Best quality hatches

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by geoleo

Lewmar much better than bowmar. The Bowmar latches are junk as are the hold opens which lock up.

Are you talking about bomar hatches. As in these



They're pretty much indestructable. Completely rebuildable. mine are 40+ years old and can still be rebuilt (just need some paint and a couple of parts that went missing at some point.

[Manateeman]

Captain Pegu. Please read my post again. It’s the extruded not the cast hatches that are junk. The new hatches have two holes about 5/8 or 3/4 drilled through the lense and that is where the split begins. Where they leak. The cast hatches had cross bars in the larger sizes to reduce lense flex. I don’t believe they had any exterior plastic nor holes. They were heavier than the new extruded ocean hatches. Most importantly, they can be repaired. The extruded aluminum is anodized and thin and very difficult to TIG weld. They have an additional set of vents for passive air flow as they van be positioned at two levels. Another feature which looks good at a boat show but only collects dirt and mold in the real world. You are comparing apples and oranges. You probably have apple hatches. For $1,000 each, I got lemons.
Within the boatbuilding community in SE Mass and RI, everybody started out trying to build really seaworthy boats. They all knew each other and a number had built and sailed ocean racing wood boats. You are fortunate to have a good boat from this era. Boats became lighter, faster, and cheaper to build. Until infusion epoxy and carbon fiber came along, they did not get stronger.
Please take into consideration the credentials of anyone posting . Till then,
Happy trails to you.
Mark, once wood boat, manatee.

[gamayun]

I am very interested in this thread because I want to eventually replace the portlights and hatches on my 32 year old boat, but I would argue that what held up and lasted decades ago might not have the same build quality if bought new today, which is what the OP seems to be asking.

[chouliha]

We have two Lewmar ocean series hatches that we installed about 25-27 years ago and have been full time cruising for 20 of those years. First we put hatch covers made from sunbrella from day 1. And we wax the hatch a couple times a year. The glass looks new.

They have never leaked even in some severe weather.

The only issue is we have had to replace the 4 pop rivets that hold the dog on every 7 -8 years.

[psk125]

Originally Posted by pcmm

What parts could you not find? I have been able to find parts for my Bomar cast hatch (42 years old) easily online.

Our 1981 Bomar hatch had cast aluminum handles and dogs that swiveled on short SS rods that went through the lens. To remove the lens required taking the handles apart - which meant destroying them, since they'd been gently welding themselves solid for so many years every time a wave hit the foredeck. Spoke with Bomar, who said new handles were not available. They would not even confirm that their current cast hatch top would fit on the old base. This would have enabled us to leave the base and simply slip the hinge pins in the new top. Having new handles made locally - and possibly not work properly - was not worth the risk.

[psk125]

Originally Posted by pcmm

Are you talking about bomar hatches. As in these



They're pretty much indestructable. Completely rebuildable. mine are 40+ years old and can still be rebuilt (just need some paint and a couple of parts that went missing at some point.

Our hatch was like this one, generally, but the new hatch dog design is not the same as ours. Our dogs clamped down by twisting the round handles, which had an angled wedge that caught under a tab inside. To lock them you slipped a pin in a hole that kept them from turning. We were quoted a price of about $2000 for a new one the size we needed. An $850 Lewmar seemed like it would work instead.

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by Manateeman

Captain Pegu. Please read my post again. It’s the extruded not the cast hatches that are junk. The new hatches have two holes about 5/8 or 3/4 drilled through the lense and that is where the split begins. Where they leak. The cast hatches had cross bars in the larger sizes to reduce lense flex. I don’t believe they had any exterior plastic nor holes. They were heavier than the new extruded ocean hatches. Most importantly, they can be repaired. The extruded aluminum is anodized and thin and very difficult to TIG weld. They have an additional set of vents for passive air flow as they van be positioned at two levels. Another feature which looks good at a boat show but only collects dirt and mold in the real world. You are comparing apples and oranges. You probably have apple hatches. For $1,000 each, I got lemons.
Within the boatbuilding community in SE Mass and RI, everybody started out trying to build really seaworthy boats. They all knew each other and a number had built and sailed ocean racing wood boats. You are fortunate to have a good boat from this era. Boats became lighter, faster, and cheaper to build. Until infusion epoxy and carbon fiber came along, they did not get stronger.
Please take into consideration the credentials of anyone posting . Till then,
Happy trails to you.
Mark, once wood boat, manatee.

Yes -and those holes also make the closure :tilt" as the thin Plexiglas heats up and the the closure will not grasp the aluminum h shape below to apply closing pressure and then the damn thing leaks!!

[kmacdonald]

Boman, not bomar are good.
Bomon marine,boat window replacement,marine windows, replacement,hatches,doors,marine doors, abyc , iso12216

[kmacdonald]

The gold standard:
https://www.advantecglobal.com/marin...ond-sea-glaze/

[Silver_Surfer]

Goiot http://goiot-systems.com/en/home/ great hatches on my 37 Baltic but I just got a Baltic 43 and there’s lewmar hatches and we’ll see how they do but just construction the Goiot looked better quality

[Pegu Club]

Gotcha Manateeman, I quickly read your post and skimmed over the extruded explanation, my error. I’m fortunate to have the Bomar cast hatches from the mid 1970s era.

Fair winds,

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by psk125

Our hatch was like this one, generally, but the new hatch dog design is not the same as ours. Our dogs clamped down by twisting the round handles, which had an angled wedge that caught under a tab inside. To lock them you slipped a pin in a hole that kept them from turning. We were quoted a price of about $2000 for a new one the size we needed. An $850 Lewmar seemed like it would work instead.

What you describe is exactly how my hatches close and are dogged down. Mine look like the one in the picture BUT have 4 dogs. I've been able to get all the parts to rebuild it online. Mine have no locking function. The handles however are a bit painful at $15 each x 4!

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by pcmm

What you describe is exactly how my hatches close and are dogged down. Mine look like the one in the picture BUT have 4 dogs. I've been able to get all the parts to rebuild it online. Mine have no locking function. The handles however are a bit painful at $15 each x 4!

A bargain compared to the lewmar handles.

[Joli]

We like or Manship hatches, good quality and don't leak when adjusted properly.

[geoleo]

I bought a new acrylic lens for a Bomar 20x20 from Cesany Plastics in Ft Lauderdale. The near 1/4 acrylic was so weak the lens deflected at the 2 dogs and tilted the dogs so the dog catches would not connect to the frame . Crapola strength!!