270 DA Sundancer deck hatches.

[Tiago]

Dear all,
My name is Tiago, i am from Portugal and this is my very first post. I own a 1991 270 DA Sundancer since november. This boat has been very poorly mantained by the previous owner. I suspect that there is water entering on the cabin from the 3 square deck hatches. I need your help because i don’t know how to remove this hatches since there are bolts from the inside and the outside! From the inside bolts are only holding the aluminium frame or also the hatch like the outside bolts? Is this a 1-piece or 2-piece hatch?
Thanks very much for your help!
Regards,
Tiago

 

[Tiago]

Dear all,

I desperately need your help...

Anyone who can advice me?

Thank you very much.

Regards.

 

[Stee6043]

Tiago, removing your hatch should be "very easy" but the repair likely will not be. When you open the hatch you will see the mounting screws for the hatch frame above deck. You should be able to remove the screws and pry the hatch frame away from the deck. It'll likely leave a mess of sealant/adhesive.

If you've got rotten wood you'll be able to see it. Do you have soft spots on your deck around the hatches? Have you walked up there and noticed any areas that are not "firm"? Does it sound different if you tap it with a mallet?

Water intrusion is pretty common on our boats. If it gets far up into your deck the repairs can get quite expensive, if done correctly.

 

[Stee6043]

Sorry - should have started with the EASY answer - if you're getting water dripping in during a wash or rain first try tightening the screws on the two handles. Go super tight. That might help with "dripping" leaking water from the hatch. Mine need a turn or two every year it seems...

 

[Tiago]

Dear Stee6043,

Thank you so much for your answer!

In fact nearby the biggest hatch (front one) I can feel that the deck is softer...

This means that reparing is mandatory?

Can i reseal the hatches and wait for the wood to dry?

Again thank you so much...

Regards

 

[Stee6043]

On this forum you can find a lot of threads regarding soft/rotted decks. The general consensus is that once the rot has started it will not stop unless you remove it.

To see how bad it is you should open up one of the hatches, pull the frame out and start digging out the soft wood (assuming that's what you find). If you can dig out all the bad stuff and find solid wood "pretty close" to the hatch maybe the repair won't be too terrible. If it goes further than you can reach it'll be a much bigger project to repair properly.

The good news is that you're in the right place. Search this forum and absorb all the info you can!

 

[Tiago]

Thanks again Stee6043!!

Kind regards.