Leaking forehatch

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Keiron

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The forehatch on our Hunter Duette is leaking I think. I will check the manufacturer at the weekend but does anyone have experience of replacing the seals on hatches? The rest of the hatch looks fine. Is it possible?

Cheers Keiron
 
Very easy. Pull out a small section of the existing rubber gasket to use as a pattern/example for the hardware store that you go to for the replacement rubber. once you have the material just pull out the old stuff and stick in some new. Evo stick is good enough.
You may also have to do what I had to, i.e. toe remove the hatch from the deck and re-seal the hatch to the deck. Simple unscrew, use a wide flat scraper to break the bond, lift off, scrape off the old sealant/glue, apply replacement sealant and then screw back into place.
 
Houdini !Ah yes the disappearing leak.
If the boat is of any age, then the foam rubber that they use between the "glass" and the surround starts to breakdown and water leaks through the rubber and ouy of the other side. It took me ages to find this.

You can try the captain's leak sealer but this will breakdown in time as the bottom edge of the glass frame seal sits in a pool of water - possibly the reason it fails in the first place. I managed to get some special "flowable" silicon sealer in the USA to cure mine.

Let me know and I see if I can find the maker.
 
When all else fails ie.you have pulled the glass out and resealed it, you have replaced the rubber seal and its still leaking somewhere.Or you simply cannot be bothered with all that palaver..................
Buy a square metre of your favorite colour (to match sails or other covers) boat cloth and make a nifty little hatch cover and secure it with those small rubber bungees at each corner.
It can be removed pronto if you need to use the Houdini in anger and it keeps the light out when sleeping aboard.
 
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