belairbrian
Petty Officer 1st Class
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2009
- Messages
- 360
As I posted earlier, the rear hatch on my 1850 was soft when stepped on. The PO said it was always that way. I doubt that. If what I have read and was told is true, I think I know what happened. The factory filled the storage compartment with foam and sealed the hatch with six screws. Others here have reported the same. The PO removed the hatch and added a latch pull. He said the owner before him did it. But he gave me the certificate of origin with him as the original owner. The latch pull was mortised in without any sealant and the holes from the screws were left open. Thus water got in and rotted the wood out.
I disassembled the hatch and rebuilt it. here are the pics.
First i cut the fiberglass bottom out with a cut off wheel and scooped out the rotted wood with my hand
The shell was scrapped clean
New wood installed
New latch mortised in (I coated it with resin) and sealed with silicone
Filled the edges with resin and added 2 layers of glass sheet
Reinstalled on boat (i can now stand on it with no give)
I disassembled the hatch and rebuilt it. here are the pics.
First i cut the fiberglass bottom out with a cut off wheel and scooped out the rotted wood with my hand
The shell was scrapped clean
New wood installed
New latch mortised in (I coated it with resin) and sealed with silicone
Filled the edges with resin and added 2 layers of glass sheet
Reinstalled on boat (i can now stand on it with no give)
