Hatch runners

Bodach na mara

Bodach na mara

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 Aug 2002
Messages
2,808
Location
Western Scotland
Visit site
Like many Westerly hatches, mine runs on runners that consist of a channel with in-turned top edges on the edges of the deck opening and an inverted T-shaped extrusion fixed to the hatch. This T section seems to have worn and the edges of the hatch fibreglass now rub on the tops of the lower channels. The whole thing is very stiff to move. My first thought is to replace the T section but I have been unable to find any.

I have attempted to add a bitmap drawing as an attachment but do not know whether it has worked.

PS No, It hasn't!
 
Could you just remove the runners from the hatch and refit with spacer washers?

If you decide to replace, Davey & Co have some nice brass runners - page 33 of their catalogue.
 
I had to replace mine andhad the same trouble in locating replacements. In the end I made some from a nylon chopping board.
 
Thanks all. I had thought of Trafalgar but thought I would try here first. Wot's idea of making one from a nylon board is similar to one I heard of using a 2mm thick tufnol strip as the crossbar and a suitable filler piece as the stem. Using the existing ones is a problem in that the countersunk fastenings aren't any more due to the wear on the lower surface.

Why does no-one make something with wheels to do this sort of job? It would make moving the hatch so much easier.
 
My Westerly hatch runners are stiff, too. That's on a 1975 boat. I found that a quick squirt of oil made them much easier, but I possibly didn't look as closely as you. I'll have to pop down there today to have a look.
 
wot said:
I had to replace mine and had the same trouble in locating replacements. In the end I made some from a nylon chopping board.
Click to expand...

I had to do the same, but used those plastic joinery blocks they use in flat pack kitchens to join a horizontal & vertical surface....

Mate of mine did a more professional job (NB. Different boat so the measurements will be different but the principal is the same...)
 
My Sadler is slightly different, the hatch is grp and runs in two aluminium U-section channels lying on their side. Over the years a step had been worn in the grp and wear of the aluminium created much black wear debris that transferred itself to us. I used inch angle PVC bought from B&Q to line the lower and side faces of the hatch, sticking it on with Sikaflex. This has been totally successful, taking up the wear and overcoming the black deposits.
 
yellowspinnaker said:
My Westerly hatch runners are stiff, too. That's on a 1975 boat. I found that a quick squirt of oil made them much easier, but I possibly didn't look as closely as you. I'll have to pop down there today to have a look.
Click to expand...

That is what I did as well, and also tried a little silicon grease. The result is that when anyone touches the runners they get the black stuff mentioned by Vyv Cox (in post #12) over them.. And the main hatch is just where people like to stand with their elbows on the cabin roof. Had to try to clean a lot of dirty sleeves!
 
Fantasie 19 said:
I had to do the same, but used those plastic joinery blocks they use in flat pack kitchens to join a horizontal & vertical surface....

Mate of mine did a more professional job (NB. Different boat so the measurements will be different but the principal is the same...)
Click to expand...

Sorry Fantasie, the link does not seem to work. I would like to know what a proper job looks like.
 
Thanks Fantasie, that info will be useful.

Sorry I have not replied before but the notification of new posts thingy does not seem to be working. It is OK if I set it to immediate notification but then I get loads of emails. I have it set for "daily" and since I did that I have had no emails at all!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top