jcpa
Well-Known Member
The hatch over my companionway now rides lower than it did, and catches on the top of the companionway doors.
The reason is that the hatch lid slides on its monocoque fibreglass runner within a gelcoated groove in the cabin roof; the gelcoat on the roof (and presumably the hatch lid) appears to have worn away, beautifully smoothly, down in places to the underlying grp.
Can I simply apply new layers of gelcoat? If so, what preparation is needed on the very smooth surfaces? Or could I build up a paint layer (e.g. locker paint)? Alternatively, I have heard of bonding a sail batten into the groove to give a better sliding surface, but I fear this will raise the hatch too much, and it won’t then fit under the garage.
In either case, quite a bit of disassembly is necessary – removing the garage, and then the retaining strips over the hatch ‘runners’. The garage is currently off (for another reason), but not the retaining strips – thus, although I can easily see worn gelcoat in the grooves, I cannot yet see what the bearing surfaces of the runners are like - I just assume they are worn like the grooves!
Any advice would be gratefully received.
The reason is that the hatch lid slides on its monocoque fibreglass runner within a gelcoated groove in the cabin roof; the gelcoat on the roof (and presumably the hatch lid) appears to have worn away, beautifully smoothly, down in places to the underlying grp.
Can I simply apply new layers of gelcoat? If so, what preparation is needed on the very smooth surfaces? Or could I build up a paint layer (e.g. locker paint)? Alternatively, I have heard of bonding a sail batten into the groove to give a better sliding surface, but I fear this will raise the hatch too much, and it won’t then fit under the garage.
In either case, quite a bit of disassembly is necessary – removing the garage, and then the retaining strips over the hatch ‘runners’. The garage is currently off (for another reason), but not the retaining strips – thus, although I can easily see worn gelcoat in the grooves, I cannot yet see what the bearing surfaces of the runners are like - I just assume they are worn like the grooves!
Any advice would be gratefully received.
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