Replacing rubber seal on forward hatch

[Margrit Keyes]

Can anyone tell me where I can buy the rubber seal that goes around
the forward hatch of a CD28?
Mine no longer keeps the rain out, no matter how much I adjust
the closures.



margrit@earthlink.net

[Mike Everett]

In case you're not certain about the source of your leak:

We have a leaking forward hatch on our CD28.
At first I thought the problem was the rubber seal you mention until I had the chance to observe it during a rainstorm. I realized that the leak was coming from the joint between the plexiglass and the hatch frame. I noticed that water pools on the top of the hatch and that even a microscopic crack will siphon rainwater through, even though the crack is invisible.

This can be repaired by unscrewing the plexiglass, removing the residue of the old caulking, and applying a new sealant. (I'm planning to use 3M 5200.)

-- Mike Everett
s/v Dr. Pepper




everett@megalink.net

[Larry DeMers]

Mike,
Don't use 5200 on anything that you may need to repair in the future. It is permanent, and there are several sealants that are far better at doing what you need to do. Try 3M101 if you like their stuff, or Lifecaulk for an alternative vendor. Silicon sealant is also not recommended in this appication, although it would seem the most correct of all.

The only place on your boat where 5200 would be a proper bonding/sealant to use would be the Hull/Deck joint. Virtually everything else must be allowed to be repaired, which dictates which adhesive/sealant not to use.

Finally, a call to the maker of the hatch (Bomar?) will get their advice, which would be gold in this case. A word of warning; A friend on their Mason 33 is still trying to get their hatch glazing to be water tight in a rainstorm..after 2 years of professional help, and >$1k in labor charges and excuses. The process is complex inthat the seals are usually a stepped seal, which requires a process to seal the glazing. The sealant will depend on what glazing you use..Lucite, safety glass, plexiglass..etc. I believe even acrylic plastics are used occasionally, and there could be a compatibility problem with the sealant, if the wrong one is used. So call the vendor.

Good Luck!

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30

In case you're not certain about the source of your leak:

We have a leaking forward hatch on our CD28.
At first I thought the problem was the rubber seal you mention until I had the chance to observe it during a rainstorm. I realized that the leak was coming from the joint between the plexiglass and the hatch frame. I noticed that water pools on the top of the hatch and that even a microscopic crack will siphon rainwater through, even though the crack is invisible.

This can be repaired by unscrewing the plexiglass, removing the residue of the old caulking, and applying a new sealant. (I'm planning to use 3M 5200.)

-- Mike Everett
s/v Dr. Pepper

demers@sgi.com

[Matt Cawthorne]

Margrit,
We replaced the seals in the hatches and ports this year with sponge neoprene rubber cord purchased from Badger rubber company in the Chicago area. They have a fifty foot minimum and the total bill was something like $65 with shipping. I believe that neoprene was the original material used in most of the ports and hatches that were original Cape Dory equipment. I think that the diameter is 1/2 inch. Bevel the ends where they meet. I used rubber based contact cement to hold them in. Other posts in the past have indicated that a product called HDPE rubber is a newer and better substitution for the neoprene. I have not tried it so can not personally recommend it, but it sounds like a good product. You can get a 100' roll of 1/2" EPDM rubber cord from McMaster Carr for less than $30 + shipping. You can find them at www.mcmaster.com. An older post indicated that the item number is 8605K44

Matt





mcawthor@bellatlantic.net

[David Sabourin]

Can anyone tell me where I can buy the rubber seal that goes around
the forward hatch of a CD28?
Mine no longer keeps the rain out, no matter how much I adjust
the closures.

I replaced my forward hatch gasket this year with some material I bought at West Marine. It was about $16 or so and just a little bit longer than the amount I needed. Hasn't leaked since.

D Sabourin
Mad Hatter
CD 36 Hull #151



hatter11@erols.com

[Robert Davee]

The stuff to use to replace the seal between the frame and the plexiglas panel is GE Silicone "UltraGlaze" Structural Glazing Sealant (SSG 4000 Black). This will match the material used originally. This must be carefully done. Remove the old caulk and clean completely. Wash with acetone carefully. Then mask all the surfaces where you do not want the caulk and carefully fill the cavity from the top. Let it cure for 24 hours in warm area. It will be like new. The caulk material is hard to find and not exactly cheap. I found mine at David Lowes in Stuart FL, in fact they are the ones that told me how to do it.

