Try it again with fresh tape. Sand the surface first, apply the tape, clamp down the hatch covers and leave it out in the sun for a few hours. -Wes

Wes, thanks. i may be a liittle short of the gasket material. its possible its just old. got the kit 2.5 years ago! but i called CLC today and they still seemed surprised. told me i could also try contact cement. Will try your suggestion first.

M

Michael

Contact Adhesive should do the trick. I use it a lot and it'll stick most things to most things !

Dave

The foam tape that CLC provided with my Shearwater kit was so thick that the hatch covers sat 1/4" above the deck. I replaced it with thinner weatherstripping from the local hardware store, which worked much better. I also used this on my Merganser with excellent results. -Wes

What about putting the seal on the hatch rim rather than the hatch cover? This would mean leaving off the thin lip that is supplied. Would this make the hatch flush with the deck using the stock weatherstrip? How would this affect water tightness?

Any thoughts?

Dan 

Thanks for all the responses re: foam gaskets. I replaced the gasket that peeled using the older but unused stuff from the original roll. Pressed it on firmly, tighended down the hatches and left it overnight.

Having just finished the final touches on the boat (i can't believe it is done!) , i took it outside to teat hatches with a hose . Dry in the rear and a couple drops in the front. maybe not the best test but I will go with it for now. also will see over time how they hold up to usage, time,sun, and salt water. Fortunately its a fairly easy thing to correct!

Now to see if this sucka' actually floats and can go in a straight line! 

It's  pretty to look at if you don't look too close!

Thanks for all the help.

Michael