It is a Lewmar hatch on my '91, so I would assume that yours is too. Try calling Select Plastics (google it). They have a hatch repair deal where you send them the hatch and they send it back in a few weeks with new Lexan. Mine is all crazed and I've been thinking of sending mine in, but haven't yet as it is a bit pricey.

Good Luck, Mike

I replaced the foreward hatch lens on my 1989 C36 last year. It was easy, and not very expensive.

Here are the steps.

1. Cut straight down both sides of the seal bead around the edge of the lens with a utility knife. The cut will be about 3/8" or more deep down to the aluminum flange inside the frame. After cutting to both sides of the seal, dig it out with a screwdriver or something. Then the lens can be pried out. Mine came out easily after the outside seal was removed.

2. The next step is to remove any sealant from the old lens and glue the thing back together if it is broken. The old lens will be used as a pattern to cut out the new lens.

3. Take the pattern to a plastics supplier. I would also take one of the hatch latches and explain how it fits in the holes so they will get the hole size right. I used TAP plastics near my home in Portland Oregon, but I think most any plastics shop will work. Ask them to cut out a new lens the same size as the old one out of cast acrylic. They have the tools to do the job quickly, I picked mine up the next day. Choose the color of lens you like. Don't try to match the old one because color changes quite a bit over time. The new lens cost about $75 as I recall.

4. Remove the old adhesive from the frame. I used a razor blade and cut as much of the old adhesive off as I could. Then I scrubbed with silicon adhesive remover and a 3M pad. Finally I sanded the surface where new sealant must stick.

5. If your hatch gasket is hard or damaged, this is a good time to replace it. Mine was OK so I left it.

6. The new hatch lens will come with paper on both sides. Remove a band of the paper that would be under the gasket when the lens is installed. Leave all of the other paper on the hatch until installation is complete. Sand the outside edge all around the lens. Don't touch the outside edge after sanding as oil from you finger might weaken the adhesive bond.

7. Mask the outside of the hatch frame right up to the sealant surface. Put the lens in place and use a few spacers around the edge to center the lens in the frame. Then fill the groove completely up with Dow Corning 795 silicone sealant, and leave a substantial bead on top. There may be other sealants that will work but do not try to use GE Silicone from one of the box stores!!! I tried that on the hatch over my head and it took months to set.
I found it useful to read about application of the 795 sealant on Dow Cornings web site. It took about 1 tube of sealant to do the hatch.

8. Let the sealant cure for about a week, then cut the excess sealant off with a razor blade and remove the masking tape from the frame and paper from the lens.

Enjoy the new lens that you installed for less than $100.

Great report, Gary. That would have made a super tech article if you had photos.

Great writeup Gary. I'm putting this on my To-Do list.

Mike

Bart.. you don't say where you are, but there is a place in Conn. which replaces the hatch glass. I believe it may be Select Plastics.

I spoke to them at a show last fall and they told me they can sell you a replacement but how easy it is depends on the hatch frame. There are specific ones that are easy for the owner to change and others that are going to give us problems and they recommend sending the hatch in to them to do. It might be worthwhile checking with them before you start investing in materials.