On a windy day I went forward to untangle a line. I was following the “one hand for the task and one hand for the boat” rule when I leaned with the one hand for the boat on the forward hatch and it went right through it. I knew the plastic was old and cracked so it was no surprise.
The hatch is a Bomar series 100 extruded aluminum. Now, the correct way to do this job is: take out the hatch, sandblast it, paint it and re-seat it with butyl tape. It sounds simple but it’s expensive and time consuming, and on an old boat, you never know what else might brake. So right or wrong, this is what I did.
1) I decided to do both hatches at the same time
2) I removed the lenses but did not remove the frame because if I did, I would have had to replace the pins and on this type of hatch, the pins seem to have been placed with a machine that I don’t have. In other words, they are very hard to remove and replace without doing damage to the frame. (my humble opinion).
3) I sanded the aluminum very well and applied a base coat of Rust-Oleum Aluminum Primer. (OVERVIEW: Rust-Oleum Professional Aluminum Primer is a specially formulated base coat for aluminum or galvanized metal. It provides a tight bond for the topcoat, eliminating blistering. cracking, and peeling. It is ideal for metal surfaces in heavy-duty and commercial environments.)
4) I then applied two coats of flat black Rust-Oleum oil based paint to the hatch.
5) I had two pieces of Polycarbonate, bronze tinted, cut to size and presented them into the openings to avoid surprises.
6) I bedded the Polycarbonate with Life Seal Sealant (WM#111379) (Polyurethane and silicone formulated for use on fiberglass. It gives measurably better adhesion than silicone and yet, unlike most polyurethanes, can be removed without damage to gel coats. Fast-curing, low-odor, high-adhesion, non-corrosive and non-sagging. Recommended Usage: Fiberglass, vinyl, ABS, Lexan, metal, glass, wood; above or below water) One tube did both hatches.
7) I changed the rubber gasket and repainted the risers.