Hatches and Portholes

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by solarbri

But they also must be tremendously safer for moving about on deck (nothing to trip over).
Ahh tradeoffs.

I dunno - are they making non-skid windows yet?

[H2OHOBO]

My 20 year old Privilege 482 has Lewmar hatches, they never leaked, lens replacement is simple as they use a auto winshieled type sealant strip that seals perfectly but does not stick to the lens, of course there is also a bead of silicone around the edge. I bought a sheet of plexi and cut out a set in a few hours, fitting each one is about a 20 min job, I use Dow Corning 795 black silicone, less than $10 a tube. The original gaskets are still good. My only complaint is the friction hinges wont keep them open, but this seems a common problem with all brands.

[muskoka]

You can tighten the friction hinges on most hatches to keep them open. It's a bit of trial & error to get the right torque but give it a try!

Cheers