We have a leaking forward hatch on our CD28.
At first I thought the problem was the rubber seal you mention until I had the chance to observe it during a rainstorm. I realized that the leak was coming from the joint between the plexiglass and the hatch frame. I noticed that water pools on the top of the hatch and that even a microscopic crack will siphon rainwater through, even though the crack is invisible.

This can be repaired by unscrewing the plexiglass, removing the residue of the old caulking, and applying a new sealant. (I'm planning to use 3M 5200.)

-- Mike Everett
s/v Dr. Pepper

RLCapeDory@aol.com

[Mike Everett]

Thanks for saving me from a potential mess.
I'll save the 5200 goop for another day.
-- Mike Everett



everett@megalink.net

[Larry DeMers]

Robert,
Good Post! Say, when you took the plexiglass out and cleaned the hatch frame, did you notice the shape of the frames interior ledges that hold the plexiglass? The reason I ask, is that I just finished helping a friend recaulk a Mason 33's glazing, and that frame had a Z shaped channel in which to set the plexiglass. or acrylic glass in their case. The methods for that hatch were quite different and not exactly intuitive. They used an RTV product that works with Acrylic, but here is where it differed from the directions you gave for the CD hatches. The RTV was installed in the lower part of the glazing well, and allowed to setup for 4 hours, forming a compliant but still soft bead of RTV. Then the glazing was layed very carefully on top of this partially cured RTV, and then a second ring of RTV was carefully applied filling in the area around the glass and on top of the glass to the frame itself. We had to try it twice before it was correct. What a mess!!! Imagine cleaning up and removing a whole 12in. cartridge of RTV goop. That took 3x longer than the actual work.

So I wonder if the frames on our hatches are as complicated as this or if they have a simplified L shaped channel to set the glazing in.

Cheers!

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30

The stuff to use to replace the seal between the frame and the plexiglas panel is GE Silicone "UltraGlaze" Structural Glazing Sealant (SSG 4000 Black). This will match the material used originally. This must be carefully done. Remove the old caulk and clean completely. Wash with acetone carefully. Then mask all the surfaces where you do not want the caulk and carefully fill the cavity from the top. Let it cure for 24 hours in warm area. It will be like new. The caulk material is hard to find and not exactly cheap. I found mine at David Lowes in Stuart FL, in fact they are the ones that told me how to do it.

We have a leaking forward hatch on our CD28.
At first I thought the problem was the rubber seal you mention until I had the chance to observe it during a rainstorm. I realized that the leak was coming from the joint between the plexiglass and the hatch frame. I noticed that water pools on the top of the hatch and that even a microscopic crack will siphon rainwater through, even though the crack is invisible.

This can be repaired by unscrewing the plexiglass, removing the residue of the old caulking, and applying a new sealant. (I'm planning to use 3M 5200.)

-- Mike Everett
s/v Dr. Pepper

demers@sgi.com

[Margrit Keyes]

Margrit,
We replaced the seals in the hatches and ports this year with sponge neoprene rubber cord purchased from Badger rubber company in the Chicago area. They have a fifty foot minimum and the total bill was something like $65 with shipping. I believe that neoprene was the original material used in most of the ports and hatches that were original Cape Dory equipment. I think that the diameter is 1/2 inch. Bevel the ends where they meet. I used rubber based contact cement to hold them in. Other posts in the past have indicated that a product called HDPE rubber is a newer and better substitution for the neoprene. I have not tried it so can not personally recommend it, but it sounds like a good product. You can get a 100' roll of 1/2" EPDM rubber cord from McMaster Carr for less than $30 + shipping. You can find them at www.mcmaster.com. An older post indicated that the item number is 8605K44

Matt
Thanks for your detailed reply.I will try it.

[Margrit Keyes]

Can anyone tell me where I can buy the rubber seal that goes around
the forward hatch of a CD28?
Mine no longer keeps the rain out, no matter how much I adjust
the closures.

I replaced my forward hatch gasket this year with some material I bought at West Marine. It was about $16 or so and just a little bit longer than the amount I needed. Hasn't leaked since.

D Sabourin
Mad Hatter
CD 36 Hull #151

Thank you. I will look for it. Where is your boat located?

[Robert Davee]

As I remember the frame channel was a fairly simple shape - however I do recall having to mask the bottom of the channel to prevent the caulk from leaking out to the under side. I believe the hatch on my boat is a Bomar Low Profile type and you are right the light is acrylic not plexiglass.

