hawg Posted January 6, 2016 Report Share Posted January 6, 2016 Have any of you guys replaced the factory anchor locker hinges on a 23DV with Gem-Lux friction hinges? If so, how do you like them and can you tell me the model number that matches the factory hinge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWoods Posted January 7, 2016 Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 Sounds like a great idea.. I have a permanent bald spot on the left side of my head from anchoring in rough water.. Hatch falls on the same spot every time. Just thinking,, The friction hinges would hold the hatch upright in calm waters. At some point, any rocking would break it loose to fall. So, it would work for the sandbar and cleaning.. Sounds worth a try to me.. Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCFD rtrd. Posted January 7, 2016 Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 Have you thought about one of those S/S spring hatch supports. They are cheap compared to friction hinges or gas shocks. Had one on my old bay boat and it lasted 14 years. Stays open in any wind or surf condition. Here are some examples. http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nkw=STAINLESS+SPRING+HATCH+HOLDER+BOAT+MARINE+12+long+7+8+SPRING Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawg Posted January 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 On the Gem Lux website, it appears that the friction hinges will hold the hatch open at any point in it's range of movement. For the anchor locker hatch, I believe it will hold it open in the normal 90-110 degree position.The hinges themselves are only about $20. If I can determine the proper hinge, I'll let you know if they work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWoods Posted January 8, 2016 Report Share Posted January 8, 2016 Steve, The spring-things may work, but I figure the anchor line will get caught in the spring-thing and rip it out. The anchor locker hatch is basically a triangle, with the hinges on the left side. It opens off to the left. I haven't tried any fix because the deck has a hawse that will feed line from the locker. No need to have the lid open in rough water, cept to stow the hook in the locker. We spearfish the Keys a lot, and move around the deep patches more than most. I have a basket that I toss the anchor in until we find the right hunting spot. I always wash my anchor line and air out the big locker. This is when I would like the friction hinges to hold it open, so a gust of wind doesn't blow it shut.. MW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawg Posted January 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 MW, I ordered the hinges from Gem Lux yesterday. I'll let you know if they are an exact match and if they hold the hatch open once they arrive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWoods Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Yes, Please.. Let me know.. I may try a set on one of my fishbox lids. MW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawg Posted January 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 The short story is: The hinges won't work (well) on the anchor locker hatch of a 23 DV. The long story is: Although the hatch itself has aluminum backing plates laminated into the edge of the hatch, those backing plates are close enough to the edge of the hatch that they will not adequately support the weight of the hatch without causing the edge to flex. It appears to me that this flexing will cause cracks in the gelcoat and supporting laminate in a very short time. In addition, the hinge backing plates, which appear to be bonded with epoxy into the perimeter of the hatch opening, are made of aluminum. The hinge mounting screws are stainless steel. On my 2004 DV, dissimilar metal corrosion had occurred, causing 3 of 4 mounting screws to "weld" themselves into the backing plate. I believe most owners will find the same thing on their boats. After breaking off 3 of the 4 mounting screws, I ended up grinding away the epoxy which bonded the backing plates to the hatch opening, removing the mounting plates, and drilling and tapping new threads for the new mounting screws. To summarize: It is unlikely that you will be able to install Gem Lux friction hinges on the anchor locker hatch of a 23 DV without compromising the integrity of the hatch itself . By the way, I received outstanding customer support from Jerry Gutzke at Gem Lux, who was able to help me chose the proper hinge for this project. My overall feeling is that these hinges will work great on boats which are designed to accept the additional stresses on the hinge points. Since these hinges are a relatively new product, I'm uncertain that they will work well as a retrofit on boats produced prior to the introduction of this hinge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWoods Posted January 21, 2016 Report Share Posted January 21, 2016 I was afraid the hinges would not fit the older recesses. There are some options with the spring stands and maybe a strap with snaps if you really need it standing open for a while.. Nice try at a slick modification, though !! Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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