Deck floor hatch seal 25 ft cruiser
- Thread starter jkswor
- Start date
In short, get used to it. Ours is eternally wet. It's only dry in summer months when I use what in essence is a large turkey baster (water toy) I bought from the dollar store. I suck the last amount of water I can out and keep the hatches open to air dry. Their design sucks. the only "solution" I've hear of is to replace them with very expensive alum hatches designed for floor install. Not something I am even contemplating.
Owners have tried new gaskets, strong backs to keep the hatches rigid, new hatches, and even an occasional case of a raised hatch (such as on the lazarette of the 22's, to no avail.) My son's Cruise Ship 25 seems to have dry bilges, but that may be because it is in S. Calif. and he keeps the slant back over the cockpit.
The only plastic one which has been tested with water, and this is a new hatch, so we don't know what time will do, is the Innovative Product Solutions Boat Hatch 520-625 | Polar White 12 x 26 This is about $120. This has no hinges, and uses a wedge structure on the back to give the pressure.
There are some great aluminum, casketed hatches which are truly water tight such as this Bowmar:
The 15 x 24 starts at $529. Is it worth $1200 to keep the bilge dry? For some it may be. If I were to buy a 25 again, I would consider putting these hatches in.
In any case, when you put in a new hatch, the cockpit deck core needs to be cut back, filled with thickened epoxy, and then installed, with the screws into the epoxy.
The only plastic one which has been tested with water, and this is a new hatch, so we don't know what time will do, is the Innovative Product Solutions Boat Hatch 520-625 | Polar White 12 x 26 This is about $120. This has no hinges, and uses a wedge structure on the back to give the pressure.
There are some great aluminum, casketed hatches which are truly water tight such as this Bowmar:
In any case, when you put in a new hatch, the cockpit deck core needs to be cut back, filled with thickened epoxy, and then installed, with the screws into the epoxy.
jkswor":75gstwih said:
Good luck with that one :wink:
A little bit of bleach kills that mold :wink:
Dig all the crap out of the gasket area, make sure they are closed all the way each time, etc.
Mine leaked as bad around the flange as the lid, pulled both out, cleaned up & re-installed with 5200 :wink: that made it less wet.
Have a good one!!!
journey on
New member
Bob/thataway;
As one of the C-25 owners who's boat has a leaking bilge I looked at your recommended Innovative Product Solutions Boat Hatch 520-625 | Polar White 12 x 26 with interest. By the way, the leak is always fresh water because it comes down into the cockpit from rain or washing the boat.
The required cutout is 10 1/2" by 24 1/4" which happens to be the size of the existing hatch. One would not be cutting through the balsa core as I've got it measured. On the other hand, one would not have a clean cutout, but some of the original contoured surface would be left. This would not give full support, but what's there might be adequate. Do you agree? Have you or do you know of anyone who's installed one in a C-25?
Has anyone installed one of these hatches? Please feel free to comment.
Boris
As one of the C-25 owners who's boat has a leaking bilge I looked at your recommended Innovative Product Solutions Boat Hatch 520-625 | Polar White 12 x 26 with interest. By the way, the leak is always fresh water because it comes down into the cockpit from rain or washing the boat.
The required cutout is 10 1/2" by 24 1/4" which happens to be the size of the existing hatch. One would not be cutting through the balsa core as I've got it measured. On the other hand, one would not have a clean cutout, but some of the original contoured surface would be left. This would not give full support, but what's there might be adequate. Do you agree? Have you or do you know of anyone who's installed one in a C-25?
Has anyone installed one of these hatches? Please feel free to comment.
Boris
I did not try another hatch. I re-enforced the standard hatches with aluminum angle on the underside to correct warping and lived with the leakage until we had a good camperback put on. That solved it for us. Also, leaving a small fan running into one of the inspection hatches while stored under cover kept the area extra dry.
Greg
Greg
Boris,
PM sent--I probably would try one of the innovative ones--maybe even re-inforcing the back with aluminum angle. Good to know that the cutout would be close!
The Bomar is 17 3/4"x 26 3/4 so it is a considerably bigger hatch, and might be an issue with the cuts. There is also an "inspection hatch"41020 cut out 12" x 21", so one would have to do some glass work to make that fit in--and it is also $510...so not a lot less than the 17 x 26...
I don't know of anyone who has tried these hatches; sorry.
PM sent--I probably would try one of the innovative ones--maybe even re-inforcing the back with aluminum angle. Good to know that the cutout would be close!
The Bomar is 17 3/4"x 26 3/4 so it is a considerably bigger hatch, and might be an issue with the cuts. There is also an "inspection hatch"41020 cut out 12" x 21", so one would have to do some glass work to make that fit in--and it is also $510...so not a lot less than the 17 x 26...
I don't know of anyone who has tried these hatches; sorry.
C. A. Derivas
New member
We just ordered new gaskets from Tempress in Dallas. Will let you know if that helps