How to stopping hatch noise pollution
How to stopping hatch noise pollution
My cabin hatch makes a terrible racket when I slide the hatch forward. Reminiscent of fingernails on a blackboard. Rather than put on the wrong lubricant and make a big mess I'm hoping others have conquered this major nuisance.
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argonaut
- Captain
- Posts: 531
- Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 8:23 pm
- Location: '97 26X, Yammy 40 4s, Central Fla.
Yeah, mine too after the oak trees nearby bloom in spring. The hatch grooves catch leaves like crazy.
When I open mine after a windy week it sounds like you're dragging a surfboard on pavement but it's only tree stuff in the channels.
Two ideas.
1. Keep the hatch channels clean. Keep the hatch area up to the end of the rails covered with a tarp or at least screen and ya might be able to keep the junk from getting into those grooves.
2. In one of the threads on here Frank C posted that he had removed his hatch and stuck the fuzzy side of velcro dots on the bottoms of the hatch sliding surfaces and it helped. I haven't tried that but it sounded like it could work. That sounds like it might work, but I haven't figured out how to get the hatch off. He said just pull really hard to get it over the hump but I think it's a little trickier. Just search here on "hatch" & "velcro" , "squealing" was in there too.
When I open mine after a windy week it sounds like you're dragging a surfboard on pavement but it's only tree stuff in the channels.
Two ideas.
1. Keep the hatch channels clean. Keep the hatch area up to the end of the rails covered with a tarp or at least screen and ya might be able to keep the junk from getting into those grooves.
2. In one of the threads on here Frank C posted that he had removed his hatch and stuck the fuzzy side of velcro dots on the bottoms of the hatch sliding surfaces and it helped. I haven't tried that but it sounded like it could work. That sounds like it might work, but I haven't figured out how to get the hatch off. He said just pull really hard to get it over the hump but I think it's a little trickier. Just search here on "hatch" & "velcro" , "squealing" was in there too.
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Mark Prouty
- Admiral
- Posts: 1723
- Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 8:52 am
- Location: Madison, WI Former MacGregor 26X Owner
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Duane Dunn, Allegro
- Admiral
- Posts: 2459
- Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 6:41 pm
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: Bellevue, Wa '96 26x, Tohatsu 90 TLDI and Plug In Hybrid Electric drive
- Contact:
Unlike what you would expect, the noise has nothing to do with the tracks. It is the front lower lip rubbing against the non-skid on the deck. For years I gritted my teeth every time I opened the hatch. Finally, on a tip from this forum, I took out the dremel tool with a sandpaper drum and removed about 1/4" along the lower front lip of the hatch in the center portion. SILENCE! Now my hatch doesn't make a peep when opened or closed.
I didn't have to remove it to make this wonderful mod. Just slide it forward and sand away. What adding velcro or other things under the track does to stop the sound is raise it up. You can get the same effect by removing some of the lip.
I didn't have to remove it to make this wonderful mod. Just slide it forward and sand away. What adding velcro or other things under the track does to stop the sound is raise it up. You can get the same effect by removing some of the lip.
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Rick Mathews
- Deckhand
- Posts: 43
- Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2004 11:48 am
- Location: Portland, Oregon
Yep, it's that front hatch lip alright. I sanded the lip extensively (though I didn't take a quarter-inch off like Duane did), and found that it helped for a while. However, we found that the hatch was wearing right through the gelcoat on the cabin top under the rails, which eventually would lower the hatch enough to start the noise up again. To break this cycle, and prevent more gelcoat loss, we are trying something different this year:
We bought a roll of white, 2"-wide 3M Extended Service Tape (West Marine 123960). We slid the hatch closed and put a length of tape under the hatch rail forward of the hatch, on each side. We then pushed the hatch forward and did the same on the aft sections of rail. This leaves a very small gap with no tape in the center. It takes two people to stretch the tape tight and carefully maneuver it under the rail before sticking it down. We then found we could put a 2" x 1" piece of industrial strength self-stick velcro (fuzzy side only) under each of the four corners of the hatch itself, where the hatch touches the cabin top (now covered with tape) under each rail. We found we could stick the velcro on the corners by not removing the hatch (which is pretty much impossible on our 2002 X) by simply sliding it all the way forward and all the way back. The hatch is now whisper-quiet, and is not carving itself deeper into the cabin-top gelcoat every time it moves. The tape is expensive, but is designed for outdoor use. If it has to be replaced each year, it will be worth it to us. There appears to be enough tape to suffice for several applications. Time will tell!
