Below are the Atkins & Hoyle model 550 single frame hatches which were factory installed on several C&C models. For the C&C Landfall 38, these are mounted in the Galley and in the Head.
I contacted Atkins & Hoyle asking about replacement lenses. I received a response that these hatches were discontinued but they would fabricate new lenses for $325 each, provided I send them an old lens as a template (price included gasket). They also informed me that the replacement hatch, Model XR90 venting hatch, goes for $650 with a then 15% December discount.
Shortly after, I had the opportunity to purchase fabricated lenses with other C&C owners. At that time I discovered a broken hatch hinge, and without knowing if I could replace the hinge hardware, I had to pass on the timely opportunity. The only good news was that I had purchased Sunbrella hatch covers which temporarily solved two problem: [1] stopped the leaks, and [2] hid the ugly hatches from sight.
To make a long story short, I asked a machinist friend about the possibility of making new hinges. He said that they were easy to make and that it would be no problem for him to make two sets of them. To him it was a piece of cake, but to me they are a work of art. While I had only one broken hinge, and technically three still viable hinges, I decided to replace all hinges on both hatches. And since I missed the opportunity to purchase the fabricated lenses as part of a bulk order with other C&C owners, I decided I would give making the lenses a go at it.
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| The old Galley hatch lens. |
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| The old Head hatch with broken hinge. |
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| Broken hatch hinge which was gooped up with sealant by the previous owner . |
Making New Hatch Lenses
Order Details:
| Code | Item | Qty | Price | Grand Total |
| T805002424 | 1/2" x 24" x 24" - Grey "Smoked" Plexiglass Acrylic Sheet - #2064 | 1 | ||
| T805001824 | 1/2" x 18" x 24" - Grey "Smoked" Plexiglass Acrylic Sheet - #2064 | 2 | ||
| 1502501824 | 18" x 24" - Plexiglass Acrylic Mirror Sheet - 1/4" Thick | 1 | ||
| DSC-6 | 3% off on quantities of 2 to 5 [1502501824][T805002424][T805001824] | 1 | ||
| DSC-16 | $1 OFF on mirror purchase of $20 [1502501824] | 1 | ||
| Subtotal: | $149.31 | |||
| Tax: | $0.00 | |||
| Shipping Cost: | $22.54 | |||
| Grand Total: | $171.85 | |||
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| The 1/2" acrylic was cut on a table saw to the square dimensions. |
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| The rounded edges were added by first ruff cutting using a band saw and then finishing by using a large disk wheel sander to complete the smooth rounded edges. |
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| A hand router was used to cut gasket groove. A custom plastic base plate was used with two pins spaced for guiding the router along the outer edge as a reference. |
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| Diablo 3/8" round nose router bit from Home Depot. |
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| After practicing on scrap material, routing the groove with a hand router worked out nicely. |
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| Finished routed groove. |
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| Bolt holes were drilled and hinge notches cut. Metal drill bits were modified by grinding off the tip angle. (see: http://www.plasticsmag.com/features.asp?fIssue=sep/oct-01) |
Making New Hinge Hardware
New hatch hinges were fabricated from Aluminum. A stainless hex bolt is treaded into the hinge. New stainless assembly 3/16" rods were made without a pressed fit to the hinge. Rather than having the pressed fit of the rod to the hinge, a stainless locking a collar secures the assembly rod. During final installation Tef-gel was used on the tapped threaded part of the hinge and also in the hinge holes for the assembly rod (i.e. where stainless meets Aluminum).
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| Here is a poor man's schematic of the new hatch hinge dimensions. |
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| New hatch hinges assembly fabricated from Aluminum. |
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| Dry fit of hatch lens and new hardware. |
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| The new hatch hinges were painted with black VHT epoxy paint. |
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| A small notch was filed in the hatch frame to fit the stainless locking collar. |
Hatch Installation
EDPM foam cord 3/8" OD was ordered from McMaster-Carr(#8605K43) for the gasket. It was adhered to the lens using Silaprene Adhesive (recommended by A&H) which was purchased from JD Industrial Supply (M6325-grey). Black Dow 795 sealant was used to bed the hinges, head of hex bolts, and the latch screws. In the photo below (Head hatch), stainless washers were cut back to remove any overlap. During the installation, the washers rotated slightly. I thought about replacing the washers, but found that painting the washers and screws with black epoxy paint improved the esthetics. For the Galley hatch, I decided to use the original latch screws without washers, but first epoxy painted before installation. On the underside, stainless fender washers and thin nuts secure the hatch hinges capped off by nylon locking nuts. I plan to replace the nylon locking nuts with stainless acorn nuts.
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| Renewed hatch over the Head. Overlapping SS washers were ground down to remove the overlap. These washers and screws have since been painted with black epoxy paint making it look much better. |
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| New view from the Head. A stainless washer and thin nut followed by a nylon locking nut complete the lens mounting. |
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| New view from the Galley. |
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| Renewed hatch over the Galley. The original Aluminum latch screws were used rather than new stainless washers and screws. |
Replacing the lens in larger Hatches
After removing the old lens for the mid-sized A&H hatch (the one forward of the mast partners), a new lens was cuts to size using the same procedure employed for the small hatch lenses. The old silicone sealant was removed and properly cleaned (easy said than done). Black Dow 795 sealant was used to bed the new lens into the hatch frame. EDPM foam cord 1/2" OD was ordered from McMaster-Carr(#8605K44) for the gasket. It was adhered to the lens using Silaprene Adhesive in the same fashion as the smaller hatch gaskets.
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| Old hatch lens |
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| New lens cut out and matched to old lens. |
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| Removing old silicone sealant from hatch frame. |
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| New lens installed in hatch. |
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| Old gasket formed from Silicone. This was painfully removed by cutting, scraping, and wire brushing with a drill wire wheel. Removing old silicone is by far a non-pleasurable task. |
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| A topside view of the hatch with new lens. |
more updates to come ....
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