Reconstructing cockpit hatches

Published date: June 30, 2013
  • Boat Type: Boat Type
Reconstructing cockpit hatches
Reconstructing cockpit hatches

The balsa core material had rotted in the 1993 MacGregor I recently acquired. The fiberglass cracked then, too.

The repair involved removing the hatches from the boat, removing all weakened material, learning what wetting down fiberglass and laying up layers really means, and ending up with a nice structural result. Good project.

Main lesson learned: simply breaking up some core material and mixing with resin to make a fairing compound for filling purposes would have saved time and weight, as far as filling voids. But the experience gained in this first fiberglass project for me was worth it.

Resources: Friends who have done boat work, library books and You Tube videos on the topic, Jamestown Distributors and Amazon for materials, and a couple of my kids' help -- this made it more interesting for the family.

More pictures when time allows...

Published by: BruceK


Model Year: 1993
Photo Caption: Original condition, underneath

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