Pop top

[Michael Clifford]

I recently purchased a 1995 Hunter 26. It has a pop top, but I can't get the glass hatch to go back far enoughtin the slot to lift the top. It goes most of the way back, but stops, firmly, about two inches short of the grooves that would allow me to lift it free.Has anyone else had this problem? Am I just doing something stupid? I can't find anything in the owner's manual that addresses this issue. Help. It's hot in there!

 

[Paul Denning]

Hinge bolts were my problem

The bolts on the hinge on my pop-top had broken through the fiberglass, allowing the top to sag at the hinge end. When pushing back the slider, I was only able to push it back all the way if I got inside and pused upward at the fore end of the slider.To fix it, I removed the pop top, turned it upside down and after cleaning, inserted rolled heavy paper (110 lb. stock) into the bolt holes where I had removed the hinges. I then filled in the broken area arround the holes with slow setting epoxy (slow setting so it could ooze into the spaces and cracks). As a finishing touch, I pressed brass washers into epoxy to further reinforce the holes.When the epoxy hardened, the paper tore out cleanly. A little wax on the wood slides and the acrylic top and I can now slide the top back with ease. The repair is also sturdy and has held my 250 pounds with no complaints. - paul

 

[Dave]

POPTOP Binding

IS the plexiglass binding on the poptop. Many people have had that problem. If you pull up on the poptop a little does the plexiglass slide. If so the spacers that hold up the poptop are gone. This can be fixed by installing new teflon or plastic thick washers.

 

[Ray Bowles]

Michael, I just completely rebuilt my top...

this past winter. My boat is the same as yours. My hinges were OK so I replaced the rubber gromets and raised the hatch by doing this and it slides beautifully. I posted this repair last month in the smaller boat forum. Someone else with a late model 260 did the same and said he had rain leaks but mine works perfectly. There could be a difference between the 26 and 260. Start by seeing if you lift the glass top from inside at the forward end over the fiberglass lip just before the hinges. If this allows you to slide it back the last 3 inches then the repairs mentioned here will fix it. Ray

 

[Michael Clifford]

Pop top fixed!

Thanks to Dave, Ray, and Paul for their suggestions on how to fix my pop top on my Hunter 26. I took the top apart, and it turned out that the wooden brace on top of the plexiglass that keeps it from sliding all the way out was binding on the fiberglass from underneath. I took off the brace and reinserted the screws through the plexiglass, putting nylon spacers over the screws to protect the fiberglass. It slides great now and I was able to put up the pop top and canvas cover.

 

[Michael Stephens]

leak?

That brace also keeps the water from wicking to the underside of that slider. Have you tested since removal?