Has anyone removed the teak rails that hold down the companionway hatch on a mark 1? What did you replace them with? What do the mk 2 boats have, SS or some sort of plastic?
Mine are off and are not going back on, but I need to replace the aft half of them with something to hold the hatch down when it is shut...
—
Jason V
Vancouver, BC, Canada
I'm going to guess that it's stainless, but I'm sure some MK II folks will be along any time. You might change your post header to read "MK II companionway slides" to attract their attention. Just curious, why did you remove them? How does it look forward of the companionway without the teak there? I'm trying to picture it. De-teaking the topsides is certainly a worthy goal, I'm trying to decide what to do with those %#$@ "eyebrow" strips down the side. What a pain they are.
Mike
Deja Vu
1991 MK I # 1106
Marina del Rey, CA
Picture of it from above on a 1995 Mk II. Later one might be different again, I don't know. That would be Sailor Spike on duty there.
I had the little teak eye brow strips on our 1990 C28. I took them off, filled the holes in with epoxy and put a 1" wide vinyl stripe the same colour as the original hull stripes. We thought it looked nicer than the teak. I generally like teak, but I'm down to liking it inside the cabin and on the cockpit table and nowhere else nowadays. Might have a picture before and after, I'll check if you'd like.
Ah, the mk 2 is way different.
The mark 1 without the teak will look ok. Basically the teak strips screw down through the hood (forward top part) and then extend aft to hold the hatch in place when it is shut. Without the strips, I just put in shorter, non-countersunk screws to hold the hood in the same position. It sits on little risers molded into the deck, about 1/4" up, so the edge is not perfectly fair but it certainly doesn't look like anything is missing.
For the aft part I am thinking SS or aluminum strips screwed down made pretty. However my dad is trying to sell me on a starboard solution. One problem is that plain flat bar won't work without a shim under it to make clearance for the hatch flange.
I wasn't totally prepared for this project but I had to take the traveller off a couple of weeks ago so it seemed like a good time to tackle the squealing hatch and soggy wood while I had things apart.
Jason V
Vancouver, BC, Canada
[QUOTE=Nimue;8052]I wasn't totally prepared for this project but I had to take the traveller off a couple of weeks ago so it seemed like a good time to tackle the squealing hatch and soggy wood while I had things apart.[/QUOTE]
Are you implying that from time to time a project will spawn one or more additional, unforseen projects? I'm sure that is a rarity. ;)
Good luck!
Duane Ising - Past Commodore (2011-2012)
s/v Diva Di
1999 Catalina 36 Hull #1777
Std rig; wing keel, M35B, Delta (45#)
Punta Gorda, FL
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/diva-di/
Jason,
I don't know about anyone else but i replaced the teak with starboard. I was able to order specific size and lenght from some folks in calf. I don't have the name handy but if some else doesn't pipe up i'll check my bills to find it. but what is handy about the folks i ordered it from was i only payed for what i needed. they had 1" inch thick starboard, I used that and another 1/4 inch piece to make the "boards" it is very easy to machine and the nice thing is once in place dno varnishing! I'm going to be at my boat tmw I'll try and take a few shots and post the info.
good luck.
Mike Hogan
s/v Ciscocat #226
Mark I XP25, std rig
We LOVE our teak. All of it. We bought our boat BECAUSE of the wood. Cetol is our choice of finish. Another discussion of cetol vs. varnish is, of course, unwarranted.
Stu Jackson, C34IA Secretary, C34 #224, 1986, SR/FK, M25 engine, Rocna 10 (22#)
I have opened a real can of worms with this one.
Get this, without the teak rails in place, the 'hood' part of the hatch sags and causes the sliding hatch to bind on top in the middle.
I am ready to put the traveller back on but now have to get the hatch working properly first. Frustrating!
Jason V
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Update:
Project 90% done.
1. The terrible squealing noise from the sliding hatch was coming from the lip on the forward end of the sliding part, it was dragging across the cabintop. There was probably just clearance there when new but with the gelcoat worn down on the sides now it was touching. I trimmed about a 1/4" off this lip, now smooth and silent.
2. I then had to deal with the strange new problem of the spray hood (top part of the hatch) dragging on the sliding hatch. It was all I could do to slide the hatch through the second part of its travel. I ended up shimming the hood up about a 1/4" also. I was able to flex it so that the front edge is not shimmed but the sides are, now everything slides great.
3. I still have not replaced the rails aft of the hood. I have ordered some custom made ones from UHMWPE plastic and picked them up today. They look great and are nice and slippery (and white).
End result - it doesn't look factory from up close but from 5' away the boat looks cleaner and more modern in my opinion. I have also opend up a couple of inches more space to run lines through under the traveller than what I had before, this is already being use for improved traveller controls and will still have space for the spin halyard to lead through later on.
I will try to get a pic when the final pair of rails is intalled.
Jason V
Vancouver, BC, Canada