As the subject says, I have a 1990 Lowe Commander 170 and all of the hatches take on a lot of water in the rain. I have put weatherstripping on the edges (adding photo of edges). Is there anything that can be done to this to stop this? Every time it rains, I have to take everything out of the boat and dry it off and vacuum out the hatches with a wet/dry vac.

Thanks in advance for any help!

I just realized I had already asked this last year. Sorry for the copy. Maybe someone will different answers.

My 2021 Lowe Stinger is garage kept but when I get caught in heavy rain, the hatches allow some water penetration.

In picture you provided looks like a live well and if so,

You can't store fishing tackle in there that you don't mind getting wet.

The problem is that water will pool up with the plug in.

With the plug out, water will migrate up the drain tube while the boat sits in the water.

If you must, dry bags work wonderful.

All other hatches self drain.

Do you get water in the bilge too? You may have to do some experiments to find out exactly how and where the water is getting in. Put some newspaper in the compartment covering the whole bottom. Close it up and spray the cover with a hose. That should reveal where the water is getting in. Mine used to get some through the handle and compartment latch.

It's coming in around the lid. No water in bilge. This is with the boat out of the water, trailered. The photo here is what I used on the hatch edges as shown above. Anything bigger and the hatch won't close.

Would the kind of weatherstripping with the bulb on top work (do you think)? Like this?

I think the seal material you are using is fine in sealing the top of the hatch to the lip,,,,,,but the water is coming into the channel on the outside of the seal in the “trough “ area and has to go somewhere.

The raised lip in your photo shows an open seam in the corner, seal it.

Where does the channel drain too? There is no way to stop water from coming in at the top gap between the floor and where the lid opens, but the water has to have place to drain once it enters the “channel “ around the box. Now it looks as though it is draining into the box through gaps in each corner. Seal the corners and once the channel fills it has to drain somewhere. Find that area.

Use aquarium silicone in the corners where the aluminium is slit.

Ok. Thanks. I will seal the corners. The trough doesn't drain anywhere. It just fills up. There is no drain in it. The hatch box is open under the trough so a drain can't be drilled.

That was going to be my next suggestion. If the “bottom” of the boat is empty and drained by the bilge then a drain hole would be the answer. Or with access add a small drain tube running to the bilge area.

Add a drain hole and seal the corners and you may have won the battle.

Personally I use Marine Goop and have never had water leak past it. Even paintable.

Thanks! Should the area under the hatch box be open? In other words I won't drill a hole in the bottom of the boat will I?

I would believe there is a space between the bottom of the boat and the bottom of the boxes . Not that familiar with the specific boat but most aluminum boats are built on a stringer support system for the flooring, boxes and deck areas.

You should even be able to remove the composite box itself without having to remove the decking.

By all means DO NOT drill into anything unless you are confident there is room to do so. I had a sixteen foot 90’s Lund deep V and put drain hoses in the boxes up front because they collected water, running it to a “T” into the bilge drain. Worked fine. Very confining area but doable.

Although sometimes a good dry bag is the most efficient way to go!

If anyone would probably know for sure it would be Tiny Boat Nation

I would Contact them for advice and remedy's

Sounds good. Thank you for your help and advice.