Lewmar Hatch Lens Replacement

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richie30's picture
richie30
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Joined: 12/12/07
Posts: 159
Lewmar Hatch Lens Replacement

I am looking at replacing my crazed hatch lenses.
any thoughts on who can do this, for a fair price?
Does anyone know the thickness of the factory lenses on a 36 MK2?
Im in Ontario, but can ship these anywhere. 
Many Thanks
Rich

Rich

Richard & Joan Bain
PAZZO Hull#1670
1997 Catalina 36 MK11
Bayfield, Ontario

My Day Job Below
www.richardbain.com
www.bineapress.com

pierview
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Joined: 9/27/09
Posts: 584

I don't have the name of the company but there is one in Connecticut that I met at the Newport Boat Show a few years ago. You can probably find them if you Google hatch repair and Ct.

Chuck Parker
HelenRita 2072 Mk II
2002 Tall Rig - Winged Keel
Atlantic Highlands, NJ

rstonge
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Joined: 11/2/08
Posts: 65

The company in CT is: https://hatchmasters.com/contact/
They are also known as Select Plastics located in Norwalk.

I am planning to replace my lenses this spring so please  post details on your experience. 

Ron St. Onge

1995 Catalina 36 MKII Hull 1384

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dlincoln3
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Joined: 4/24/16
Posts: 144

I replaced all of my hatch lenses and rebedded all of the opening hatches a couple of years ago.  I sent the large trapezoid hatch in the v-berth to Hatchmasters, but I redid all of the others myself.  Some notes and steps:

  1. Hatchmasters does a great job, but they are expensive.  I don't recall exactly, but I want to say that the one hatch they did for me was north of $300, which included a new lens and new handles and shipping.
  2. If you replace the lenses yourself, it isn't that difficult, and the materials will cost somewhere around $40 per hatch.  I ordered the lenses from eStreet Plastics online.  You need 3/8" thick sheets in #2064 Gray.  You can order 24x24 panels and cut them to size yourself with a jig saw with a "plastics" blade.
  3. The old lens can be removed from the frame very easily by spraying either "Debond Marine Formula" or a product called "Release" from Boatlife on the old caulk.  I have used both, and they both work very well.  They break the adhesive properties of the caulk and allow you to easily pry the old lens out of the frame and clean up all of the old caulk around the frame.  The release spray turns a 2 hour job into a 30-minute one.  Highly recommend.
  4. You can use the old lens as a template for the new.  Curves and holes can be transcribed to the paper cover on the new lens.  
  5. I used 3M VHB double-sided adhesive foam tape to install the new lens.  This bonds the lens to the frame while the new adhesive caulk does the sealing work.
  6. At this point, green frog tape around the frame.  You're also going to want to remove the underside brown paper off of the lens, and pre-pull a corner of the brown paper that covers the top of the new lens (pull up a corner and then push it back down before you caulk).  This will give you starting point for pulling the paper up after you have caulked.
  7. I used Dowsil 795 silicone sealant to caulk the new lenses.  Goop a heavy bead all the way around the lens joint, and wipe with a finger.
  8. Before the caulk sets, carefully pull the brown paper off of the hatch lens and the frog tape off of the frame.  Let it cure, and you'll be ready to install the handles and hinge hardware.  If you want new handles and hinge covers, you can buy those separately from Hatchmasters too.  Catalina Direct used to have some as well, but I'm not sure if they still do.
  9. I would recommend removing the whole hatch from the deck of the boat and doing all of the lens work at home.  So much easier than trying to do this one your knees on the boat.  It also gives you an opportunity to rebed the hatch to the deck.  When I did this, I found the source of a major deck leak that had been eluding me for years.  When I removed the hatch over the salon table, I found a spot where there was very little sealant under the frame, and it probably came from the factory this way.  The hatch itself never leaked, but the condition allowed water to get into the plywood deck core and over the years, the leak eventually emerged in the port side dorade vent opening in the cabin and also through the light fixture over the stove.  I had already rebedded everything else I could think of that would have caused it, but I finally found it under that hatch.  I epoxied all around that opening, rebedded the hatch, and have not had a drip since.

I have a few photos attached.  Hope this helps.

Don Lincoln

Don Lincoln
"Nancy Lynn"
1993 Catalina MK1.5, Hull 1238
LaSalle, MI (Lake Erie)
Universal M-35AC

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rstonge
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Joined: 11/2/08
Posts: 65

Don,

Thank you so much for the detailed reply.   I will follow these steps this spring!

Ron St. Onge

1995 Catalina 36 MKII Hull 1384

JEBtrois
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Joined: 8/31/21
Posts: 33

Also, 
www.catalinadirect.com 
Sells lenses with or without the hardware for an easy swap out that you could do yourself.
JEB

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