Need Hatch Gasket / Seal Suggestions

[JonathanSail]

Howdy Cruisers,

I need to add a new seal to the forward hatch on my '74 Pearson 28-1. Hopefully photos of this hatch are below.

A year or so ago I installed a strip of sticky back foam which was a good fit in terms of thickness and density. This hardware-store foam has already degraded to the point where it is permanently compressed around the forward rim of the hatch. I'm guessing that uv radiation through the closed and open hatch has been a factor in this breakdown.

Can anyone recommend an appropriate gasket or seal for this hatch that will last a little longer? I've been toying with a few ideas including gluing in an appropriately sized bicycle tube that I could inflate to improve the seal as needed and/or fixing a dense rubber gasket on one surface and a ribbed surface that would push into the rubber on the other surface. Before trying to set those up though I thought I'd find out what other solutions are out there for sealing this type of hatch.

Thanks,

Jonathan

[ShipShape]

Check out McMaster-Carr

Raw Materials - Rubber Sheet Bars and Strips - Adhesive Backed - Closed Cell Foam - Weather Resistant - (there are a LOT of choices). Get something soft with good compression recovery.

[DrivinSteve]

Try your local NAPA auto parts store and take a look at their door/trunk gasket selection. I had good luck finding a profile that worked for exactly the same application on a Pearson 39.

[Ex-Calif]

Had chronic lazarette hatch leaks. Found nice rubber bulb seal stuff in bulk with a flat profile and contact cemented in place. About a year and a half now leak free and holding up well.

Good tip on NAPA or catalog like JC Whitney.

[samfreeland]

what about that stuff they make flip flops out of you can buy it in sheets at different thicknesses. west systems glue it in.