Main hatch cover - stop it shrieking ?

sarabande

sarabande

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The main hatch cover slides to and fro on a tufnol strip against a brass strip.

Every time I slide it open, the noise wakes every boat for miles around and sets off car alarms.


I have tried beeswax and candle wax, but neither is any good.


Any suggestions for a shriek-annihilating element I can use to make the hatch slide gently and quietly please ?


Obviously , any liquid such as WD40 will put the exposed slide in mucky contact with paws, so oil (especially on tufnol) is not an option.

Ta in advance.
 
Last edited:
sarabande said:
The main hatch cover slides to and fro on a tufnol strip against a brass strip.

Every time I slide it open, the noise wakes every boat for miles around and sets of car alarms.


I have tried beeswax and candle wax, but neither is any good.


Any suggestions for a shriek-annihilating element I can use to make the hatch slide gently and quietly please ?


Obviously , any liquid such as WD40 will put the exposed slide in mucky contact with paws, so oil (especially on tufnol) is not an option.

Ta in advance.
Click to expand...

You need to clean it thoroughly and then use a dry PTFE spray - mine, though toughened glass in a braid moulding does the same when enough sand gets into the track.
 
I have a similar problem, however I am not 100% sure it is the tufnol strip. The front edge of my hatch has a curved strip attached vertically, which is supposed to be a close fit between hatch and coachroof. I suspect that on mine this catches slightly and resonates.

I only suggest this because I also tried beeswax and it was a great lubricant which I am sure would have cured it, had it been the tufnol strips.
 
PTFE spray or silicone grease. PTFE spray has the advantage of not sticking to your clothes as much. McLube Sailkote is a possibly overpriced product that worked very well for me for this and other sliding friction jobs.
 
This is what I would first try
63929.jpg
from Toolstation​
 
Vic - that looks good, thanks. Do you reckon that PTFE spray will be OK for the genoa furler foil and the main slots ?

Is PTFE always PTFE, or should I be investing in a can of stuff designed for (non-staining) sailing stuff ?
 
Are you absolutely sure that the sliding edges are the source of the scream? Although mine are noisy at times, and PTFE is your friend, the worst scream in my case was the bottom edge of the GRP hatch garage lip scraping against the upper surface of the sliding hatch. Having identified this as the cause I was able to silence it by careful sanding of the lower edge of the garage lip.
 
sarabande said:
Vic - that looks good, thanks. Do you reckon that PTFE spray will be OK for the genoa furler foil and the main slots ?

Is PTFE always PTFE, or should I be investing in a can of stuff designed for (non-staining) sailing stuff ?
Click to expand...


I sprayed my genoa and mainsail ( bolt rope not sliders) but not tried them yet as I did not launch last year. No sign of staining last time I looked but the sails aren't at home now so cannot check at the moment. Being dry it should not attract any dirt
Very effective though on curtain tracks indoors. and on some sliding secondary glazing.

Worth a try before slashing out on anything more expensive I would say.

Also worth looking at the other things Toolstation have in spray cans
 
VicS said:
I sprayed my genoa and mainsail ( bolt rope not sliders) but not tried them yet as I did not launch last year. No sign of staining last time I looked but the sails aren't at home now so cannot check at the moment. Being dry it should not attract any dirt
Very effective though on curtain tracks indoors. and on some sliding secondary glazing.

Worth a try before slashing out on anything more expensive I would say.

Also worth looking at the other things Toolstation have in spray cans
Click to expand...

I use PTFE spray too.

I'd definitely take Silicone spray off the boat. Silicone grease may have a place on rubber seals etc. but silicone is just so difficult to remove from places where it's not wanted.

S.
 
Leighb said:
Are you absolutely sure that the sliding edges are the source of the scream? Although mine are noisy at times, and PTFE is your friend, the worst scream in my case was the bottom edge of the GRP hatch garage lip scraping against the upper surface of the sliding hatch. Having identified this as the cause I was able to silence it by careful sanding of the lower edge of the garage lip.
Click to expand...


If moved very slowly indeed, there is no shrieking, so stridulation (two serrated parts rubbing against each other) is not a cause. PTFE sounds like my first step.
 
I thought the sides of my hatch were screeching and tried all sorts of solutions to no avail. Eventually I found it was two nylon feet under the hatch on the deck under the "garage". A quick squirt with wd40 stopped the noise. However we then had to take care with how fast the hatch slid; at sea it even went back and forth on waves.
 
sarabande said:
Vic - that looks good, thanks. Do you reckon that PTFE spray will be OK for the genoa furler foil and the main slots ?

Is PTFE always PTFE, or should I be investing in a can of stuff designed for (non-staining) sailing stuff ?
Click to expand...

An eBay ptfe spray worked on my foil and bolt rope with no staining, genny now goes up and down like a lady of ill reputes' underwear.

The spray is now my first choice for all dry lube jobs.
 
sarabande said:
Do you reckon that PTFE spray will be OK for the genoa furler foil and the main slots ?

Is PTFE always PTFE, or should I be investing in a can of stuff designed for (non-staining) sailing stuff ?
Click to expand...

PTFE is always PTFE, but the delivery system differs and some are mixed with other lubricants. To be available in spray form, it must be transported in a solvent, and that's where the spray cans vary. Some solvents work well and evaporate quickly without leaving stains (other than the PTFE itself, which is white), others don't, especially in low temperatures. Additionally it is often mixed with other lubricants, such as silicone grease (e.g. in Superlube).

After buying some unsuitable ones I just gave in and bought some Jesus Jizz (= Sailkote - costs a godly price and leaves white runny stains). If the Tectane stuff is definitely suitable, get that, as it'll be much cheaper (and let me know if so).

Sailkote (and possibly other dry PTFE sprays) are suitable and even recommended for sail tracks. But not for the furler drum/swivel bearings just to avoid any confusion.
 
You may need to take care not to over-lubricate. I greased the hatch in a Cirrus years ago and for months the hatch would shoot forwards every time we hit a wave.
 
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