Retired from newspapers and television, currently sailing Thelonious II, a 1984 Ericson 381.
There have been several good hatch lens replacement reports lately. Rick R. takes on Lewmar Rollstop hatches here. I found this video adds a bit to the critical procedure of finishing the visible seam where the acrylic joins the frame. My older video is here. So let's move on to details of the sliding hatch and Bomar opening ports of the 1984 Ericson 381.
On the first Thelonious, the curved acrylic companionway hatch was in good shape. On the new boat it was a mess--crazed, scratched and as ugly as the sun-ruined main and foredeck hatches. I drove this carload of expired half-inch acrylic to "I Love Lucite," 3300 Motor Ave., LA 90034 (310-966-0740). Craig, who runs the small shop, is a rational human being who likes motorcycles, has a clean shop and an alert manner, and is familiar with boat work from years in Florida. This is in vast and shuddering contrast the the last three local plastics outfits I have been involved with, all characterized by delay, confusion and sloppy work augmented by anger or evangelical proselytizing. Where was I? Oh, the hatches.
Craig said that if the companionway hatch were 3/8ths, we could try bending it onto the shape of the mahogany frames. But half-inch acrylic must be heat-formed, which required a factory an hour away (California Quality Plastics, in Ontario, CA). Get it formed, then bring it back and we'll take it from there. Oh yeah, it's gonna be expensive.
The eventual bill from Ontario was: "Drape formed panel per customer original", $233; 4x8 sheet of half-inch grey acrylic #2064, $350; create special jig, $235. Total cost with sales tax, $900. But the job would only use half of the sheet, and the remainder was enough for Craig to cut and drill the main cabin and forward hatches and all seven opening portlights.
The sliding hatch has two pieces of teak to get off: the lower piece, which sustains the radius, and the upper handle we pull to open it. Both wood sections are fastened by #12 stainless wood screws. They're offset, so one set of screws is angled but the other isn't. Furthermore, the wood is sealed to the plastic with black Dow 795 or something similar.
Since the teak is critical to the appearance of the yacht, it needs to come off without damage. But the plugs are very deep and resist extraction, and their holes must not be buggered. The best idea is to drill them out with a 3/8th Forstner bit. The buried screw heads are fouled with varnish, and I spent too long cleaning them and then slowly working the screws out. Better to just sever them with a Dremel saw and be done with it, as I did for the final two.
The Dremel is also by far the best way to free the wood from its sealant bond. A chisel damages the teak, and a putty knife--forgetaboutit. Care removing the wood means not having to make new teak pieces later.
The view below is the underside of the companionway hatch. Screws enter it direct from the plastic surface. Screws from the wood on the other side penetrate through the wood, the plastic, and into the underside mating piece---at an angle. In Craig's shop I set both pieces of wood in place so he could drill the angles through the acrylic guided by the existing holes.
Lewmar Superhatches take a gasket somewhat different from Lewmar Rollstop hatches. Replacements are available from Select Plastics, in Connecticut. Actually, my gaskets were in such good shape after 32 years that replacing them was probably unnecessary. Rollstop gaskets are reported difficult to fit into their channels, but I had no problem with the Superhatch rubber. Rebedding the new lenses with Dow 795 was easy. Masking is important, and when in doubt use less sealant. Adhesion is unimportant, since the plastic of the lens is held down by dogs and hinges when closed.
This boat has big, husky Bomar opening portlights with removable half-inch acrylic lenses. Craig copied all seven of them, the main and forward hatches, and drilled the companionway slider for $350. He says the best way to get a good result is to bring the originals in as templates. "Measurements never work." He's also making me a half-inch one-piece hatch board out of the same Grey acrylic.
My model of Bomar portlights takes a half-inch round neoprene gasket. The originals were quite flat and hardened, although they didn't leak. New neoprene is available from Hammerhead Nautical Systems in Ontario, Canada (416-767-0222, 1-877-767-0222, info@hhns.ca). Installation is easy with DAP Weldwood contact cement, which when tacky instantly bonds and holds the neoprene to its shallow channel.
Thelonious II, at the moment, is stripped to its bones, covered in sawdust with a half dozen projects going simultaneously and paint and varnish cans everywhere. The decks are caked with grime. From the mast and boom hangs faded running rigging, the old canvas covers remain raggedly in place, and the newly painted transom is devoid of even a name. I have no sails, the electronics are a tangle of wires, and the pedestal has to come off for inspection and a welding check. I have managed to transform what looked like a pretty good sailboat into a floating skeleton, and we'll be like that for months. Can't we have a little bling?
How about a new set of Vetus cowls on the transom? Shiny, and they match the stainless dorade vents before the mast.
The Vetus bases are too small for the factory hole. I had the plastics shop make me adapter rings, which screw to the deck. The Vetus base is fastened to that. The stainless cowls are held by a collar that matches the base radius well, and look pretty standard.
