General Info: Lagoon Escape Hatches Falling Out

[Ndavies]

I have had my brackets for a few weeks now (2019 Lagoon 40). I got them through my dealer (DYC) and have asked them to pay for a short haul to facilitate installation. Waiting for a response. We sailed the boat back from France and so far have had no issues with the hatches. Sailmonkey asks how you open the hatch - you don't. The new hatches are sealed and break-out hammers are provided in the event you have to exit. I understand they had so many issues with charterers opening hatches while underway that fixed hatches have become the norm. I have not heard of ANY reports of these hatches falling out.

[AllenRbrts]

Originally Posted by 1AE_Dan_R

The scientists are asleep so our bandwidth is better. Photos as promised. The steel flat stock in the "outside photo" came out of our scrap bin which is why they are 2 different sizes. Looks funny, but very solid. The thin one on the right of photo is 1/4"x1.5" and the one on the left is 1/8"x3":

Dan

Really nice job! A couple of questions

1. Was the original escape hatch just a glass panel glued to the hull or did it have dogs and a hinge?

2. How did you manage to get this on without tons of water coming into the boat? Were the seas pretty calm?

For others, this solution is the best for a emergency fix because it is outside the boat rather than trying to have the patch inside the boat which I can’t imagine would be able to seal and keep out water.

In the last month I have talked with a number of boats that have had an escape hatch fail. Like breaking waves says, don’t go offshore unless you have total confidence in your escape hatch which means you have done something to positively secure it to the hull. You can decide if you are happy with a lagoon or fountaine Pajot provided solution.

[1AE_Dan_R]

Originally Posted by AllenRbrts

Dan
1. Was the original escape hatch just a glass panel glued to the hull or did it have dogs and a hinge?

2. How did you manage to get this on without tons of water coming into the boat? Were the seas pretty calm?

3. For others, this solution is the best for a emergency fix because it is outside the boat rather than trying to have the patch inside the boat which I can’t imagine would be able to seal and keep out water.

1. It was the glued glass panel variety. The one on the stbd hull was still intact and in place, so I was able to verify the layout before removing the interior patch.


2. Seas were fairly mild 6-8ft long period swell with 10-15kts winds and chop, although I don't have a good comparison as I haven't spent any appreciable time on small craft in open water. The boat was sitting so that the inboard side of the port hull was in the lee, which gave pretty good protection. Because the patch was fully sized and assembled before we got onboard, the time between removing the existing interior patch and installing the new one was about 5 minutes.


3. This is the exact problem the crew was dealing with. They had an interior patch attached with wood screws and bracing but could not seal the gap between the hull and interior trim.

[dcareri]

I have a L450 and I'm going to make some patches like described below. Is it just the glass that falls out of the escape hatch? And the aluminum frame remains in place?

The brackets I received from Lagoon could hold both the frame and glass in place although the small screws and 5200 the brackets are put on with do not really look like they are up to task. Plus there will be an issue with water ingress with the glass held loosely in place.

Make a difference about how big you make the patch.

Thanks....

[1AE_Dan_R]

Originally Posted by dcareri

I have a L450 and I'm going to make some patches like described below. Is it just the glass that falls out of the escape hatch? And the aluminum frame remains in place?

The brackets I received from Lagoon could hold both the frame and glass in place although the small screws and 5200 the brackets are put on with do not really look like they are up to task. Plus there will be an issue with water ingress with the glass held loosely in place.

Make a difference about how big you make the patch.

Thanks....

In this case the aluminum bracket was still in place. Won't affect patch size since you only need to overlap the hull by a couple inches for adequate strength, and it will fit through regardless. I can't speak for any other instances.

[AllenRbrts]

Originally Posted by 1AE_Dan_R

In this case the aluminum bracket was still in place. Won't affect patch size since you only need to overlap the hull by a couple inches for adequate strength, and it will fit through regardless. I can't speak for any other instances.

Wait, this boat had the two aluminum brackets installed on the sides of the glass which were added to keep the glass from falling out and it still fell off??!!!


If that is the situation that should be a huge wake up call to Lagoon and Lagoon owners.

[1AE_Dan_R]

Originally Posted by AllenRbrts

Wait, this boat had the two aluminum brackets installed on the sides of the glass which were added to keep the glass from falling out and it still fell off??!!!


If that is the situation that should be a huge wake up call to Lagoon and Lagoon owners.

Sorry, I mis-spoke. Aluminum frame was still in place. There were no brackets.

[AllenRbrts]

Dan

Did the hatch look like this? The aluminum brackets are an add on to try to prevent the hatch from coming off. Please confirm.

