Commander #155 'Mephisto Cat'

[Chance]

Rico,
1st, I want to commend you on the quality work and attention to detail you have bestowed upon Mephisto Cat! I am currently working in the lazarette / motor well area our our Commander, #256 and have a couple of questions for you:

1) Where did you find the replacement rubber seal that goas around the top edge of the fiberglass (aka: knife edge to some) opening? I have been searching for a seal similar in profile to Pearson's original, but no luck. Do you remember where specifically you obtained (source) and part number and / or description for the gasket you used?

2) Did you modify the original small drainage hole? The approximate 1 inch hole centered at the base of the forward motor well mount. Did you leave it well enough alone, enlarge it, or add any others?

Respectfully,
Chance

[Rico]

Thank you very much Chance!

I also looked hard & wide for the seal. I am sorry to say that I ended up using a roll of material that the previous owner had bought and supplied with the boat a few years back. The stuff is beautiful, but at first I thought It would not be enough to do both hatches, bit I did have just enough! That material is by far better than anything I was able to find.

I did buy a length of similar material from one of McMaster-carr catalog (Picture below) but did not use it. -I would not reccommend it... (It seems not nearly as solid - flimsy actually... The material I used is all rubber - no aluminum core in the channel as in the catalog - you are welcome to have it if you need it).

The profile is as pictured and the specs follow the original material. They are as follows:


This original material mirrors these same dimensions as the original Pearson Material very, very closely, but the original stuff is all solid rubber, The material pictured has some sort of soft foam at the top - not hard rubber, while the bottom part is a hard plastic with an aluminum core... I am afraid that the material pictured will not last very long for this application.

The Dimensions are as follows:

Edge ........A.........B ............C ...........Cat #........Price
3/16" ..... 5/8" ...17/32".... 1 5/32"....1120A332.....$1.73

I will try to contact the PO and will provide any info I get on the original version (as provided by the PO).



I did not modify the drain hole beyond cleaning it up. I remains about 1" (minus a thick coat of Gel-coat) diameter and it seems to work fine... Looking back on it, I guess I would have spent a bit more time on this to work in a more pronounced slope towards the hole. I get a few ounces of water just by the hole that fail to drain when the boat sits in the slip not moving after being hosed off -But this is just me being picky...

I hope this helps.

[Bill]

A number of years ago, the association had the Pearson weatherstripping reproduced for the lazerette and forward Ariel hatches. It is now sold out, but if there is interest, we can order it again. The minimum production run equals 50 or 60 sets. With the recent price for poly anything going through the roof (and postage rate increases), however, the price is unlikely to be as cheap as it was before. Here's the write up from the old order form:

The Association has reproduced the weatherstripping used by Pearson on Ariel yachts. It is being made available in kits containing ten feet of a larger extrusion for the lazarette hatch and six feet of a smaller extrusion for the forward cabin hatch. Each extrusion is cut longer than necessary to allow for possible variation in hatch rim circumference. Shipping is via Priority Mail. (Note: forward hatch on the Commander is 6'-6" in circumference. We will be cutting this length.)


Weatherstripping Kit (2 lengths) $ 48.00

Packaging and Shipping 7.00

Total Per Kit: $ 55.00