Need help from older model 330 owners

[jip40]

I have a 2002 330 and have been battling an issue with the lift out hatch for the generator and strainers for the four years I've owned the boat.

The only way I have been able to keep water from entering the aft bilge is to caulk around the hatch but it is a royal PITA when I have to get access to the area. A couple of months ago I stripped all of the caulk away and tried to seal the gap with 2 different thicknesses of braided rope. It's better than nothing but still not real good. Last week I was working on the boat and got to wondering if the seal had been compromised by the prior owner. The bolts that go through the hatch into the grommets just push in, there are no nuts in or under the grommets. Is that true for all of your boats or are the grommets supposed to have nuts imbedded to draw the hatch tight against the gasket?

If the grommets are truly just push through design, have any of you found a way to secure nuts to the grommets?

If I have to get creative to solve the problem, I will let you all know when I find a solution.

Regards,

 

[alfa1023]

Jeff,

I got tired of messing with the grommets also. A couple of years ago, I took them all out and got some hard wood dowels that fit the holes where the grommets were. I mixed up some fiberglass epoxy and soaked the dowels in it, then epoxied them in the grommet holes. After everything cured, I drilled out the dowels to the size of the SS screws for the hatch. Whenever I remove the hatch, I put some silicone sealer in the holes before re-screwing everything down. So far the wood dowels have held up with no sign of any rot from getting wet. And no stripped out screws this way.

As to caulking around the hatch, I started using latex caulk from Home Depot/Lowes instead of silicone caulk. Way easier to apply and clean up. And also way easier to remove whenever I pull the hatch up for genny service, etc. It seems to last just fine - I don't go crazy scrubbing the deck around the seal when cleaning - so the caulk stays there at least until my next annual maintenance.

Jim

 

[jip40]

Jeff,

I got tired of messing with the grommets also. A couple of years ago, I took them all out and got some hard wood dowels that fit the holes where the grommets were. I mixed up some fiberglass epoxy and soaked the dowels in it, then epoxied them in the grommet holes. After everything cured, I drilled out the dowels to the size of the SS screws for the hatch. Whenever I remove the hatch, I put some silicone sealer in the holes before re-screwing everything down. So far the wood dowels have held up with no sign of any rot from getting wet. And no stripped out screws this way.

As to caulking around the hatch, I started using latex caulk from Home Depot/Lowes instead of silicone caulk. Way easier to apply and clean up. And also way easier to remove whenever I pull the hatch up for genny service, etc. It seems to last just fine - I don't go crazy scrubbing the deck around the seal when cleaning - so the caulk stays there at least until my next annual maintenance.

Jim

Jim thanks for the input.

After you drilled out the dowels, were you able to thread the holes so that the SS bolts gripped to put tension on the hatch?

I was thinking of using 5200 to glue a washer to the underside of the grommet and then glue a nut to the washer to give me gripping power - any thoughts about my idea?

Regards,

 

[alfa1023]

Jeff,

The wood dowels are very firmly "attached" via fiberglass cloth and resin. I have not had any come loose. So I am able to snug the screws down good and tight (within reason, of course). I suppose you could strip it out or even crack the dowel if you got to crazy with torqueing the screws.

The problem I had with the rubber grommet things is they would sometime push through or just spin when tightening the screws. Seems like I bought several replacements from my local Grady dealer before I finally said no mas.

I wonder if you could use 5200 and "glue" a fender washer and then a nut to the underside of the lip in the floor that the hatch goes on. You would have to figure some way to hold the pieces in place until they cure - maybe cloths pins or some spring clamp of some sort? And of course you would have to make sure the threads stayed clean and exactly level so that the machine screws from the hatch lined up.

I can't believe there are others out there that have done some sort of mod to this area. Terrible design by Grady - guess that's why they changed it in the later models.

Jim

 

[ahill]

Possibly try barrel bolts

 

[jip40]

Possibly try barrel bolts

Ahill

I wasn't familiar with barrel bolts but after googling them it looks like a much easier solution than fender washers and nuts. Thanks for the suggestion.

Regards,

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

JP, I used barrel bolts on my 192 transom jump seats that were hinged. The screws stripped out from kids pushing down on the seat back door on the swim ladder side. They worked ok but I had to build up the backside some more. I think the dowl option is a great way to go.

 

[jip40]

JP, I used barrel bolts on my 192 transom jump seats that were hinged. The screws stripped out from kids pushing down on the seat back door on the swim ladder side. They worked ok but I had to build up the backside some more. I think the dowl option is a great way to go.

Bob

Thanks for the input. I will be down at the boat the end of next week & I will try to determine which of the two alternatives to try. If the one I pick gives me good results, I've got it solved. If not, it's on to the second alternative.

BTW I noticed in your signature that we are in the same line of business. My company website is http://www.maggielyon.com If you make it down to the Atlanta Gift Show in July stop by and say hi, we are with all the food companies on the second floor of the Gift Mart.

Regards