Robert,
Good Post! Say, when you took the plexiglass out and cleaned the hatch frame, did you notice the shape of the frames interior ledges that hold the plexiglass? The reason I ask, is that I just finished helping a friend recaulk a Mason 33's glazing, and that frame had a Z shaped channel in which to set the plexiglass. or acrylic glass in their case. The methods for that hatch were quite different and not exactly intuitive. They used an RTV product that works with Acrylic, but here is where it differed from the directions you gave for the CD hatches. The RTV was installed in the lower part of the glazing well, and allowed to setup for 4 hours, forming a compliant but still soft bead of RTV. Then the glazing was layed very carefully on top of this partially cured RTV, and then a second ring of RTV was carefully applied filling in the area around the glass and on top of the glass to the frame itself. We had to try it twice before it was correct. What a mess!!! Imagine cleaning up and removing a whole 12in. cartridge of RTV goop. That took 3x longer than the actual work.

So I wonder if the frames on our hatches are as complicated as this or if they have a simplified L shaped channel to set the glazing in.

Cheers!

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30

The stuff to use to replace the seal between the frame and the plexiglas panel is GE Silicone "UltraGlaze" Structural Glazing Sealant (SSG 4000 Black). This will match the material used originally. This must be carefully done. Remove the old caulk and clean completely. Wash with acetone carefully. Then mask all the surfaces where you do not want the caulk and carefully fill the cavity from the top. Let it cure for 24 hours in warm area. It will be like new. The caulk material is hard to find and not exactly cheap. I found mine at David Lowes in Stuart FL, in fact they are the ones that told me how to do it.

We have a leaking forward hatch on our CD28.
At first I thought the problem was the rubber seal you mention until I had the chance to observe it during a rainstorm. I realized that the leak was coming from the joint between the plexiglass and the hatch frame. I noticed that water pools on the top of the hatch and that even a microscopic crack will siphon rainwater through, even though the crack is invisible.

This can be repaired by unscrewing the plexiglass, removing the residue of the old caulking, and applying a new sealant. (I'm planning to use 3M 5200.)

-- Mike Everett
s/v Dr. Pepper

RLCapeDory@aol.com

[Catherine Monaghan]

Pompanette Inc. is the parent company of Bomar/Gray, the manufacturer of many of the hatches used on Cape Dory Yachts. Their contact info follows:

Pompanette Inc.
PO Box 1200
South West Street
Charlestown, NH, 03603
Tel: (603) 826-5791, Fax: (603) 826-4125

Or checkout their website at:

<a href="http://www.pompanette.com/pompweb.nsf/" ... eb.nsf/</a>


catherine_monaghan@merck.com
CD32 <a href="http://www.hometown.aol.com/bcomet/real ... ization</a>, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

Mike,
Don't use 5200 on anything that you may need to repair in the future. It is permanent, and there are several sealants that are far better at doing what you need to do. Try 3M101 if you like their stuff, or Lifecaulk for an alternative vendor. Silicon sealant is also not recommended in this appication, although it would seem the most correct of all.

The only place on your boat where 5200 would be a proper bonding/sealant to use would be the Hull/Deck joint. Virtually everything else must be allowed to be repaired, which dictates which adhesive/sealant not to use.

Finally, a call to the maker of the hatch (Bomar?) will get their advice, which would be gold in this case. A word of warning; A friend on their Mason 33 is still trying to get their hatch glazing to be water tight in a rainstorm..after 2 years of professional help, and >$1k in labor charges and excuses. The process is complex inthat the seals are usually a stepped seal, which requires a process to seal the glazing. The sealant will depend on what glazing you use..Lucite, safety glass, plexiglass..etc. I believe even acrylic plastics are used occasionally, and there could be a compatibility problem with the sealant, if the wrong one is used. So call the vendor.

Good Luck!

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30

In case you're not certain about the source of your leak:

We have a leaking forward hatch on our CD28.
At first I thought the problem was the rubber seal you mention until I had the chance to observe it during a rainstorm. I realized that the leak was coming from the joint between the plexiglass and the hatch frame. I noticed that water pools on the top of the hatch and that even a microscopic crack will siphon rainwater through, even though the crack is invisible.

This can be repaired by unscrewing the plexiglass, removing the residue of the old caulking, and applying a new sealant. (I'm planning to use 3M 5200.)

-- Mike Everett
s/v Dr. Pepper

catherine_monaghan@merck.com