Lewmar Hatch Lens J/42

[Kurt Huseman]

Some of the quotes I am getting to replace the lens on my Lewmar Hatch make replacing the entire hatch an option.  The lens is crazed and I would like to replace it.  Any thoughts on what I should consider?

Best,

Kurt

[David Jade]

I was taking to the regional Lewmar rep a few years ago and learned that the Ocean hatch lens sealant is actually cured in an autoclave. So it’s not an easy replacement. 

The suggestion was to just buy the top part of the hatch, complete with a new lens. He told me you can order just that section of the hatch to replace. 

David                      _/)

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On Mar 12, 2024, at 9:03 AM, Kurt Huseman <kurt.h...@gmail.com> wrote:

Some of the quotes I am getting to replace the lens on my Lewmar Hatch make replacing the entire hatch an option.  The lens is crazed and I would like to replace it.  Any thoughts on what I should consider?

Best,

Kurt

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[Ken austin]

I used this service on my J40 and have been happy with the result. 

They replaced the entire top hatch so may not be different from idea shared by David below. In my case, the frame on the boat stayed unchanged and reattachment was straightforward. 

One consideration is your location as they are in Ct and shipping can be expensive. 

Good luck, Ken

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 12, 2024, at 9:28 AM, David Jade <da...@mutable.net> wrote:

 I was taking to the regional Lewmar rep a few years ago and learned that the Ocean hatch lens sealant is actually cured in an autoclave. So it’s not an easy replacement. 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/j4x-owners-group/3E24631E-F590-43C3-A442-5EC7600B8CC5%40mutable.net.

[Paul Lever]

Kurt

Even if you replace the lenses you will still have aged, UV damaged hinges and locks. 

Paul

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[James Ashton]

If the hatch frame and hardware are in serviceable condition I suggest just doing just the lenses.  On my J42, I replaced the lenses on all four of my hatches and was very pleased with the result and I recall it being much less expensive than an entire hatch replacement.   

Hatchmasters in Norwalk, CT.  I was able to drive them down and pick them up from MA which saved a lot on shipping.

James

J42, Arcadia, #17

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[rc...@charter.net]

So, in the solon the hatch over the table leaked but I really couldn’t tell where, I’d just see puddles on the floor and on the table. I’ve been busy on other more important things, and it was one of those “I’ll get to it things”. But every time I’d go to the boat after a rain, I’d investigate it just seemed it was coming from nowhere but everywhere. The first place I found was one of the latches the rivets where loose, I drilled them out taped them for I believe a 10/24 tefgeled them but really didn’t think that was the problem simply because water doesn’t run up hill and the drip marks on the floor seemed to show the whole outline of the hatch and the latch was on the low end. But it got me to thinking “hmm has to be comin’ from the high side” so I started poking around there, I found a screw or two in the spring mechanism to the frame were also in the need also one that attaches to the lens was stripped, so I went from an 8 to a 10 on that. Now if you’re getting to this and you want to go up a size the 10 won’t fit in counter sink for the 8, I have a metal lath and turning them down wasn’t a prob and seeing you probably don’t, chucking the screw in a drill and takin’ a bastard file to it while it spins will work. After more pokin’ the actual hinge the screws in the deck were loose, so I took off the trim, pried the head liner down, and found it had sex screws and discovered I couldn’t tighten them, the male screws were to long and they were bottoming out in the sex screw, so I got shorter male ones and was able to torque them nicely.

 Still leaked…
 

Now I know you all are saying “fool just re-bed the thing”, yeah, I know but this a 90ties vintage 130 and that was prime season when everybody was 5200 crazy, and I just didn’t want or have time trying to peal or repair more fiberglass. When I finally found the time luckily the hatch hole has enough rise in it so as you can get a very sharp (You’ll bleed if you look at it the wrong way sharp) knife with the handle around it so I spent the time tracing around the edge to where I could feel the knife hitting the opposing edge of the deck frame to where I could just lift it off. The only problem though was in doing it that way it destroys all evidence of any water egress but found the screw holes weren’t counter-sunk and thought that might be the culprit. I re-bedded it with butal had to replace a couple of the 8’s with 10’s counter-sunk the holes and waited for rain.
 

Still leaked…

  Yeah, but this time I could see around the inside of the frame flange water was comin’ in from the underside, but I knew I got a good seal, and I torqued the screws plenty.  There was somthin’ I was missing, knowing the butal was fresh I decided not to put it off I pulled it right away and saw the writing in the butal as soon I pulled the frame, right in-between the hinges in the frame there was an imprint in the butal compressed so deep I could see raw gelcoat. I flipped the frame over and there was a weld that had a very large bead on it. You know one those “ah ha!” moments, ground that sucker down cleaned up the old put on the new, torqued that bitch down, and Bob’s your uncle.

 She be dry now!

 This was such a pesky one I thought to pass it on.

Bob

Sailing a course less traveled
Delightfully typed on a full keyboard on a mac