solar ventilator hatches worth re-glazing or swapping?

[bluewater_tartan]

I recently acquired a new boat that has solar-powered ventilators integrated into the medium profile deck hatches made by Lewmar. To be honest, we don't like them and would rather use plain glass, such as Lexan or acrylic. It appears that this could have been a Lewmar or factory option.

Has anyone handled this? Do you think the hatches should be replaced or reglazed?

 

[TartanTitan]

Replacing the entire hatch would likely be very expensive and unnecessary.
If the frame and seal are still in good shape, reglazing with Lexan or acrylic is definitely the way to go.

 

[MandarinGuy]

If you hate the ventilators, ditch them, no need to replace the whole hatch if the frames are good enough like @TartanTitan pointed out. reglazing is cleaner, cheaper, and gives you control over the look.

 

[WishkerTwch]

Replacing the entire hatch would likely be very expensive and unnecessary.
If the frame and seal are still in good shape, reglazing with Lexan or acrylic is definitely the way to go.

Yass, 100% agree! why spend exponentially more and create a bigger project? If the main hatch frame is structurally sound, reglazing is the perfectly viable and far more budget friendly option

 

[ce n'est pas bread]

I recently acquired a new boat that has solar-powered ventilators integrated into the medium profile deck hatches made by Lewmar. To be honest, we don't like them and would rather use plain glass, such as Lexan or acrylic. It appears that this could have been a Lewmar or factory option.

Has anyone handled this? Do you think the hatches should be replaced or reglazed?

If the frames are still ok, just reglaze them with clear Lexan and call it a day. That's gotta be way cheaper than full hatch replacements and you ditch the solar fans you don't like. Just be wary of the seals!

 

[riggingroguerider61]

One of my friends ran into the same issue with his factory solar vents. Rather than swapping out the entire hatch, he decided to reglaze it with clear Lexan. This not only saved him a bunch of money but also gave him the sleek look he was after. It took a bit of careful sealing, but now it's just the way he likes it, all without spending a fortune.