Hatch Blemishes ?

T

toolguy73

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It's been a while since I posted, being boatless for over a year, but getting back in the game.

Recently I looked at a mid 90's full transom Gulfstream that looks like it would shape up nicely, except for the hatches. By hatches, meaning every hinged lid for fishboxes, livewells, storage, or access. All of the hatches had an issue.

Most of them had large chips missing from a corner or two, some as big as a silver dollar, and deep beyond the gelcoat. The large hatch under the transom seat cushion looked like someone took a razor knife to it, leaving a series of 1" to 2" gashes in the gelcoat.

None of the blemishes looked like abuse.

The rest of the fiberglass (and there's a lot of it :wink:) looked fine. No pictures were taken, and we'll be going back for a second look soon.

Thanks
 
I have seen the same thing in Gradys I have been looking at. The Gelcoat was very thick, seems like a flaw on Gradys end during production. Probably used a stiff gelcoat and seeing that there is a thick layer on over time it makes sense that it would crack and leave those issues.
 
I don't know much about fiberglass work or repair, and didn't notice if the chips were all gelcoat. Surprised at the size and depth of what was missing.

The opened areas were yellow-brown in color.
 
My 1992 has the same issues. Others have said its the kind of gelcoat used, I don't know. It's not a problem with that specific boat, lots have it. I would suppose you could refinish those easily since its only on the removable panels. Mine already don't match the color or texture of the rest of the boat. For now I just live with it. It's nothing that would stop me from making a purchase. Good luck!
 
I have the same problem on my boat
I patched the deep chips with marinetex only to have them pop out over the winter. I think that water has gotten into the core and during the winter freez they just poped out again. I an going to try to dry the hatch out over this coming winter by bakeing the water out at somr warm temperature before I try to patch the hatches again. If someone else has a better solution please let us all know.
 
I was planning on building a box with a vent hole, a very small fan in it like a computer fan and mount a heat lamp in the box, and a voltage control (variac) I will provide power for the heat lamp through a 120 volt thermostat so as to keep the temperature in the box under 175 degrees F, as a safety device. I figure that a couple weeks at elevated temperature should dry the core out. The box for my boat hatches will have to be 24"X24"X8 to 10" high. I probably will use plywood for the box. This whole consept is yet to be tried and proven.
 
It' s how Grady built those covers, some type of a mold process instead of hand layed as the gas tank and bilge covers are (thank god !).
Same mold process used for pulpit.

I'm recreating a new pulpit from scratch of solid glass, no glass in original.
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May have some voids in there too.

My fish box cover on transom cap delaminated, same mold process. The outer skin moves separate from inner skin. When I get a chancem going to cut in half inner skin and pry off outer skin, add glass.

If you can separate the two parts then you can recore and add glass, otherwise I think you're wasting your time on dryout.

You can dry it, but have to open up a large area to expose it so heat can pull moisture out.

Say a 5x5 inch saw cut or 5 inch hole saw cut on one skin. A heat lamp set at a distance to heat it enough to be very hot to touch is good enough, in two days should be good, only leave under such heat while supervised.
 
I have an 88 228 and most of the hatches have chips on the edges and corners. In fact, every time one of my passengers slams one of them down, another chip comes off. :shock:

I think gas shocks for each hatch would solve the problem, but those are only found on high-end boats..... :roll:
 
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