What do you do if your hatches leak slightly? Do you rip them out and put new ones in...or are there other practical solutions........here are some possible answers:
1. Use silicon grease – it doesn’t rot the gaskets
2. Vaseline (petroleum Jelly) – keeps them free because the hatches are prone to sticking and surely it adds a level of waterproofing? Until you take things out of the hatch when everything gets smudged with the stuff!
3. Build a more weatherproof tarpaulin over Arwen – because the hatches leak due to the standing water that collects in her floor well!
4. Make sure the hatch is well embedded on sealant and that screw holes are fully sealed. This can be checked by lightly pressurising the compartments with a vacuum cleaner set to blow and spreading a water/detergent mix around the hatch and surround (assuming there is another opening the air can be blown into – or so I am told).
5. For plain lubrication of the threads a Teflon spray works well - apply it to the hatch only, well away from the boat, being wary of contaminating the paint and causing trouble at re-paint time.
6. Check that there is no grit/dirt in the gaskets!
7. Perhaps put in a plug at the end where the water collects? A drain plug would also make cleaning the boat after sailing much easier. (thanks for the idea Osbert)
8. Pete sent me this tip: “I made up a wooden 'spanner' to tighten and undo stuck screw in hatches. The idea came from George Cunningham in Tennesee. You can see a pic under Houdini "Dexterity" mainsheet changes in the Photo Albums on the Welsford yahoo site. This should enable you to give the hatch a last little tweak to get a good waterproof seal”.
9. You can get good quality sponges that should leave the floor almost dry. (nice idea Pete – thanks)
I have this magic list. It's called 'a things to do list'. It's magic because it doesn't matter how many things you cross off it as 'done'.....the list always seems to get longer....especially the closer you get to the fair sailing weather arriving. Funny that!
Steve
1. Use silicon grease – it doesn’t rot the gaskets
2. Vaseline (petroleum Jelly) – keeps them free because the hatches are prone to sticking and surely it adds a level of waterproofing? Until you take things out of the hatch when everything gets smudged with the stuff!
3. Build a more weatherproof tarpaulin over Arwen – because the hatches leak due to the standing water that collects in her floor well!
4. Make sure the hatch is well embedded on sealant and that screw holes are fully sealed. This can be checked by lightly pressurising the compartments with a vacuum cleaner set to blow and spreading a water/detergent mix around the hatch and surround (assuming there is another opening the air can be blown into – or so I am told).
5. For plain lubrication of the threads a Teflon spray works well - apply it to the hatch only, well away from the boat, being wary of contaminating the paint and causing trouble at re-paint time.
6. Check that there is no grit/dirt in the gaskets!
7. Perhaps put in a plug at the end where the water collects? A drain plug would also make cleaning the boat after sailing much easier. (thanks for the idea Osbert)
8. Pete sent me this tip: “I made up a wooden 'spanner' to tighten and undo stuck screw in hatches. The idea came from George Cunningham in Tennesee. You can see a pic under Houdini "Dexterity" mainsheet changes in the Photo Albums on the Welsford yahoo site. This should enable you to give the hatch a last little tweak to get a good waterproof seal”.
9. You can get good quality sponges that should leave the floor almost dry. (nice idea Pete – thanks)
I have this magic list. It's called 'a things to do list'. It's magic because it doesn't matter how many things you cross off it as 'done'.....the list always seems to get longer....especially the closer you get to the fair sailing weather arriving. Funny that!
Steve
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