General Info: Lagoon Escape Hatches Falling Out

[sailnw777]

Hatches are indeed glass glued to an aluminum frame. Lagoon fix involves two aluminum brackets screwed directly to the hull surrounding the hatch. Theoretically brackets should work since they overlap the glass and will hold it in place if adhesive holding the glass fails. As we can see in our case bracket came off before the glass (fortunately). It came off on the aft side most likely by water catching and ripping it off. IMHO hatch adhesive fails due to lots of mechanical stress applied by water hitting the hatch underway as well as glass not being able to flex where aluminum frame it’s attached to can flex a little. These boats flex quite a bit under way which can be seen in the cracks of the hard glue used to glue wooden bulkheads etc. in any way solution provided by lagoon has failed and this needs to be properly addressed before more boats or life is lost. I’m not sure why Lagoon is not replying and looking into this more seriously.

[sailnw777]

By the way after discovering the issue I have observed the hatch under way and it sure does go under water even in moderate waves <2’. I was able to see the other keel through the hatch being completely submerged.

[Canarios]

Thank you very much for this, for me, new information.
I understand rhst you on your own boat have gor the reparation kit from Lagoon and installed it. It is a shame tha the kit is so short on each side. It cold have been the double lengthcovering the hole side of the glass. Even the bults look vey small. I have ordered the kit from the swedish deale, who has sent the orther further to Lagoon. Hopefully I get it in end january before leaving to Madeira from Gran Canaria. Probably I will make longer using the one I get as a mockup
I you have more information I am greatfull to teceive it. Regards Jon

[sailnw777]

Originally Posted by AllenRbrts

. Last week an FP with that bandaid lost their hatch. Fortunately they were in the BVIs and were able to save the boat..

Do you have any links to the information about this incident?

[AllenRbrts]

Originally Posted by sailnw777

Do you have any links to the information about this incident?

Full detail was posted on the fountaine Pajot group on Facebook by the owner who was on board at the time of the incident. FP has now issued a recall for all their boats with the Goiot escape hatch where the recall will replace the hatch “lid” comprising of the frame and lens.

https://www.fountaine-pajot.com/wp-c...recall-eng.pdf

[Heg]

See here. Not just Lagoon .....
https://www.cruisingworld.com/story/...OU9MDP_p4mW758

[arsenelupiga]

Originally Posted by sailnw777

Hatches are indeed glass glued to an aluminum frame. Lagoon fix involves two aluminum brackets screwed directly to the hull surrounding the hatch. Theoretically brackets should work since they overlap the glass and will hold it in place if adhesive holding the glass fails. As we can see in our case bracket came off before the glass (fortunately). It came off on the aft side most likely by water catching and ripping it off. IMHO hatch adhesive fails due to lots of mechanical stress applied by water hitting the hatch underway as well as glass not being able to flex where aluminum frame it’s attached to can flex a little. These boats flex quite a bit under way which can be seen in the cracks of the hard glue used to glue wooden bulkheads etc. in any way solution provided by lagoon has failed and this needs to be properly addressed before more boats or life is lost. I’m not sure why Lagoon is not replying and looking into this more seriously.

i dont think it is mehanical stress. There is no other force but pushing into the hull and window is made to whitstand that. Water jet comes between frame and window and with time penetrates further and destroys bond, bit by bit.

Sealing opening between frame and glass with sikaflex so that water jet cannot enter so one stop bond destruction is in my opinion best bet.

Mehanical bonding one risks glass breakage as boat deforms under severe stress. Not what you want during storm.

[pairoth]

[pairoth]

This is how it looks on my new l450s when delivered from factory in larochelle (france) on 15 october 2019

[CatNewBee]

Dilletantic solution.... Why not add a frame?

Next upgrade will be a roll of gaffa tape with lagoon logo...

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by arsenelupiga

i dont think it is mehanical stress. There is no other force but pushing into the hull and window is made to whitstand that. Water jet comes between frame and window and with time penetrates further and destroys bond, bit by bit.



Sealing opening between frame and glass with sikaflex so that water jet cannot enter so one stop bond destruction is in my opinion best bet.



Mehanical bonding one risks glass breakage as boat deforms under severe stress. Not what you want during storm.

No glass = no breakage.

Has there been even a single reported incident of Lagoon esape hatches being used for their stated purpose?

[Bean Counter]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

No glass = no breakage.

Has there been even a single reported incident of Lagoon esape hatches being used for their stated purpose?

Not sure that a lagoon has been reported to pitch pole, so those that have semi submerged might eventually invert via capsize, hull breach, collision, grounding unlike some flighty ones like Atlantics - where the crew could not break the escape hatch when he needed to, tried to use a fire extinguisher when needed to use the pointy end of a special hammer, not the flat end. All crew should be educated in the use of such hammers and where to find all three of them. If on an inverted hull for long enough one might be tempted to go back into the hull to fetch something like, ditchbag, water, epirb etc. so need to be able to open the escape hatch, I would not fancy diving down into the salon/cockpit in an inverted lagoon amongst a tangle of ropes, cushions, curtains, fishing gear etc etc.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Bean Counter

Not sure that a lagoon has been reported to pitch pole, so those that have semi submerged might eventually invert via capsize, hull breach, collision, grounding unlike some flighty ones like Atlantics - where the crew could not break the escape hatch when he needed to, tried to use a fire extinguisher when needed to use the pointy end of a special hammer, not the flat end. All crew should be educated in the use of such hammers and where to find all three of them. If on an inverted hull for long enough one might be tempted to go back into the hull to fetch something like, ditchbag, water, epirb etc. so need to be able to open the escape hatch, I would not fancy diving down into the salon/cockpit in an inverted lagoon amongst a tangle of ropes, cushions, curtains, fishing gear etc etc.

Yes, very unlikely to capsize the much less sporty Lagoon.

Regardless of make/model, I would be much more comfortable with a proper solid metal hatch which could be thru bolted and dogged down. Or no escape hatches at all..
there are many ways out on a catamaran...like that big ass hatch in the aft cabin deck within a meter of the problematic escape hatch. These fixes being offered by Lagoon seem inadequate to me to solve what is fundamentally a major bad design in the first place.

[billknny]

While I blame Lagoon (and other manufacturers too, this isn't only a Lagoon problem!) for a bad implementation, remember this is a result of a stupid rule from the EU requiring such escape hatches. It's kind of a good example of why the Brits left...

It is such a stupid approach to the problem. A design for a easy to build, inexpensive, watertight, strong as the hull, emergency hatch would take any decent designer 20 minutes. The only catch would be that you couldn't see through it, and the marketing department would veto it!

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by billknny

While I blame Lagoon (and other manufacturers too, this isn't only a Lagoon problem!) for a bad implementation, remember this is a result of a stupid rule from the EU requiring such escape hatches. It's kind of a good example of why the Brits left...

It is such a stupid approach to the problem. A design for a easy to build, inexpensive, watertight, strong as the hull, emergency hatch would take any decent designer 20 minutes. The only catch would be that you couldn't see through it, and the marketing department would veto it!

I think that marketing is indeed a big part of the issue. First to address the over blown fear of capsize and second to make it more asthetic. "Look honey, no worry about capsize, there is an escape hatch! And its a pretty picture window too!" [emoji849]