Repair of anchor hatch

[Alaboat]

My anchor hatch door is approx. 18"x12" (Sort of triangle shaped) and about 3/4" thick . The other day, a screw on the hinge fell out and further probing determined the wood core is rotten. The exterior is in perfect condition and gel coat is fine. The back side appears to be gelcoated as well and in good shape. Any recommendations for repairing this hatch such as Git-Rot or CPES or other epoxy solutions rather than cutting into this hatch to remove rotted wood?

 

[JaCrispy]

Can you post some photos?

 

[tpenfield]

I would cut into the back side of the hatch and remove the rotted wood and build it back up. Overall, that will take less time and be more certain of a lasting repair.

You could drill some small holes on the back side of the hatch and apply some heat the to hatch in order to dry it out. Then bore out the areas where the screws go and fill those areas with a thickened epoxy. Work from the back side only to avoid any blemish to the topside of the hatch. however, that whole process would take longer and the results are less certain.

 

[Alaboat]

Yes, I'll post some pics soon.I might start with boring a small hole in the back side to determine the extent of rot. What would be the best material to build back up with once the rot is removed?

 

[JaCrispy]

Tough to give advice without seeing how it was made and how it's hinged. I have a similar bow type anchor locker on my boat.

 

[Blind Date]

Can you get rid of the screws and just thru-bolt the hinge to the hatch?

 

[Mischief Managed]

I just did this fix on by anchor rode hatch two days ago. I replaced the wood with Star board plastic and glassed if back up with West Systems epoxy. Took about 20 minutes, then a couple hours for the epoxy to cure enough to re-install the hatch. Wood screws grab star board really well.

 

[Alaboat]

Can you get rid of the screws and just thru-bolt the hinge to the hatch?

I'll post up some pics soon but not likely. I believe it's a piano hinge and there's nothing under the glass for the screws to grip but rotten wood.

 

[Alaboat]

I just did this fix on by anchor rode hatch two days ago. I replaced the wood with Star board plastic and glassed if back up with West Systems epoxy. Took about 20 minutes, then a couple hours for the epoxy to cure enough to re-install the hatch. Wood screws grab star board really well.

I was thinking of just replacing the hatch with this plastic but the hatch is slightly contoured. I have a rear hatch that looks like the PO replaced with plastic and looks factory. He also added some dividers in engine bay with plastic. Looks just like those nylon cutting boards.

 

[Mischief Managed]

They are not nylon, they are HDPE, and I use them often for boat repairs. They are a breeze to cut and shape with wood working tools.

 

[Thalasso]

I was thinking of just replacing the hatch with this plastic but the hatch is slightly contoured. I have a rear hatch that looks like the PO replaced with plastic and looks factory. He also added some dividers in engine bay with plastic. Looks just like those nylon cutting boards.

You can form (bend) it by using a heat gun
Like MisCheif Manged said. it's like working with wood. Same tools for both

 

[JaCrispy]

If your hatch looks like the one in the link, just grind out the piece of wood and through bolt it using either another piece of wood, plastic or aluminum to "sandwich" the edge of the cover. If you use a piece of wood or plastic you can probably just use wood screws.

http://assets.suredone.com/2479/medi...ff-white-2.png

 

[Alaboat]

No Title

Attached are several pictures of cover. I probed into the screw holes for hinge and rot was pretty deep( wood probably totally gone). I'm guessing the backside of hatch that is shown is just a layer of fiberglass over the wood. Topside is fiberglass with gel coat in good condition. Since all of the glass is in good shape with the exception of crack at edge shown and cover does not bear any load, would there be something to either inject of fill void with once all of the rotted wood is removed from a small opening in back of cover?

 

[Chris1956]

I repaired a hatch similar to that one. Take a skill knife and cut the inner fiberglass skin around the perimeter. Remove the fiberglass skin and scrape and sand the old wood off of it. Dig out the old rotten wood and sand the interior of the cover clean and wipe with Acetone. Replace the rotted wood with plywood or solid lumber. use some poly resin to bond the new wood to the hatch cover and to the inner Fiberglass skin. Some weight holding the wood down may be necessary. Clamps work as well. Use some poly putty to fill the perimeter where you sliced it. The repair will barely be visible.

 

[tpenfield]

Those picture are very helpful. It does not look like there is a full piece of wood backing, but rather just where the piano hinge attaches. I concur with Mischief Managed 's solution of HDPE (Starboard) as a backing material, as it would have the longevity and strength that a piano hinge needs.

 

[further]

Hey Alaboat, I restored my anchor hatch which is exactly like yours. See my "clean up" thread #28. I did similar to Chris1956 and ended up coating the inside with bilgecoat paint which worked really well and has held up nicely.

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...2140-96-chris-craft-concept-18-clean-up/page2

 

[Alaboat]

Hey Alaboat, I restored my anchor hatch which is exactly like yours. See my "clean up" thread #28. I did similar to Chris1956 and ended up coating the inside with bilgecoat paint which worked really well and has held up nicely.

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat-...clean-up/page2

Yep, same hatch for sure. Helpful to see the pics once wood was removed. Probably do the same with mine with the exception of using Star Board instead of wood. What I'm not sure about is whether the Star Board can be bonded in place like wood using resin and will I need to finish the back side with glass cloth. Been a while since I worked with glass.

 

[gm280]

Yep, same hatch for sure. Helpful to see the pics once wood was removed. Probably do the same with mine with the exception of using Star Board instead of wood. What I'm not sure about is whether the Star Board can be bonded in place like wood using resin and will I need to finish the back side with glass cloth. Been a while since I worked with glass.

Alaboat, check to see what Star Board is made out of and if it can be used with polyester and/or epoxy. Then pick one and have at it. Polyester is the cheaper route and if mixed with Cabosil and 1/4" Chopped fiberglass fibers, it gets really hard as a rock. In fact just some simple exterior plywood with polyester and CSM would fix that perfectly. JMHO

 

[Alaboat]

Alaboat, check to see what Star Board is made out of and if it can be used with polyester and/or epoxy. Then pick one and have at it. Polyester is the cheaper route and if mixed with Cabosil and 1/4" Chopped fiberglass fibers, it gets really hard as a rock. In fact just some simple exterior plywood with polyester and CSM would fix that perfectly. JMHO

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I've removed the back skin and chiseled out all of the old wood and prepped the surface for whatever I will use to replace the wood. Was planning on using Star Board but research shows that most adhesive including fiberglass/ fiberglass resin won't stick to it. So now I'm back to deciding what to use. What do I use to hold the Star Board in place and can it be encapsulated in fiberglass resin and mat?

 

[Alaboat]

No Title

Here are a few pics showing rotten wood and hatch ready for repair. If I go with the Star Board option, what specific West System epoxy do you recommend to bond board in place and can it be used with fiberglass mat or chopped fibers?