Now back to the mess below, before the rigger arrives Monday to install the new stay, lifelines and Spectra low-profile lazyjacks.
Entry on one-piece acrylic hatch board is here.
On the first Thelonious, the curved acrylic companionway hatch was in good shape. On the new boat it was a mess--crazed, scratched and as ugly as the sun-ruined main and foredeck hatches. I drove this carload of expired half-inch acrylic to "I Love Lucite," 3300 Motor Ave., LA 90034 (310-966-0740). Craig, who runs the small shop, is a rational human being who likes motorcycles, has a clean shop and an alert manner, and is familiar with boat work from years in Florida. This is in vast and shuddering contrast the the last three local plastics outfits I have been involved with, all characterized by delay, confusion and sloppy work augmented by anger or evangelical proselytizing. Where was I? Oh, the hatches.
Craig said that if the companionway hatch were 3/8ths, we could try bending it onto the shape of the mahogany frames. But half-inch acrylic must be heat-formed, which required a factory an hour away (California Quality Plastics, in Ontario, CA). Get it formed, then bring it back and we'll take it from there. Oh yeah, it's gonna be expensive.
The eventual bill from Ontario was: "Drape formed panel per customer original", $233; 4x8 sheet of half-inch grey acrylic #2064, $350; create special jig, $235. Total cost with sales tax, $900. But the job would only use half of the sheet, and the remainder was enough for Craig to cut and drill the main cabin and forward hatches and all seven opening portlights.
The sliding hatch has two pieces of teak to get off: the lower piece, which sustains the radius, and the upper handle we pull to open it. Both wood sections are fastened by #12 stainless wood screws. They're offset, so one set of screws is angled but the other isn't. Furthermore, the wood is sealed to the plastic with black Dow 795 or something similar.
Since the teak is critical to the appearance of the yacht, it needs to come off without damage. But the plugs are very deep and resist extraction, and their holes must not be buggered. The best idea is to drill them out with a 3/8th Forstner bit. The buried screw heads are fouled with varnish, and I spent too long cleaning them and then slowly working the screws out. Better to just sever them with a Dremel saw and be done with it, as I did for the final two.
The Dremel is also by far the best way to free the wood from its sealant bond. A chisel damages the teak, and a putty knife--forgetaboutit. Care removing the wood means not having to make new teak pieces later.
The view below is the underside of the companionway hatch. Screws enter it direct from the plastic surface. Screws from the wood on the other side penetrate through the wood, the plastic, and into the underside mating piece---at an angle. In Craig's shop I set both pieces of wood in place so he could drill the angles through the acrylic guided by the existing holes.
Lewmar Superhatches take a gasket somewhat different from Lewmar Rollstop hatches. Replacements are available from Select Plastics, in Connecticut. Actually, my gaskets were in such good shape after 32 years that replacing them was probably unnecessary. Rollstop gaskets are reported difficult to fit into their channels, but I had no problem with the Superhatch rubber. Rebedding the new lenses with Dow 795 was easy. Masking is important, and when in doubt use less sealant. Adhesion is unimportant, since the plastic of the lens is held down by dogs and hinges when closed.
This boat has big, husky Bomar opening portlights with removable half-inch acrylic lenses. Craig copied all seven of them, the main and forward hatches, and drilled the companionway slider for $350. He says the best way to get a good result is to bring the originals in as templates. "Measurements never work." He's also making me a half-inch one-piece hatch board out of the same Grey acrylic.
My model of Bomar portlights takes a half-inch round neoprene gasket. The originals were quite flat and hardened, although they didn't leak. New neoprene is available from Hammerhead Nautical Systems in Ontario, Canada (416-767-0222, 1-877-767-0222, info@hhns.ca). Installation is easy with DAP Weldwood contact cement, which when tacky instantly bonds and holds the neoprene to its shallow channel.
Thelonious II, at the moment, is stripped to its bones, covered in sawdust with a half dozen projects going simultaneously and paint and varnish cans everywhere. The decks are caked with grime. From the mast and boom hangs faded running rigging, the old canvas covers remain raggedly in place, and the newly painted transom is devoid of even a name. I have no sails, the electronics are a tangle of wires, and the pedestal has to come off for inspection and a welding check. I have managed to transform what looked like a pretty good sailboat into a floating skeleton, and we'll be like that for months. Can't we have a little bling?
How about a new set of Vetus cowls on the transom? Shiny, and they match the stainless dorade vents before the mast.
The Vetus bases are too small for the factory hole. I had the plastics shop make me adapter rings, which screw to the deck. The Vetus base is fastened to that. The stainless cowls are held by a collar that matches the base radius well, and look pretty standard.
Now back to the mess below, before the rigger arrives Monday to install the new stay, lifelines and Spectra low-profile lazyjacks.
Entry on one-piece acrylic hatch board is here.
