed with butyl and came up easily and edges of the deck opening were sealed with resin. I got some new hatches for half price a decade ago at Minney's Surplus and I'm about to put the last new one into rotation on the boat.

 

[...3TacksontheWater]

George I've replaced Lewmar size 44's on a 320 and it was simple, holes matched but some were stripped so I usually epoxy holes with something as simple as JB Weld. It had been installed with butyl and came up easily and edges of the deck opening were sealed with resin. I got some new hatches for half price a decade ago at Minney's Surplus and I'm about to put the last new one into rotation on the boat.

Calif. Ted:
Thank you for that quick reply. I think you've got the right approach, as our boats age, it never hurts to stock up on future maintenance repair parts and replacement items. At the worst, you have a couple dollars worth of items you haven't needed to use and at the best you've saved yourself some big bucks $$ by buying and saving wear item parts for a rainy day.

George

 

[Gene Neill]

Forward hatch lens replacement

*%&@#!! Photobucket ate all the pics, sadly, but there is info in there that may help.

 

[...3TacksontheWater]

Forward hatch lens replacement

*%&@#!! Photobucket ate all the pics, sadly, but there is info in there that may help.

Plus one on Photobucket, they broke so many years of documentation over a myriad of intent forums. On the bright side, newbies to a forum today, don’t bother to research old posts. They’ll never even know it was there. lol.
I also agree that it was disappointing that drop in replacement lenses are not available for our C-22’s. Apparently, you many have scored one of the last ones.

Since my task has become a complete drop in replacement, do you or anyone else see any reason why I can’t stick with Bed-it Buytl Tape as opposed to caulking to bed the frame? After all, I’ve got Bed-it under new winches, the mast plate, shroud plates, new gudgons, the once leaking hand rails and the dog house hatch rails I no longer use a bucket on the settees.

George

 

[Gene Neill]

any reason why I can’t stick with Bed-it Buytl Tape as opposed to caulking to bed the frame?

For bedding the aluminum frame to the deck, yes, I would use butyl tape for sure.

 

[...3TacksontheWater]

Update - Goodness, I hate Silicone! Between April Showers and work related travel (which is a good thing!), today was my second day of working to remove the old hatch. The first attempt went as expected, with storms in the forecast, I managed to scrape out some silicone and spray DeBond under the frame gap three (3) times with little progress. With the weather window closing, I shelved the project until today.

Today was the first time back to Waffle House and I was armed with new X-Acto blades to slip between the existing Hatch Frame and the raised deck hatch outline. Due to the hull design, to only way to slice the existing silicone seal is to remove the X-Acto blade from the handle and then manually insert it under the frame and use the X-Acto handle to tap and push the blade through the existing sealant to expose it to the DeBond Marine Formula. Those of us who have a New Design C-22 know exactly how difficult it is to separate the Foredeck Hatch frame from the deck as there is no room for wedges or any purchase available to safely tap wedges under the frame and break the existing silicone bond. I've now allocated five days to this project. I've left WH this evening with her fourth dousing of the day of DeBond. Tomorrow's weather window should allow me to scrape out today's silicone and spray some more DeBond on the remaining "S" word. I cannot say it often enough. I Hate Silicone. I am not holding my breath that tomorrow will be a breakthrough day. I think that the next course of action since there is no purchase available on a C-22 New Design to pull up the siliconed in place Forehatch frame is to use Construction Stake line to form a harness around the frame and then use the jib halyard to apply upward pressure to free up the old Hatch frame from the deck so that I can clean and install the new hatch. Of course, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the new frame I have will fit on my New Design.I'm not holding my breath, but I am hoping that once the old hatch is removed, the new hatch will be an easy install.

George

 

[Gene Neill]

I feel every single word of that. That's why, after just a few minutes of trying, I decided not to remove and rebed the frame.

But I'm rooting for you!!

 

[...3TacksontheWater]

I feel every single word of that. That's why, after just a few minutes of trying, I decided not to remove and rebed the frame.

But I'm rooting for you!! :beer

Yea, I'm coming to the realization that re-bedding the lens might have been the way to go or, at least the easier way. As much as I enjoy a good root beer or even a root beer float, I'm afraid that a project like this may call for a Peanut Butter Porter which is not easy to find but find some I did:

https://www.foodandwine.com/trader-joes-hardywood-dark-chocolate-peanut-butter-porter-11695070

George

 

[...3TacksontheWater]

Hello all. Updating - “Yesterday’s Tomorrow” - has left me every bit as frustrated as expected. The picks I ordered are too large for effective silicone scraping so I ordered a smaller gunsmith set of picks that may be a more appropriate size for scraping and spraying DeBond. I’m also thinking that since on the New Design C-22’s the forehatch slopes forward that most all of the DeBond that I am spraying on the Port and Starboard frame members simply rolls off and finds it way onto the deck instead of being in full contact with the silicone that needs to be released. Using construction twine also proved unworkable and though today I did find an internet post to affix sticks as handles to shorter pieces of twine to help “saw” off the under hatch silicone, that still seems like a days long chore.

My next weather window is this coming Saturday when I will attempt use the marina’s power for the first time and employ my heat gun and a bottle jack to see if I cannot persuade the silicone to loosen its grip on the hatch frame.

If anyone reading this has experience using a heat gun to soften silicone to the point where you can gain some purchase to help lift a hatch, your input would be very much appreciated. What heat setting did you use? I am using a Kobalt Heat Gun which, as I recall goes to 1200 degrees. I will start on one forward corner at the low setting and progressively move up to get a result. Any thought on what the upper limit of heat should be as a go/no go point?

George