Hatches

[labii]

Originally Posted by chackett

Hi All,

I have been searching on some threads with information about how to replace or repair hatches, but I haven't found any good resources. I'm sure there are some threads here, but I didn't find them.

Can anyone point me to a good build / repair / place to order new hatches for my 1989 V20 Fisherman?

Things I need to repair / replace:

1. The large hatch in the bow just in front of the anchor compartment.
2. The sliding plexiglass doors on the center console (the big ones at the bottom and the large ones at the top)
3. The hatch toward the stern just behind the in-floor bait well.
4. One or both of the hatches on the top of the gunwale area in the back. There is one of these compartments on each side of the boat in the stern. One has a cutting board on the hatch.

Anyway, if there are some good resources for ordering new hatches or maybe a build thread where others have built their own replacements, I'd appreciate the info!

Thanks,
Chris

I have had a number of folks ask the same question. This is something that you may have to have built. There was a guy some years back on this site that was going to manufacture them and nothing ever came of it ( to my knowledge). I have seen people replace the stern hatches with Lexan. I too have a center console and am looking down the road at replacing the lower area under the console's sliding doors. My boat is a 1994 and the material that was used in the area of the consle is a very cheap thin plastic material!

[chackett]

Thanks labii,

Yeah, I definitely don't mind building new floor hatches or working up some custom sliding rails / plexiglass or something. I don't have any experience with fiberglass work, so I was hoping someone would have posted a thread where they had built some floor hatches. I have a lot of good woodworking experience and a decent shop, so I could probably create the core or rough shape of the hatches. Glassing / faring / painting / finishing the fiberglass .. that's something I don't know anything about. But I'm pretty handy, so with a little guidance on fiberglass procedure / process, I'm sure I could figure it out.

Thanks!
Chris