Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos

Posted by captnickm on 11/22/11 - 2:02 PM

Hi all. Just wondering if anyone knows who makes the center console storage compartments. Mine is missing the plexiglass hatch.
Sorry for the Bad picture. I will take a better one.
http://s603.photobucket.com/albums/tt...onsole.jpg

Posted by captnickm on 11/22/11 - 2:21 PM

contender250 wrote:
You probably can have one made at a plastics place...

Yeah... I had thought about that, but I really would like to keep all the orriginal mounting hardware (the half hinges and lock at the top) because I cant find any of it at the local marine shops.

Posted by Gamalot on 11/22/11 - 8:25 PM

I am missing something from the picture. Plexiglass hatch cover?

Chances are the cover is actually Lexan and not plexi which is dangerous stuff because it cracks and shatters.

Lexan will not crack or shatter and is sold under many trade names and comes in various degrees of scratch resistance and shades. I have made hundreds of ATV windshields with flat Lexan and it cuts easy and edge finishes quite nice with standard wood working tools and a torch.

Posted by captnickm on 11/28/11 - 5:06 AM

Gamalot wrote:
I am missing something from the picture. Plexiglass hatch cover?

Chances are the cover is actually Lexan and not plexi which is dangerous stuff because it cracks and shatters.

Lexan will not crack or shatter and is sold under many trade names and comes in various degrees of scratch resistance and shades. I have made hundreds of ATV windshields with flat Lexan and it cuts easy and edge finishes quite nice with standard wood working tools and a torch.

Sorry I was not 100% on what material it was made out of. I prefer Plexi over Lexan for the cost and Plexi is way more U.V resestant. If you leave lexan out in the sun it will spider crack like crazy!I had to replace over $2,000 worth of lexan on a yacht that I worked on. All the local glass shops said that lexan was stronger but when it came to the sun plexi was better off. If you are not planning on standing on it or putting any kind of load on it, plexi should work great!

Anyhow, Turns out Southco Marine makes the hinges that are already on the boat and the locking mechanism that is still on the boat as well. I am going to order those and then cut a new hatch to mount them on.
Sweet!

Posted by Gamalot on 11/28/11 - 5:28 AM

Since I am not familiar with the "Hatch cover" on your boat, where it is and what purpose it serves, you may be perfectly fine to use Plexi for this application. As far as windshields such as those on the CCs of many BWs I would highly recommend against using plexiglass. Plexi is brittle and it cracks and shatters in to sharp pieces where Lexan will bend all day before it breaks. I have had poor results when drilling and affixing hinges to plexi if there is any stress placed on the hinges.

My Montauk windshield is almost 40 years old and as you state it does have spider webs and checking in numerous areas but it is not cracked or weakened at any of the drilled holes that attach it to the CC. It does not have chips around the edges as almost any plexiglass piece would have by now.