F32 Hatch Seal Re-engineering
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 5:46 pm
I've been trying to solve an issue with the hatch seals/gaskets on my sort of new to me (my parents bought this boat new when I was 5) 1984 F32. We've always had issues with the foam seals wandering after being replaced. They remain water tight for about a season, then drift and become ineffective.
I finally decided to add aluminum U channel to the hatches to accept the seals and prevent wandering. It's only been a few weeks but I'm very happy with the results. For anyone else interested in doing the same I thought I'd document the process here.
Parts:
One thing I discovered, is that the foam seal contracts longitudinally after removing the paper from the tape. Measure and cut your seals 1 or 1.5 inches longer than needed to avoid gaps.
Now for the reveal!
I finally decided to add aluminum U channel to the hatches to accept the seals and prevent wandering. It's only been a few weeks but I'm very happy with the results. For anyone else interested in doing the same I thought I'd document the process here.
Parts:
- 24 ft Aluminum Satin Anodized 1-1/6" U-Channel - Amazon
- 25 ft Water-Resistant Closed Cell Foam Strip, Neoprene-EPDM-SBR, 3/4" Thick, 1" W X 25 ft. L, Black - Grainger
- 24 Barrel Nuts (8 for each hatch, length less than or equal to hatch thickness, 1/2" in my case) - West Marine
- 24 pan head screws to match your barrel nuts
- 24 rubber washers to match your barrel nuts (I cheap-ed out and bought some rubber washers from Home Depot and drilled them out to fit)
One thing I discovered, is that the foam seal contracts longitudinally after removing the paper from the tape. Measure and cut your seals 1 or 1.5 inches longer than needed to avoid gaps.
Now for the reveal!