New Lewmar Ocean 60 Hatch difficult to close

[thethrillisgone]

Hi all,
I have a new, Lewmar 60 Ocean hatch, and find it very difficult to close. I haven't installed it as I'm not sure I'll be able to pull down hard enough to close it once it is in place. The vent position is no issue but once you try to fully close it, it is very hard to compress the seal enough to latch it.
The reason for my question is: I have never installed a brand new one, or opened/ closed one for that matter, and don't know how hard it should be.
I suppose it should be very tight to properly seal at sea but it takes most of my strength to close it. (I'm a pretty big guy
Bought from reputable marine supply in the UK and it was new in box. Could be defective or perfectly normal, I just have no knowledge of this.

Any experience out there with opening/ closing brand new Lewmar Ocean hatches?
Thank you.

 

[coopec]

Is this the same sort of problem you have? I imagine the rubber seal would take a week or two to compress to the shape of the metal hatch base.




https://www.justanswer.com/boat/8fgb6-just-installed-new-lewmar-ocean-hatch-size-60-flat.html

 

[RunAgroundHard]

I installed a new Lewmar 60 on the foredeck about 4 years ago and it is still difficult to pull down and latch closed. I always feel that I am applying excessive force, but it always closes. When not on the boat, or when in a marina, it sits in the vent position with the locks in the lock garage slots instead of the outside (bottom) edge of the lock garage. It takes a lot of effort to close in the sealed position and so far, after 4 years, it still takes a lot of effort.

Maybe the resilience / tenacity of the rubber seal is designed for a wide temperature range and in colder, northern (or southern) climes the seal is stiffer than warmer climes. That is a guess though, so could be complete bullshit.

I don't worry about it. Mine was fitted by a yard, who are known to be skilled and deliver quality work, hence I think it is fitted correctly.

 

[thethrillisgone]

Thanks for the reply, very helpful.
The seal is in full contact all the way round so I think you are right, it's just new, and it's also really cold in London right now. The temperature having an effect makes total sense to me and I would expect it to be much more pliable in the summer.
When you leave it in the vent position, do you ever have any rain getting in whilst in the marina? I'm sure a regular drizzle would be OK but I'd be concerned with a gusting rain.
Thoughts on that?
Thanks again.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

I would just add, the link in coopec's post suggest that it is a damaged frame, bent, because of the gap mentioned between frame and lid. That is not the case with mine. Last autumn I bashed up wind into a F7 and shipped a lot of water over the bow, not a drop below.

No rain gets below and it is always on vent when berthed, even through some pretty horrible winds and rain. My boat does sit into the prevailing wind, with the hinge forward and opening facing aft, but in the last 4 years never a drop below. Deck washing on the other hand, whether water from the bucket, hose or pressure washer will get through the vent gap.