What are your suggestions?
If I wake up early (or head to bed late) I try to sneak out, but my sliding companionway hatch gives me away every time. Has anyone else experienced this? What have your solutions been?
—
Hummina
1987 Catalina 36 MKI
#741
Bayfield, WI. Usually.
David S. Power
Two If By Sea #1687
Burnt Store Marina
Punta Gorda, FL
Tape is available from Catalina Direct.
http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm/product/1312_798/sliding-hatch-teflon-tape.cfm
Gary Smith
93 MK I, Hull #1231
Std rig; wing keel
M35A Oberdorfer conversion
I had this problem years ago on my C 30. I solved it by waxing the slides.
__/)__/)__/)__Capt Mike__/)__/)__/)__
Punta Gorda Florida
1990 Std WK M35 Hull #1050
I used this product:
https://www.kosailing.com/ex11171.html
However, just putting it on the guides did not solve my problem. In my case the back edge of the hatch (perpendicular to the guides) was scraping across the cabin roof. See attached picture for my eventual solution. I had to remove the cover under which that hatch slides. About a 30 minute project once I actually figured out the problem. Hope this helps.
Jeff
S/V Wind Ensemble
1987 C-36 Wing Keel
Universal M25XP 23hp
Hull #705
Coastal Alabama
Jeff, Thank you, I think that is what I'm looking at. Must be an issue with the 87's!
Hummina
1987 Catalina 36 MKI
#741
Bayfield, WI. Usually.
Reading my forum post over again, I think some of my pics were too large to attach to the forum but after a year or so, this is still working great for me. No squeaks, no more fiberglass being ground away by dirt, teflon is replaceable when it finally wears out and my hatch is so much stronger in a knockdown/rollover:
https://www.catalina36.org/forum/general-discussion/companionway-hatch-squeeking-horribly
I added some pics below. You can see the plastic buffer strip. It is coated with the sticky teflon tape. Way forward in the cabin hatch cover, I glued in a starboard (plastic) block so that if I ever have to slide out the plastic strip to replace the teflon, I can slide it back in without having to unscrew the whole cabin hatch cover again (which would be a huge PITA).
The other pics show the new thru-bolt holes in the cabin hatch cover and the deck. The last pic shows the (pretty much) finished thru-bolts. Just need to grind off the extra threading for cabin safety. (Easier said than done.)
Be sure to rout/epoxy them per MaineSail's article on that subject, so you don't get water leaks into your deck core!
I think that now even a rollover and/or negative wave pressure would not lift off the sliding hatch cover. Seems much safer and seaworthy to me.
Ben Ethridge
Miami, FL
1984 MK1 Hull# 263
How do you remove the spray hood?
Do you have to remove the wood rails on each side?
I can see the main traveler will need to be removed and the screws across the front edge,
I put the Teflon tape on the aft end of the slide. That helped alot, but I would like to do the entire hatch.
Robert Ahern
1987 MK1
Detroit
1987 C36
Lake St Claire
North Star Sail Club
Hi, Robert.
It's a kind of a PITA removing the hood, which is why I only wanted to do it ONCE. I was able to do it without removing the traveler. I simply canted the cover up several inches so that I could get at all the holes. There were a couple of holes right under the traveler that were "tough but doable" to clean/rout/epoxy. In hindsight, I should have been less lazy and removed the traveler.
Yes, I had to remove the wooden boards. The reason I had to remove them was to be able to rout/epoxy the holes I drilled through the deck for the thru-bolts (again per Maine Sail's article).
The hardest part was sealing the holes well because you often have to go through three layers of material: 1. the hatch cover, 2. the wooden board and 3. the deck. I used butyl rubber tape (from Maine Sail's store) since there is no chance of a fuel spill in this area. After a year and a half, the teflon tape is holding up and no leaks so far. Remember that since the deck is routed/epoxied, any leak will simply warn you by dripping into the cabin and not into the deck core, so no biggie to me there.
If I ever need to clean out dirt from under the hatch (splash) cover again, instead of removing it I will probably cut a big hole in the cover, flush out the dirt with a garden hose and then cover the hole with a standard screw-in-screw-out deck inspection cover plate - one that can't pop off in a storm.
Ben Ethridge
Miami, FL
1984 MK1 Hull# 263
Yes, you have to remove the wooden rails. You may have to drill out wooden plugs to get to the screws. I did not have to remove the traveler. All screws on the hood were easily accessible on my boat (once the wooden rails were off).
Jeff
S/V Wind Ensemble
1987 C-36 Wing Keel
Universal M25XP 23hp
Hull #705
Coastal Alabama