Storage Hatch cracked

[DavidPJ]

On the underside of my storage area hatch there is a crack along the entire width of the cover. The crack appears to be a seam that joins the thin outer fiberglass edge with fiberglass on the back of the cover. I wish I had a picture to show because I'm probably not describing this very well. Walking on the cover is a little soft towards the rear of the cover where it's cracked.

I'm thinking of using 3M 5200FC to glue the edge in place. Has anyone encountered this problem with their Hurricane? Is it possible to buy a replacement hatch?

Thanks.

 

[pbolden]

Re: Storage Hatch cracked

If you are talking about the ski locker lid on the deck, mine also cracked...right down the middle. In my case, the previous owner cracked it and then concealed the fact by carefully gluing it back. I don't know what he used but the seal eventually gave way and since it had already been glued it couldn't be re-glued and I had to order a new hatch.

I contacted about 8 hurricane dealers and got 8 different prices. The cheapest was from a dealership in Alabama. Cost was $256 plus shipping...ouch!

Good luck,
Paul Bolden

 

[DavidPJ]

Re: Storage Hatch cracked

If you are talking about the ski locker lid on the deck, mine also cracked...right down the middle. In my case, the previous owner cracked it and then concealed the fact by carefully gluing it back. I don't know what he used but the seal eventually gave way and since it had already been glued it couldn't be re-glued and I had to order a new hatch.

I contacted about 8 hurricane dealers and got 8 different prices. The cheapest was from a dealership in Alabama. Cost was $256 plus shipping...ouch!

Good luck,
Paul Bolden

Thanks Paul. Yes, I'm referring to the ski locker lid. Your lid's crack sounds worse than mine and I could probably let mine go as the previous owner had. I'm planning to use 3M 5200FS on it but I'm also still thinking of taking the lid to a boat body shop that does fiberglass repair. As you said, I'm afraid if I use the adhesive on it and it doesn't hold I won't be able to have it professionally repaired. And parts are no longer available for my Hurricane so I can't buy another cover. Good luck with your cover!

 

[cjjjdeck]

Re: Storage Hatch cracked

Reading about your situation made me think what I might do. This might be an alternative.

There's a product called King Starboard which is a great marine environment material made of a polyethylene. It's available in a variety of sheet sizes and thicknesses (1/4" to 1"). Working with it is like working with wood. It can be cut and shaped with pretty much any woodworking tools. If all else fails in your hatch repair attempt, you may consider laminating a layer of this material to the underside of the hatch. Although polyethylene can be stubborn to bond to other materials, King's FAQ section on their website does cautiously recommend some adhesives and the method for preparation (some two sided heavy duty tapes may also work). They actually prefer you to use a physical connection (bolting or screwing it together) over a bonding method (hey, maybe both!), but using this material would give you a permanent solution, it's very strong.

The other way, if you're more adventurous and handy with tools, is to make a new hatch completely out of this material and replace the damaged one. Frankly, any competent cabinet maker could make it and it would be a piece of cake for them since your original is still sound to copy from. Starboard can be a bit pricey, but it will never have to be replaced, so shop it around.

Maybe someone on the forum has worked with or used this material to comment further.

Here's some links that might be helpful:

King Plastics FAQ page
http://www.kingplastic.com/info-center/faq/

A King Starboard Supplier (there's plenty more)
http://www.tapplastics.com/product/...tarboard/526?gclid=CMe3t9rO2LECFSUTNAodNWcAtw

Just something to consider if you haven't thought of it already.

Good luck!

 

[DavidPJ]

Re: Storage Hatch cracked

I'm the OP of this thread and I just wanted to share how I fixed the fiberglass crack. I talked with a boat body repair shop and I was all set to bring the cover to them for repair. He couldn't give me a cost until he saw the cover but it sounded like it would cost at least $200. I went to the boat and discovered that the cover hinge was riveted in place. I assumed incorrectly that it would have been screwed in place. So instead I used the 3M 5200S adhesive on the crack and it worked well. I was able to easily smooth it out and it looks great. So far it's holding up well.

 

[cjjjdeck]

Re: Storage Hatch cracked

Thanks for sharing what you finally did on the fix (many ask the questions, few seem to respond with outcomes to suggestions or help). Your response is appreciated!