Leaking Lazarette Hatch

C

CAVU

New member
The port lazarette hatch leaks on my 22 cruiser. I removed the gasket and it has a slight defect which I think is causing the leak. My research so far seems to show it is a Bomar inspection hatch? Has any one found a source of new gaskets? I could only find one source that sells the material in 10' lengths for $25. That seems a little high to me since I could buy a whole new hatch for $55. Any ideas for alternate gasket material? I did find a source for 0-ring cord in 3/8" OD which would fit in the hatch groove. Not sure if this would seal properly. Any help/ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Thanks Dan. I didn't ask what it was made of. I will have to call again tomorrow and check. The old gasket was pretty soft and squishy so a very hard material probably wouldn't work.
 
The O-ring cord (if it is soft and durable enough) will work just fine. In a previous place of employment we had a kit that could be used to make custom o-ring of most any size - it consisted of:
1) various diameters of o-ring cord
2) a simple device with channels in it for each diameter of cord and a slot through which a razor blade would fit - this allowed one to easily make nice perpendicular cuts on the cord
3) Some "super glue - like" glue to glue the ends together and
4) a jig that would keep the ends aligned while gluing.

I beleive the kit was from Parker O-rings. BTW - it is also possible to get the cord in a design that is flat on two sides. A good source for O-ring parts (and for all kinds of other hardware) is McMaster Carr. Go to their web site (www.mcmastercarr.com) and do a search on o-rings - a lot of good information on types of cord stock, hardness, material type etc will come back as will links to products. Scroll down and you'll see links to their o-ring splicing kits. You can also view and price these by going directly to their catalog pages - page 3238 of thier courrent catalog has the splice kits listed. The "inch kit" in silicone "includes four 7-ft. long pieces of cord stock in diameters of 0.103", 0.139", 0.210", and 0.275" (unless noted)", goes for $46.67 and includes a simple jig and glue.

I might also point out that McMaster Carr is also great source for other hardware including stuff made from stainless.

Roger on the SeaDNA
 
Luna C":3jum8vg9 said:
Thanks R-bum. Thats Mcmater-carr. The extra 'r' seems to be important in linking to the site!
Click to expand...

you mean McMasterCarr - (the s is important too)... we both misspelled it :oops: - I edited the link to correct my spelling error.
 
Thanks guys. While you were deciding how to spell McMaster-Carr, I checked out the web site and you are right-a lot interesting stuff. I found a source for o-rings locally but they only had Buna-N which was very hard. I was afraid it would not work. I finally settled on some foam weather strip from NAPA. Seems ok with just a hose test. I'll know more after a good hard rain. Thanks.
 
HI Ken I am glad you mention those leaky Bomar hatchs , on my 22 2005 both side leaks like sieve. My theory is that the surface where the flange is screwed is not totaly level , and the lock mechanism does not tork the door thighted enough. So if you use different O ring and it work please tell us thank you . I love this this C Brat forum. Gary & Sharon
 
Ditto on my hatch's. Both leak significantly and from the sound of things a lot of us are candidates for a "group" leak fix. I've had it on my agenda to troubleshoot but have been too busy to get to it as yet.
 
Well the news is not good. I thought I had the leak fixed with the soft foam weatherstrip from NAPA. After a couple of hard rains, it is still leaking. I may have to spring for the manufacturers OEM gasket. It is very spendy.
 
On my 2005 the port hatch leaks but the starboard is fine. I guess I need to see what the difference is between them and maybe the cause the leak will show itself.
 
I hope Jeff Messmer is reading this thread - for the MOST part it does not matter if the lazarette hatches leak a bit, you can store stuff there that can get wet. BUT on a lot of CD22s the 50A main breaker is located under the starboard hatch on the floor of the lazarette, right where the leaking water regularly drenches it. Leaking water corroded the connection between the wire and the breaker on our prior CD22, causing us to lose all house power at Sucia in February 2004. Then exactly the same thing happened to George and Penny on Wanderer on our post Eastern Shore CBGT Chesapeake Bay cruise earlier this month. This is a problem that needs addressing. Either the hatch needs to be fixed so it doesn't leak, or the breaker needs to be relocated so it doesn't corrode from being constantly wet. The breaker (or more accurately, the connections between the breaker and the wires) absolutely cannot be allowed to be continually wet. This IS a real issue...
 
Here is what I did. Adeline has the older style hatches and closures. They were designed to leak and they do it very well. I cut a piece of inner-tube in a slightly larger size than the closure. I radiused the corners. Cut 4 small rectangles of Velcro (Industrial Strength Adhesive) and placed one at each corner. I double stapled each of the pieces on the inner tube. This has been working for me for 16 years, even @ freeway speeds. BTW, it is also the same set-up I use for my window shades, except blue vinyl instead of rubber.
 
Dan-

Even the older model C-Dorys which have a different design on the hatch covers have much the same seal problem with water accumulating in the space between the seal and the deck top and no place in which to drain.

I suppose one could drill drain holes in the space and use very small tubes to drain the water off to some thru-hull type fitting in the side of the hull or to the bilge, but the diameter of tube necessary poses problems with probable clogging from random debris and from insects that like to hide out in such passages.

You're right, it's going to be a real bugga to fix!!! Joe.
 
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