87 250 Sundancer Front Hatch Question

[8675309Jenni]

Hello all! Our 87 front hatch hinges are broken. We would like to know what others have done. The hole is 18w X 18.5 L. We are finding new ones but they are $900, ouch. I know its bring on another thousand but there are other things we are replacing this year as well.

 

[techmitch]

Hello all! Our 87 front hatch hinges are broken. We would like to know what others have done. The hole is 18w X 18.5 L. We are finding new ones but they are $900, ouch. I know its bring on another thousand but there are other things we are replacing this year as well.

Just one of many sources. https://www.westmarine.com/boat-hatches

 

[89P270]

I searched and searched for mid-Hatch replacement on the 89 Pachanga with wore out hinge. Was Brutal and ended in no joy finding any parts. I thought about taking to AL welder but figured it would have been a crap shoot for long haul reliability. Taylor made, who was manufacture of original hatch doesnt have data (as in 2017 when I searched) for their old hatches - Super Irritating. So, in the end, I went and bought a new Bomar for like 6 bills. I wouldnt worry too much about opening dimensions of existing, just get close with new because when you take the old one out its pretty easy to trim if needed for clearancing. This is one of my Pet Peves with Sea Ray and their parts manufactures in that they dont really support replacement parts. As comparison, I can get parts and cross reference numbers for my older GM, ford, and Chrysler products going back to at least 1967, right.

 

[Pirate Lady]

89 man, so right, I have bitched about this for years. By law, car manufacturers are required to supply parts for 10 years after a model is discontinued but many carry far longer.
Boats, nope.
My line has always been. If they built cars like they build boats there would be a congressional investigation.

 

[89P270]

By the way, when you take the old hatch out, take your time. There will be significant old caulk around it that even though old, will be attached well and if you arent careful, you'll crack the fiberglass surround. Go slow using plastic putty knife and wood wedges to slowly lift off. Eventually it will break loose for you without additional damage. When you recaulk I recommend 3m 4200 rather than 3m 5200 as 5200 dries hard and will be a PITA for the next guy to get it off. 4200 never hardens substantially and allows for removal down the road without tears.

Ha! And one more piece of advice - Never, I mean never lose your fuel cap. If you do, you'll be hatin' life. Before I sold the pachanga (in 2018) I must have searched for 6 years for a proper Fuel cap replacement after I lost mine at Fuel dock at Roche harbor. If I knew then what I know now, I would have waited til the dock was closed that night, donned a mask and snorkel and got it back. There are literally 100 different thread patterns and lenghts and no records. Its a trial and error for replacement. Ask me how many I tried before I sold the boat with a "sort of" close fit that needed a thick rubber gasket to seal.........Ugghh.

 

[Steve255AJ]

I just replaced my anchor locker cover and after 3 tries with wood that didn't last 3 months I finally got it right. I ordered a 3/4" think sheet of high density plastic (off white in color) from amazon. It came in a 18" X 24" sheet but you can get other sizes as well. It's not see through but translucent and could make a low cost alternative for you.
Use a small table saw to cut it to size and use a fine tooth blade (mine was 64 tooth) designed for OSB cutting. Go slow when cutting and then pre drill the holes for the screws before installing it. You can install the gaskets and hardware very easily and it's very strong so if someone steps on it it won't break.
Just an idea.

 

[89P270]

guy in Ohio parting a 250DA checking on his gas cap for me.

Yea, snatch that up ASAP. You'll be so far ahead. What happened to me let be a lesson to others. There is the small chain that connects the cap to the inside of the filler tube. Well, you get so accustomed to just unscrewing and letting her go that its second nature. Problem is that little screw that holds the inner chain on, after what, 10-15 years, wears loose. Then, the next time you let-er-go, Doh! The smallest of details can cause the biggest issues........

 

[scrumper]

I bought two new Bowmar hatches from Defender, about $500 each. Unfortunately nothing currently made fits the holes in my deck, so I picked slightly larger ones and enlarged the cutouts to fit.

I took the time to scrape out an inch or so of old deck core around the cutout (which was mostly dry, but for one corner of the salon hatch which had rotted out) and filled in the gap with thickened epoxy.

You don't have to bed the hatch in with 4200, a more maintenance-friendly alternative is to use a continuous thick bead of butyl tape. Also a good idea to through-bolt the hatch rather than using screws, and wrap the bots with butyl tape. 89P270 is dead right about old silicone caulk though, that stuff is a pig to remove and by far the worst part of the job.

The job was messy, but not difficult (except for the old silicone), and was quite comfortably done under shrinkwrap where you're not racing the weather.