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RL24, RL28, and RL34 Trailable Yachts
from Rob Legg Yachts
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RL Yacht Owner's Discussion Forum
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Return to the Forum List RL28 Roof Vents/Hatches & houdini front hatch & sails | Hi. I have purchased an RL28 and haven't picked it up yet but noticed that the little rectangular hatches/vents on the roof are mis-matched and also in poor condition. What make and model were the originals and is there a newer make and model that are a straight swap for the old ones?
also the houdini hatch is impossible to close from the inside (has a single handle setup for closing)and I suspect it leaks as the seals are rock hard. I would like to replace with a hatch that has the two swivel handles to close to give a better seal and some redundancy as well. I gather they are the houdini 500 superhatch (from reading these forums). Is there an alternative hatch that fits the same space? The price for the houdini in australia is over $800 and I can get them in the UK for about $370 plus delivery. If I can get something here that will do the job it would be better all round. I want to make sure we are water tight asap.
as for the sails, is there a sail maker in QLD that will have the correct sail patterns for the RL28? I would prefer to source them from someone who has made them before and already has all the measurements etc.
thanks in advance and I will provide more info once I have the boat at home.
regards
alister
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| | Re: RL28 Roof Vents/Hatches & houdini front hatch & sails | After some poking around I have found the following that may be what I am after, what do you think?
Deck hatch: http://www.grabyourtackle.com.au/store/hatches-ports/hatch-500x500/
also I think the little vants/hatches that I now know to be called portlights are similar to this one
https://www.whitworths.com.au/main_itemdetail.asp?item=66290&search123=portlight&intAbsolutePage=1
I will need to wait to get the boat to measure up properly. They don't look too strong in my opinion. I would prefer something I opened from the inside. What do others have?
cheers
alister
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| | Re: RL28 Roof Vents/Hatches & houdini front hatch & sails | The top portlights were available from Beckson in the US. They fit perfectly except for the drainage slot which is in a different position. There is a small selection available here but only the deep ones so the protusion needs to be cut back (from memory) from 2" deep to 1". The correct ones only available from the US. I found Becksons to be very helpful.
Re the front hatch, even if the hatch is the same size check the corner radius-this is the tricky part to cut out if different. Remember all the mounting holes will be different too. I found my hatch was still in good condition but the sealer around the glass had dried and was leaking. By gouging it all away with a screwdriver, I could clean the glass and frame and used the black sikaflex (I forget the number) to reseal the glass and it remained waterproof for years. It is a tedious job but so is replacing a hatch with one of a different size. This is another option for you to consider.
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| | Re: RL28 Roof Vents/Hatches & houdini front hatch & sails | Thanks Keith,
Do you have a part number or link to the right Portlights? as I said mine are a mismatch so I am not sure which is the correct one.
The houdini hatch on mine has a problem with the closing system and only has one large handle thingy in the middle. I would prefer to replace it so I know it is secure, water tight and safe. I emailed the UK supplier as theirs are half the price of the ones here, he said contact the aussie distributors, I told him they were over double the price so he has contacted them and asked them to do a better deal. I am still waiting to find out what that will be.
As for sails, does anyone have the original measurements for the factory supplied sails or who made them?
cheers
alister
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| | Re: RL28 Roof Vents/Hatches & houdini front hatch & sails | I tried to get a set of seals and new lids from Beckson by calling them direct, they were dry helpful on the phone but nothing came of it despite numerous calls and emails. It was soon after their big Hurricane so I guess they can be forgiven! Anywa I then stumbled across a pair of hatched in Whitworths marine, gathering dust under some shelves., a complete new unit was only about $50 more than replacement seals, fly screens and catches. They needed a bit of adjustment, the frame was a bit deep, so I cut about an inch off, they have internal drain ports to manage condensation, not needed for the RL. I had to cut a notch in the original hole to accommodate them. The lids don't have a drain on the lower edge so I drilled two small holes in the side of the lids level with the top of the window part. All in all took about 45 minutes a side. The holes were ever so slightly out of line, they just needed re chasing with an HSS drill bit. Here's the link
https://www.whitworths.com.au/main_itemdetail.asp?item=66290&search123=Beckson&intAbsolutePage=1
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