Hatch Removal
Hatch Removal
Hey guy'. Anyone have a good method of removing the companionway cover on an X. Mine is in need of gelcoat repair and paint. Thx.
-
kmclemore
- Site Admin
- Posts: 6256
- Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2004 9:24 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: Ambler, PA -- MACX2018A898 w/ Suzuki DF60AV -- 78 BW Harpoon 4.6 -- 2018 Tahoe 550TF w/ 150 Merc
You can do it either open or closed... shouldn't make much difference. Use good firm pressure from the one side and lift as you do so. It should just edge out of the slot.Glenn C. wrote:How did you get the leverage to compress it from the side? Did you open it all the way and then compress it? Thx.
-
Frank C
With very grippy deck shoes helping, I pushed sideways on it with my knees. One foot might have been back to grip the rounded, toe-rail lip. You can have a Mate standing in the cabin to push upwards when daylight shows.
If yours is too stiff for the pinching method, you might try this alternative. The slider stops moving aft when it makes contact with a rounded deck lip, beamwise along the forward edge. You can drape a black plastic trash bag over that lip to eliminate friction. Then slide 'n pull it straight aftward while a Mate pushes up at the slider's center-forward edge - helping to just pop it over that rounded deck lip. Some folks aren't nearly this delicate with it - they just give it a yank!
While it's out, add some fuzzy velcro (the loops, not the hooks) at six spots where it contacts the slide rails - keeps it quiet. There's a post on this somewhere in the archives, and also in the Mac Mods page.
If yours is too stiff for the pinching method, you might try this alternative. The slider stops moving aft when it makes contact with a rounded deck lip, beamwise along the forward edge. You can drape a black plastic trash bag over that lip to eliminate friction. Then slide 'n pull it straight aftward while a Mate pushes up at the slider's center-forward edge - helping to just pop it over that rounded deck lip. Some folks aren't nearly this delicate with it - they just give it a yank!
While it's out, add some fuzzy velcro (the loops, not the hooks) at six spots where it contacts the slide rails - keeps it quiet. There's a post on this somewhere in the archives, and also in the Mac Mods page.
-
Frank C
Glenn, here's the thread I was recalling ... the six contact points I was referring to were the four corners, plus ~midpoint along each side. Thread about Hatch Squeal, and another on sliding hatches. These threads focused on the 26X ... I don't know how the M hatch compares.
Frank C wrote:This is along the same idea as the felt pads. I used the 2" wide version of velcro from Home Depot - the fuzzy half only. Though I first installed it without removing the hatch, it's better if you do remove it. Anyway, take a self-adhesive strip of the fuzzy portion that's about 3 inches long. Stick it down to the hatch surface by wrapping it from inside the hatch, under the edge flare, and back around the outside surface of the hatch. Now the hatch fiberglass never contacts the deck or the hatch rails.