I wanted to get the leaking hatch fixed correctly, get Gimme Shelter moved over to her new berth at Watergate Yacht Center, have a huge barbecue with friends at the new marina, and most importantly, do some sailing.
I got there early Friday with a new hatch lens cut from the correct 1/2" acrylic and a tube full of Dow Corning 791.
I quickly had the 1/4" lens popped out and spent at least a half hour scraping and cleaning silicone off the metal frame. Then I carefully taped everything up again, opened up my new tube of sealant and fit the new lens in place. Perfection -- or so I thought.
Then Saturday morning I got up and tried to install the weather stripping.
Oops. The weatherstripping was supposed to go on the inside lip of the frame with the lens sitting on top of it. With the lens glued in, there was no way to attach it.
I thought, that's ok, there's no way this thing is leaking anyway. I'll save the weatherstripping for next time.
Then I tried to install the latches with their fresh rubber O-rings.
I screwed them in. They cinched up on the acrylic and sealed well.
Then I tried to shut the hatch.
The latches were too far forward.
I traced this lens off the old lens, and the holes for the latches were too far forward!
I ever so gently forced the hatch shut by shouting an expletive and stomping on it.
After wasting $30 the first time around, I've spent another $50 and my hatch still isn't right.
I'm guessing the lens I replaced was not the original and the person who replaced it put the latches too far forward, which is why it was cracked at the latches in the first place. They need to be moved a full 1/4" back!
What's the old phrase, measure twice, cut once? Guess I should have double checked everything.
On the upside, the new lens looks great and doesn't leak at all. I think we're just not going to attempt to open it ever again.
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