All of the original exterior woodwork was beyond saving when we purchased our Ericson 25CB, and the companionway hatch was no exception. It was severly worn, had cracks that extended all the way through the wood, and broken pieces near the cutout grooves for the runners.
We started this portion of the project by using the hatch mold so generously donated by Terry Steller. He did an amazing job figuring out the curve of the hatch and making a mold to create new companionway hatch for his E25CB. His new companionway hatch itself is really incredible, vacuum molded over a honeycomb core with a nice wood exterior. Really beautiful and light weight. We considered trying to replicate his process, but decided we lacked the equipment and skills to do what he did. So we used the tried and true balsa core and fiberglass method we have been using all along. Cheap, easy, reliable, but heavier.
Fiberglass and Balsa Core Start
First we laid mold release plastic down on the hatch mold. Then laid four layers of 24 oz biaxial stitchmat over the mold, running the laminating roller over it well to ensure good epoxy saturation. Then we laid balsa core following the exact same process we detailed in previous blogs. At this point we paused and allowed it to cure. The same as with the deck the messy process results in some unevenness in the core that will show up later. So we let it cure and then sanded it smooth, filling any low points. The picture below is after the sanding.
Finally we laid four more layers of fiber glass on the top and let it cure for a couple days. Eight layers total of fiberglass may have been overkill, but we were worried about it being strong enough. We frequently stand on the companionway hatch when furling the mainsail, or reefing, and we didn't want it to crack. Unlike the deck, the hatch is free standing rather than constrained on the edges, and can flex in all directions when under load. Not sure how much weight we would have saved doing only three layers, but there is no question the finished hatch is strong!
Finally we finished this stage by cutting the fiberglass rough shape to the correct size and making sure it was square. Then we sealed the edges by digging out the balsa core 1/2" deep all the way around the entire laminated hatch, then filling it with thickened epoxy mixed with chopped and milled fiberglass. In the areas where screws would go through the sides for the rails we dug down 2" deep by 1" wide. That permanently sealed the balsa core in and provided a strong holding point for screws. After it all hardened we sanded it smooth and back to square. The finished piece was the core of the hatch and would hopefully never rot again with no way for water to penetrate.
Mistakes, Wife Down
This next step was full of mistakes and really tested our marriage and ability to work together under pressure. It was like an episode of Laurel & Hardy. It all seemed so straightforward and was going so well until this step...... To set the stage picture a hot and humid Carolina day, with sweat running down your forehead and stinging your eyes. But remember this intended to be a humorous story, poking fun at myself.
To start the wood trim we laminated six layers of 1/4" mahogany strips into a beam to support the front and back ends of the companionway hatch, and then epoxied it onto the fiberglass and balsa sheet. The first mistake was that we failed to anticipate that the laminated beam would spring back some and would not perfectly match the original hatch curve. The spring back was negligible though, and we decided it would have no impact so we continued on. At this point we were pleased with how it was coming together and were very confident in the final upcoming stages of the companionway hatch. You can see the laminated beam in the pictures below. It added tremendous stiffness and strength to the hatch.
Then everything went wrong at once....... :0
The plan was to epoxy over 20 mahogany strips 3/8" thick to the top, tightly pushing them against the front beam and to each other. Once it cured we would sand it down to 1/4" which would leave plenty of material for later sanding if it needed to be refinished. In preparation for this we cut all of the strips, leaving an extra inch or so of material to hang over the edges just in case, along with one extra strip as a spare. Here is where the first big mistake came in. To ensure the pieces would be nice and tight together we took them all over to the jointer planer and trimmed the edges. I remember my wife asking me if it would impact anything and I confidently blew her question off with a response of "I am only taking a 1/16" off each one......" Introduce Oliver Hardy.
Of course when we began epoxying everything together one of them had to be discarded because it picked up a nasty bow, so there went the spare. When reached the last piece with everything epoxied we were short about 3/8"!!!! Of course the questions began: "How did we end up short?" "Did you leave one on the jointer?" "Did you drop one?" We ran around like Laurel & Hardy looking for the mysteriously missing piece that didn't exist, time ticking away on the mixed epoxy, clamps waiting to be set.
Then it hit me! 1/16" x 20 pieces is over an inch of removed material! How could I be so stupid!!!! Ugh!! Arrgghh!!! :headb: Now what? I ran over the the scrap pile and found a small strip of material about 1/4" wide. I broke it in half, trimmed the ends, and pushed them into the middle of the strips of mahogany. Of course they were a different color but at least they matched the horizontal beam ends we had laminated. Whew! Problem solved.
"But Oliver, what will we tell people they are there for?"
"It's simple Laurel, we will tell everybody there were there deliberately in order to facilitate the fore and aft alignment of compass headings......".

You can clearly see them in the pictures below.
But that was not the end of the problems. As we started trying to clamp it all together the pieces kept shifting and wouldn't stay aligned. We clamped it one way, then another, and still the pieces would slide and slip and move. Soon all the clamps were covered in epoxy, our gloves were dripping epoxy, it was on our pants, our shirts, everywhere. The heat and sweat was taking its toll, and frustration began to set in as the clock kept ticking away towards the point of no return, the dreaded epoxy set.
Then the sun came over the front of the building. A bright, hot, stream of sunlight hit the base of the companionway hatch and began creeping over it. The last thing we needed was to add heat to the epoxy!!!
I yelled as though our very lives depended on saving the hatch; "We have to close the garage door!!
We must block the sun!!" Of course my wife jumped to help by moving tools out from under the door so it could close. But I did not see her doing it as I was obsessed with closing the door. I simply ran to the door, grabbed the door rope and pulled it down hard. The metal door came down the tracks, landing right onto her back as she was bent over picking up tools, knocking her flat to the floor under the garage door. Yikes. Another Laurel & Hardy scene, and you can imagine the stream of words that issued forth from her. I deserved every one of them, and probably some more. It was one of those moments we all have in our lives were we feel like a complete idiot. Hello my name is Oliver Hardy, currently known as John Olsen.
Thankfully she was not hurt other than a small bruise. She's tough and resilient as any woman married to me would have to be, and she quickly recovered, standing up and looking none to happy.

Somehow she didn't see the humor in it all right away.... Thank goodness we used the slow hardener.
Believe it or not we did get it all together and clamped successfully after that. And the humor and laughter did come when we finished, she is very forgiving. The picture below is after the epoxy cured. The one after that is post sanding. And the following ones are the hatch fitted in place with a coat of penetrating epoxy. Later we will sand it and varnish it when we do all the other woodwork, but we wanted to make sure it was well sealed. It opens very smoothly and looks really terrific. The red in the mahogany came out more strongly than we expected for just clear coating with penetrating epoxy. But we love the way it looks, and we are fans of natural wood colors and grains, whatever mother nature says they will turn out to be. And it is one solid and strong hatch.
For years to come we will look at that companionway hatch with its two light colored strips and remember the episode, and laugh. Heck, we both laugh about it already.... Hey honey; "We must block the sun!" LOL
John Olsen
Ericson 25CB "Nordic Thunder"