Yes. Build a new one.
And then there is Plan D...
I wonder if one could take an original Ericson woodie hatch, presuming that it has retained its shape, and put some plastic film over it and use it to make a mold. Then lay up a new hatch inside the resulting female mold. There would be some fairing involved to finish it up, but it's a small project, from the standpoint of materials and shop space needed... You could put foam core or balsa in the top surface, or even nomex honeycomb if you want to be really hi-tek. Paint it to match the boat with some epoxy paint or LPU if can afford it. You could even put an inset layer of teak veneer on top for the sake of tradition... Or, recess in a small acrylic "skylight."
Nice winter project, and the cool thing is that errors in epoxy can be ground out and re-done with little emotion, IMHO.
After that ego-boosting project, start building your new two-piece nesting dinghy to fit on your foredeck!
Regards,
Loren in PDX
I wonder if one could take an original Ericson woodie hatch, presuming that it has retained its shape, and put some plastic film over it and use it to make a mold. Then lay up a new hatch inside the resulting female mold. There would be some fairing involved to finish it up, but it's a small project, from the standpoint of materials and shop space needed... You could put foam core or balsa in the top surface, or even nomex honeycomb if you want to be really hi-tek. Paint it to match the boat with some epoxy paint or LPU if can afford it. You could even put an inset layer of teak veneer on top for the sake of tradition... Or, recess in a small acrylic "skylight."
Nice winter project, and the cool thing is that errors in epoxy can be ground out and re-done with little emotion, IMHO.
After that ego-boosting project, start building your new two-piece nesting dinghy to fit on your foredeck!
Regards,
Loren in PDX
Another Hatch Idea
I replaced the main hatch on my E-29 last year. A PO had replaced the original with a poorly contructed wood one that had warped badly and was nearly impossible to slid open. Having access to a full metal fab shop I built a hatch from 16 gauge stainless. I formed the hatch to have the same convex shape as the original, reinforced underneath with stainless stell ribs to hold the shape. I used UHMW for slides. I had the hatch powder coated. The hatch works great and looks like it's made from fiberglass. This was not the easiest way to build a hatch but has worked out great. Probably not a the approach for the average do-it-yourselfer...........
Dave
E-29 Spirit
I replaced the main hatch on my E-29 last year. A PO had replaced the original with a poorly contructed wood one that had warped badly and was nearly impossible to slid open. Having access to a full metal fab shop I built a hatch from 16 gauge stainless. I formed the hatch to have the same convex shape as the original, reinforced underneath with stainless stell ribs to hold the shape. I used UHMW for slides. I had the hatch powder coated. The hatch works great and looks like it's made from fiberglass. This was not the easiest way to build a hatch but has worked out great. Probably not a the approach for the average do-it-yourselfer...........
Dave
E-29 Spirit
Joe Benedict
Member II
Use Wood
Last year's winter project was a new hatch. Somewhere on this site I had posted some pictures but I can't find them - my error no doubt. There is a lot of hand work but the rails are teak cut and patterned on a tablesaw using the old pieces. The archs are fashioned using as sabersaw and a sanding wheel attachment for the tablesaw. The top is a made of three layers of 1/8th inch baltic birch plywood overlain with a teak veneer. In retrospect I should have done the top with 2-3 inch wide teak. Holly may also work but I didn't have access to some. It sounds like a lot of work but so isn't making molds and shaping fiberglass. Try making part of it with aspen or poplar to gain some confidence - at a reasonable cost.
Last year's winter project was a new hatch. Somewhere on this site I had posted some pictures but I can't find them - my error no doubt. There is a lot of hand work but the rails are teak cut and patterned on a tablesaw using the old pieces. The archs are fashioned using as sabersaw and a sanding wheel attachment for the tablesaw. The top is a made of three layers of 1/8th inch baltic birch plywood overlain with a teak veneer. In retrospect I should have done the top with 2-3 inch wide teak. Holly may also work but I didn't have access to some. It sounds like a lot of work but so isn't making molds and shaping fiberglass. Try making part of it with aspen or poplar to gain some confidence - at a reasonable cost.
Capt Joe's Hatch found...
Thread dated 9-21-04, "E 29 main hatch"
There is a downloadable PDF. Nice work!
Loren
Thread dated 9-21-04, "E 29 main hatch"
There is a downloadable PDF. Nice work!
Loren
Somewhere in the archives I posted pics of the companionway
hatch I built for my own boat. Baltic birch ply laminated with
1/4 inch resawn teak. Vacuum bagged in epoxy over shop made tooliing,
it's as strong as any fiberglass piece and far more beautiful. I still
have the tooling if anyone can make use of it. This was a fun project
and much less work than attempting to pull a mold off the original,
fairing that, then pulling the part off the mold, finishing it off, and you've
got a part that looks like it came off a Hunter for all the effort.
hatch I built for my own boat. Baltic birch ply laminated with
1/4 inch resawn teak. Vacuum bagged in epoxy over shop made tooliing,
it's as strong as any fiberglass piece and far more beautiful. I still
have the tooling if anyone can make use of it. This was a fun project
and much less work than attempting to pull a mold off the original,
fairing that, then pulling the part off the mold, finishing it off, and you've
got a part that looks like it came off a Hunter for all the effort.
gareth harris
Sustaining Member
Joe - I am trying to picture your version with the 2-3" teak strips. I assume the strips run fore/aft so the hatch can curve over on some kind of frame that would sit between the runners. Am I right?
Gareth
Freyja E35 #241 1972
Gareth
Freyja E35 #241 1972
Joe Benedict
Member II
Lt., You are correct. The attached file is of the rails or frame I made for my new hatch. If you can make it out, the baltic plywood layers and veneer fit in the groove on the inner sides of the frame. The end result is the top is flush with the frame. I think a better idea is to elliminate the inner grove and dato individual boards into the top (fore and aft) so the top becomes one piece - basically like planking a boat. The boards also could produce a slight overhang of the hatch also. I don't know what an original hatch is supposed to look like up-close so I may actually be describing what was originally supposed to be on the boat. On a lighter note, I guess this means you are back in the country and you got your computer back.
Paul & AnneMari
Member I
Companionway Hatch
I replaced our 1971 E29's hatch about 5 years ago in teak for about $300.00 via a local marine carpenter.
It was the only resource I could come up with.
Paul Huch
E29 Interlude
I replaced our 1971 E29's hatch about 5 years ago in teak for about $300.00 via a local marine carpenter.
It was the only resource I could come up with.
Paul Huch
E29 Interlude