MacGregorSailors.com

Webmaster...3 attempts to reply with details of my new plastic wear strips resulted in "Internet Explore cannot display the web page " message. Suggestions? Ron
PS....Appears short replies wil post, long ones not.

Ron, Not Web Master but Suggestion, if the Post is to long can you do it in two parts meaning Part one and two you add to.
I would be interested in the plastic strips as Velcro glue in FL. Sun just doesn't hold up. I tried it in companionway and forward hatch to velcro screening and in a very short time came all undone and I preped the gelcoat very well includeing sanding the area with 220 sandpaper, the glue doesn't hold up.
I than bought un glued Velcro and mounted it with 3M 4200 after recleaning area and removeing glue. This worked excellent.
For the Hatch I wanted to install a 2 inch X 1/8 Durlin Plastic the length of hatch and glue it with 3m5200 slow cure or 3M 4200. I would regellcoat bottom on hatch so it easy slide on the Derlin . (spelling may be wrong for the Derlin).
The Velcro may work up North but think it's a temp. fix,and for the long run any persons useing their boats often.
Dave

ronacarme wrote:Webmaster...3 attempts to reply with details of my new plastic wear strips resulted in "Internet Explore cannot display the web page " message. Suggestions? Ron
PS....Appears short replies wil post, long ones not.

Dave B....From menards ....Two 8 ft extrusions @ $2.79... labeled 5/16 cap 6-37553-00096-8 litebrite white-8" MLD 1056p...Ron

Dave B....2......Extrusion is square cornered J-section with 1" and &/16" legs joined by 3/8" bight...Ron

Dave B...3....I cut the extrusion lengthwisedown the center of the bight, leaving an 8 ft L-section strip with 1" and roughly 3/16" legs...Ron

Dave B....4...This reply method seems to be working, tho cumbersome...Thanks for the idea....I candle waxed the upper face of the 1" leg. To install , push the strip forward , with the 1" leg between the cabin top and the sliding hatch side edge portion. and the upstanding 3/16" leg laterally trapped between the sliding hatch edge and the slide guide bolted to the cabin top....ron

Dave B...5....I left about an inch of the strip protruding aft from the cabin bulkhead and fixed a stopper thereon to lock the strip against further forward movement, and scissored of the strip portion forward of the slide guide...Ron

DaveB....6....Same installation at other side of sliding hatch. Result is that hatch slides silently,smoothly and with just enuf resistance.Strips are removable rearwardly for cleaning, rewaxing or replacement. Strips seem to stay in place during multiple hatch openings and closings. Strips cover up the fiberglass where gel coat got removed over the years. So far, so good....Ron

Ron,
you can download your pictures to this site, than click on Img. and copy, than paste it in your post.

http://photobucket.com/
Dave

ronacarme wrote:DaveB....6....Same installation at other side of sliding hatch. Result is that hatch slides silently,smoothly and with just enuf resistance.Strips are removable rearwardly for cleaning, rewaxing or replacement. Strips seem to stay in place during multiple hatch openings and closings. Strips cover up the fiberglass where gel coat got removed over the years. So far, so good....Ron

I see that only one side slide is loosened only. Hatch should then lift out. The velcro is on the underside of the hatch (IE not on the cabin top in sunlight), The rubbed area on the cabin top will still be seen. However when I look at it after the mod, I will feel better that it will not get worse. Even more, when I hear and feel the smoothness of the hatch sliding on the new velcro, this will make me feel much better eventhough I can still see that black spot where the gelcoat has worn.

Like grinning with a tooth missing. The intention of my grinning is not to show my missing tooth, it is to show the others which are still in tact

Thankyou forum folk.

& Jim, paint the underside of the hatch before or after the velcro mod

Kind Rgds
Dave
26M

Hello,
I tried stainless strips .020" but had a problem with securing them. Because of the different thermal expansion rates the metal sheared off adhesive or buckled. In the end the best fix was painting gel coat into the worn tracks to build them up, sand them smooth and then applied fuzzy velcro to the hatch for smooth sliding.

I don't recommend waxing or lubricating the hatch tracks because it makes it too easy to slide out from under you when you are on deck working the mainsail.

I put velcro on mine without removing the hatch. It was pretty easy. I used the fuzzy part and actually stuck it to the deck rather than the hatch. It's been in place for a couple years and hasn't come loose. I cleaned the track area first. I positioned the velcro in place under the hatch with a thin stick; fuzzy side up towards the sliding hatch. Hold it in place while you pull the strip that covers the sticky tape away, push down on it to get it to stick better and you're pretty much done.

Sounds "sexy"!

Anyone got any feedback on how long it lasts?

About a year and a half for me with many open and close cycles and still works perfectly.
I'm using the fuzzy sided velcro stuck on the hatch lips.
Putting it on the hull instead of the hatch, as mentioned by baldbaby above, is pure genius!
Now, there is no reason not to do this improvement on a Mac.

I agree. There's not much reason not to do it in my opinion. I always used to crindge when I'd slide it and a little sand was in there. It sounded arthritic and I knew it was grinding away the fiberglass; it already had gone through the gel coat. I put it on the deck side not only because it was easier but I wanted any potential wear to be on the hatch rather than the roof but I don't think there's much wear on the hatch either.