Covering the hatches

[MikeD]

Mike,
I need to start another thread, I guess, but can you comment on the alterations made on your sliding hatch with what I presume are teak strips glued to the top of the existing surface? Did you do this, or was it done by some previous owner. I’ve enjoyed the pictures on your website. You have a beautiful boat and a fine crew to sail her.
Joe

Thanks Joe! I took the liberty to start this thread so as not to clutter up your "eyebrow" thread.

The boat was rebuilt a couple of PO's ago, and these were one of many nice touches he added. I spoke with him very briefly, and he said he had some extra teak from another boat. The hatch covers are simply teak strips glued to the tops, just as you said. Sorry, I have no more details for you, but perhaps the pictures will help. If I speak to him again, I'll ask more questions about it.

Forward hatch:


Companionway hatch:


Let me know if you'd like more detailed pictures. Tim may have something to add, as he is very familiar with Seaglass' decks...

[jhenson]

Mike,

Thanks for the pictures. The hatches look great. Is varnish applied over both the teak and the sealant between?

I’ve seen this done elsewhere and I’m considering something similar, or possibly an entirely new companionway hatch.

Thanks,

Joe

[MikeD]

Yup, I just varnish the works...

Ooooh. A new comapnionway hatch? Cool, another "Joe" project! :)

[Tim]

I've done a couple of these strip "veneer" hatches before. It's pretty simple, and looks good. It may not be better than a new hatch (especially given how lousy Tritons' companionway hatches really are), but it's easy and effective.

You can fill the seams with either black polysulfide or thickened epoxy colored with graphite powder (which also provides the necessary UV protection).

New plywood cockpit sole hatches with teak veneer strips on the Daysailor (polysulfide seams):



I also have a series of photos of a stock fiberglass hatch that I covered this way, but they're not online right now. I'll try to get them up soon for your reference.

[Tim]

Here you go. Link: Covering a fiberglass hatch with teak

[Ancient Race]

Thanks Tim - great looking hatch. And yet another demonstration that you can't have too many clamps . . .

Greg

[jhenson]

Tim,

Is there any reason not to use mahogany for this application? My drop boards and hatch trim around them are mahogany, though one could make a good argument for their replacement as they have taken a few knocks over the life of the boat.

Those hatches look fantastic!

It's always a pleasure to see your work.

Joe

[Tim]

As long as you plan to varnish the wood, there's no reason not to use mahogany. In fact, I'd recommend it unless the wood is to remain bare.

I used teak on the daysailor hatch because it was part of the cockpit sole and would remain unfinished for traction (all the other wood on the boat was mahogany).

I used teak on the fiberglass hatch because that's what the owner wanted, and it matched the other wood on his boat.

[bhartley]

Tim,

The hatch looks fabulous, but can you get me from the one with the black polysulfide all over everything and the next one that is looking neat and tidy?

Thanks for the great pictures,

Bly

[Hirilondë]

The only real down side to using mahogany vs. teak is that it will stain more easily and quickly than teak when the varnish is neglected. Stains around poorly sealed bungs will appear more easily and faster as well. But if you keep the varnish up it will be beautiful.

[hebert01]

Yeah, Tim... like Bly, I'm curious. Was the polysulfide removed through sanding or scraping?

[Tim]

...can you get me from the one with the black polysulfide all over everything and the next one that is looking neat and tidy?

I don't seem to have any great pictures of that stage, but I sanded the excess polysulfide. It was easy to sand once the material cured; I think I began with 80 grit on a DA sander, which made short work of it. Maybe 40 grit...I can't recall.

Here's one picture showing a cockpit hatch with teak dust all over the floor after sanding.



I used standard black one-part polysulfide (black Life-Calk), and I was quite surprised how long it took to cure once I'd spread it in the seams; it was nearly 2 weeks before I could sand it. This would vary depending on temperature and other conditions, but it's something to keep in mind in any event.

[MikeD]

You can fill the seams with either black polysulfide or thickened epoxy colored with graphite powder (which also provides the necessary UV protection).

Tim, having done both, do you have an overall preference of either method?

[Tim]

Not really. I think they both have their place. Both are fairly straightforward but a little messy. Both clean up about the same. It might be worth it to tape off the wood between the seams to protect the wood and make cleanup a bit easier, but sanding's probably inevitable anyway since there tends to be some variation between the thickness of the strips.

Maybe there's a plus to having the polysulfide being more flexible in the seams as the wood moves; only time would tell, I guess.

If time were of the essence, I think epoxy would be a better choice, since you could sand it next day. 1 or 2 weeks would be a long time to wait for polysulfide if you weren't prepared for the delay.

I didn't mean to take over this thread...sorry.

[MikeD]

I didn't mean to take over this thread...sorry.

Are you kidding?? Yet another big "thanks" for taking your time to share your knowledge and experiences with us! (That goes for Dave and Charlie and all you other professionals that regularly contribute here and enlighten us "rookies" too!)

I'm sure this is just what Joe was hoping for as he's pondering this mod.

Personally, I'm thinking something like those Day Sailor hatches would be quite functional and look great on any access-challenged cockpit floor. Same idea as the Albin Vega, with its removable sole. But I digress. (Actually, I think Joe has made his own access hatch too, right? Maybe he could cover that, and this wouldn't be quite a digression.) :)

---------------------------------------
PS. Could you varnish the strips BEFORE adding the polysulfide or epoxy filler? Would that make clean-up easier?

[Tim]

Could you varnish the strips BEFORE adding the polysulfide or epoxy filler? Would that make clean-up easier?

That would depend on how consistent the thickness of the strips was, and how much you wanted the surface to be completely smooth when done. Slight variations in strip thickness pretty much guarantees the need to sand for a really smooth surface, so varnishing would be wasted in that case.

However, a sealer coat or two on the strips could help prevent sealant or epoxy from getting into the wood grain, which is a potential issue. (though again, the sanding takes care of this sort of thing)

It wasn't hard to clean up afterwards, so I don't want to overstate the issue. Sanding's just one step in the process. A hand scraper or plane could also work well, for those who have sharp hand tools and like to use them.

(I'm a lazy sharpener and therefore reach for power tools whenever I can.)

[jhenson]

Are you kidding?? Yet another big "thanks" for taking your time to share your knowledge and experiences with us! (That goes for Dave and Charlie and all you other professionals that regularly contribute here and enlighten us "rookies" too!)

I'm sure this is just what Joe was hoping for as he's pondering this mod.

Amen!! I could not have said it any better!

Joe

[Hirilondë]

The subject here of covering fiberglass hatches is merely a cosmetic project. Any technique used that can stand up to the outdoors and salt water is acceptable. If it also looks good then it is more than acceptable. The look of the projects pictured in this thread show a teak deck like appearance. For real teak deck installation and repairs I really like SIS 440.

http://www.boatbuilding.net/article.pl? ... 04/1516248

It would work well for these decorative projects also. This stuff was developed for a company that does teak decks exclusively. I use it anywhere teak meets teak, water proof is required and it must be able to come apart some day.

[fusto]

FYI-
The teak decking systems adhesive contains silicone.
So if your final intention is to varnish, then you have to go with a different adhesive.

Don't ask how I know...