Squeaky Companionway Hatch

[scottmc59]

The sliding hatch on our companionway has developed a very annoying squeak, actually it's more like a screech when sliding it open. Think nails on a chalkboard. I have sprayed Blaster silicone spray on it and had some luck for a while. It seems to happen more in hot weather. Any advice would be welcome.

thanks.

[ItDepends]

Originally Posted by scottmc59

The sliding hatch on our companionway has developed a very annoying squeak, actually it's more like a screech when sliding it open. Think nails on a chalkboard. I have sprayed Blaster silicone spray on it and had some luck for a while. It seems to happen more in hot weather. Any advice would be welcome.

thanks.

What’s the material of the sliding part of the hatch? If it is wood you’ll be cussing that silicone spray when it is time to refinish… but that’s done…

Clearly SOMETHING had changed. Two pieces are rubbing together that did not in the past. The correct approach here is not to make the symptom stop, but figure out WHY and fix that. You will likely need to take things apart to find it.

In many cases the cause of the problem with these hatches is that material has worn off the hatch and or the rails it slides on allowing fiberglass to rub in places it did not before. This shouldn’t happen, but boat builders tend to chose materials that are cheap and will work for the length of time the first owner has the boat. No spray or lube will fix this.

If the problem is simple wear allowing changes in the positioning of things, I have had good luck with UHDPE tape to restore clearances. It is used as drawer slide tape, amount other things.

[scottmc59]

Thanks for the reply. I should have mentioned the material, it is all fiberglass. It's a Morgan 44. The silicone spray has eliminated the problem for months at a time. I applied velcro loop fabric to the surface it slides on up to as far as I can access. That did nothing. It's contacting a surface farther back where I can't access. When I spray I use the little straw and spray as far back as I can. It helps for a day or so, or lately for an hour or so, then it's back. The hatch slides under the life raft. It would be very difficult to take that life raft rack apart to get under there.

[ItDepends]

Not sure of the construction details on a Morgan, but is there ANY way to remove the sliding hatch out into the companionway? If you can get it in hand, you can apply the slide tape to the parts that run on the rails, and odds are that will fix the problem by marketing things slipperier, and raising clearances a mm or so.

Otherwise… there is no magic fix I know of.

[Rumrace]

The Nylon runners and spring clips in coach roof and sliding windows just plain reach end of life. The window clips crumble 20-25 years from sun. The glides in coach roof a little slower. A screw could be dragging
Remove the end caps slide off the hatch and examine the nylon runners and screws. One getting loose can cause jams and a fracture.
I’ve been working on several 3D printed replacement slides with a PolyCarb Nylon which is stronger no warpage material.
Old nylon slide change shape before they break down. The data for slides to fit specific aluminum extrusions are public domain.

[ItDepends]

Originally Posted by Rumrace

The Nylon runners and spring clips in coach roof and sliding windows just plain reach end of life. The window clips crumble 20-25 years from sun. The glides in coach roof a little slower. A screw could be dragging
Remove the end caps slide off the hatch and examine the nylon runners and screws. One getting loose can cause jams and a fracture.
I’ve been working on several 3D printed replacement slides with a PolyCarb Nylon which is stronger no warpage material.
Old nylon slide change shape before they break down. The data for slides to fit specific aluminum extrusions are public domain.

All very nice, but what exactly is the relevance to a companionway sliding hatch which is hidden from the sun and most like just fiberglass sliding on fiberglass, or at best fiberglass sliding on wood???

[Bowdrie]

Not sure how much travel your hatch has.
On mine I rubbed a bar of the Paraffin Wax they use for home canning on the slides.
A few bucks gets a lifetime supply at most any grocery store.
A million and one other uses on a boat also.

[Rumrace]

The Morgan Catalina 44 centre cockpit sliding hatch is suppose to have 2 Aluminum “T” extrusions and nylon runners.
My bad on research. Glass on glass no comment.