After following the explicit directions and buying the required materials,
I still had a leak in my forward hatch. I do believe I can attribute the
failure to the fact it was a Bomar Hatch with on 3/16" lens. The top part
of the hatch has two "stringers that offer the actual support of weight on
the hatch. I think the thin plastic flexed enough to break the seal. I
wonder if it was a factory installed hatch. At any rate, I tried something
different. I used Ultra High Bond double Stick tape under the plastic. I
set the plastic in place then took a razor knife to trim the margin the
extended outside the lens perimeter and caulked that with the Sikaflex
material. I shaped the sikaflex so it was convex above the plastic and
hatch frame. I also taped so the Sikaflex extended out onto the plastic and
the frame. I think it is going to work. The lens is secured much more that
the adhesion of the Sikaflex/primer method I used the first time. If I had
to do it over again, I would buy a new hatch.

Also, I am going to tell you a crazy method of refinishing my binnacle and
hatch frame. About 5 years ago, I bough two cheap winch handles that were
powder coated. The powder coating came off immediately. I deoxidized the
handles and sprayed them with black Flex Seal. I used those
handles mostly every day (sailing charter business) and after 5 years, they
still looked good. I stripped my binacle and  hatch, deoxidized and primed
them (I didn't prime the winch handles) and coated them with black Flex
Seal. It looks really good  with the crepe finish it had oroginally. I will
report if I start seeing a problem. The Flex Seal isn't designed as a
finish so you have to spray slowly and far away to get a nice finish
without  running.

Glenn and Lindsey Henderson
Treasure Island FL
C&C 41
WeGo
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