Allen

Originally Posted by 1AE_Dan_R

Sorry, I mis-spoke. Aluminum frame was still in place. There were no brackets.

[Hardhead]

Originally Posted by 1AE_Dan_R

This is an urgent request for assistance. I am the 1st Assistant Engineer aboard R/V KILO MOANA operating approximately 1000NM south of Tahiti.


We are enroute to provide assistance to the crew of a 2007 Lagoon 420 (name is Thetis-catamaran.com) that has experienced an escape hatch failure and has taken on sufficient water to be at risk of sinking.


I am trying to confirm the dimensions of the escape hatch so I can build a cover for it tonight before we arrive on location tomorrow morning. One of the earlier posts in this thread gave hatch dimensions of 44cmx44cm square for a Lagoon 450. Is this applicable to the 420?



We would like to make every safe effort to safe their boat but will be evacuating the crew if required. Thank you in advance for your assistance.


V/R
Dan Race
1st Assistant Engineer - R/V Kilo Moana

My hat is off to you sir. You're a man in the finest traditions of the sea.

[Canarios]

Originally Posted by DavefromNZ

Spotted on a Lagoon Facebook forum. Sounds very serious and dangerous. Anyone know more?
Attachment 190014Attachment 190015

Hi. I have a Lagoon 380 from 2008. Reading this makes me worried.
Can you please give me More information.
What haspens, how can I see that it will nappen etc

[Canarios]

Originally Posted by DavefromNZ

Spotted on a Lagoon Facebook forum. Sounds very serious and dangerous. Anyone know more?
Attachment 190014Attachment 190015

Originally Posted by Amberina

also read it,
my dealer (blue marine ) will inform Katmarina to do the job in torrevieja
he confirms that there is no imediate risc, but that it needs to be taken care of.

Is this for all the Lagoon Catamarans?
I have a Lagoon 380 from 2008. Produktion no 440.
Shall I be constantly worried from now on?

[Canarios]

Originally Posted by AllenRbrts

Here is a photo of the fix installed on a new lagoon 450f. If the glass seal did fail, not completely clear these brackets will keep keep it from have a serious leak in large seas. I would have thought the brackets would have some padding to the glass and apply positive pressure on the glass. These look like they have a gap from bracket to the glass.Attachment 192608

I have the same feeling. Is this really strong enough? It semester that the brockets give no pressare against the hatch and it will hang loose it water press the hatch in.
Is this really a solution Lagoon has comeback with.

[Canarios]

Originally Posted by bez

We had these brackets fixed as a warranty recall by Lagoon. Personally I think this is a silly solution and I have lodged a complaint via my dealer. The boat is specified with escape hatches that require knocking out with a hammer in case of emergency, so in my view, the hatches supplied should match those specifications (staying in place in all conditions, to be hammered when necessary), no ifs and buts. If the supplied hatches cannot be certified for the job, then adding some small aluminium brackets to the hull is not a proper solution. The entire hatches should be replaced with a type for which its fitness for purpose can be warranteed. I'll be waiting for Lagoon's response.....

I have a 380 as well.
It seems to be a ”Quick Cheap fix” Lagoon has presenter.
Are they sending the brackets as a ”just in case” if it should happen solution?
Or do they know that it will happen?
How can I see that it is on its way to happen?

[Canarios]

Originally Posted by 1AE_Dan_R

The scientists are asleep so our bandwidth is better. Photos as promised. The steel flat stock in the "outside photo" came out of our scrap bin which is why they are 2 different sizes. Looks funny, but very solid. The thin one on the right of photo is 1/4"x1.5" and the one on the left is 1/8"x3":

The hand sketch is difficult to read. Is it possible to get a better copy?

[rogue trader]

Originally Posted by AllenRbrts

I think the lagoon solution had promise to be good. In theory no leaks because it wasn’t a hatch, no mechanism to fail and quick to deploy. The glass was a key part of the solution because it had to be breakable.

The Goiot hatch suffers from a number of design flaws. The lens could have been fine, but they did not adhere it to the hatch well enough. They now apparently offer a solid hatch but if the rest of the hinge and seal are the same it will still have leaking problems.

Perhaps some of the thought process is the hatch would be easier to find in an emergency if it was transparent and let light into what would be a very dark place otherwise.

as an auto repairer i can tell you that sikaflex is an extremly strong product as i ure it day,ly the trick is to know which product no,ie 255 fc sikatack and the other product numbers as there are a few the 255 is the most used for glazing try going to a scrap yard and smashing then trying to get the remanents out of the frame,also must use thick leather gloves, that product must use prep cchemicals.