We bought a roll of white, 2"-wide 3M Extended Service Tape (West Marine 123960). We slid the hatch closed and put a length of tape under the hatch rail forward of the hatch, on each side. We then pushed the hatch forward and did the same on the aft sections of rail. This leaves a very small gap with no tape in the center. It takes two people to stretch the tape tight and carefully maneuver it under the rail before sticking it down. We then found we could put a 2" x 1" piece of industrial strength self-stick velcro (fuzzy side only) under each of the four corners of the hatch itself, where the hatch touches the cabin top (now covered with tape) under each rail. We found we could stick the velcro on the corners by not removing the hatch (which is pretty much impossible on our 2002 X) by simply sliding it all the way forward and all the way back. The hatch is now whisper-quiet, and is not carving itself deeper into the cabin-top gelcoat every time it moves. The tape is expensive, but is designed for outdoor use. If it has to be replaced each year, it will be worth it to us. There appears to be enough tape to suffice for several applications. Time will tell!
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Frank C
Just remove the hatch to install soft contact patches. Some stand in cockpit and yank the hatch aft, popping it over the deck hump. You can probably also insert a flattened black plastic garbage bag (pretty slippery) under the leading edge and pull the hatch aftward, over the deck hump.
I chose to squeeze the hatch instead, since that's how the wind pulled mine right off the boat! Kneeling on stbd deck, I pushed the stbd edge of hatch strongly toward portside ... it bends and reveals the raw edge of the hatch. Just ease it up, passing the hold-down rail and lifting the hatch right off the deck.
I chose the heavy-wt velcro at Home Depot, offered in a roll about 2" wide. Take a 6 strips of heavy-wt. fuzzy velcro & adhere them forward, center and aft, on each side of the hatch, obviously with fuzzy side facing down.
Cut each strip about 3" long. It will stick best, and be most durable, if you "wrap" the edge of the hatch. Start the velcro on the "inside-underside" edge of the hatch just where it flares outward. Stretch the velcro down and out, around the edge of the hatch, finished with one inch of velcro on the top edge. Now the velcro patches are the only points of contact with deck and the hold-down rail, pushing grit along as they slide quietly.
I chose to squeeze the hatch instead, since that's how the wind pulled mine right off the boat! Kneeling on stbd deck, I pushed the stbd edge of hatch strongly toward portside ... it bends and reveals the raw edge of the hatch. Just ease it up, passing the hold-down rail and lifting the hatch right off the deck.
I chose the heavy-wt velcro at Home Depot, offered in a roll about 2" wide. Take a 6 strips of heavy-wt. fuzzy velcro & adhere them forward, center and aft, on each side of the hatch, obviously with fuzzy side facing down.
Cut each strip about 3" long. It will stick best, and be most durable, if you "wrap" the edge of the hatch. Start the velcro on the "inside-underside" edge of the hatch just where it flares outward. Stretch the velcro down and out, around the edge of the hatch, finished with one inch of velcro on the top edge. Now the velcro patches are the only points of contact with deck and the hold-down rail, pushing grit along as they slide quietly.
hatch tracks
duanne, on my boat it was not the front lip, but the sand and dust in the slide track which made an awful scratching noise and sanded the gelcoat down to the black. frank c, i tried this too, but was not able to raise the hatch sufficiently to bring it over the deck bump. my solution was - as described in the thread cited above - to glue a self adhesive velcro strip ( the soft part indeed) on the deck inside the hatch rail. this lasts for 4 years now and my hatch slides smoothly fore and aft. nevertheless i will disassemble it this summer to paint it on the inner side, but i will have to unscrew the rail for this.