Sliding Hatching Leak

[Traveller]

Have a roof hatch which slides on flat brass runners that are about an inch an a half wide. When it rains heavily water lands on the runners where they protrude at the back of the hatch and then finds its way under the hatch and into the cabin. Has anybody out there experience this and found a satisfactory solution?

 

Thanks

Colin

[Top cat]

Yes it has happened to me and I've fiddled with it quite a bit.

I drilled drain holes in the runners just in front of the hatch which helped a bit and fitted tapered plastic bits to divert the water off the runners, which have also helped.

 

Top Cat

[Traveller]

Thanks TC, that's helpful.

[Slim]

I used a strip of brush type draught excluder fixed to the front edge of the hatch so the bristles just wiped the brass strips lighty. With the hatch closed the bristles discouraged any water travelling along the runner and into the boat.

On my hatch the forward overhang hid it completly

 

I got the strip at B & Q

 

Frank

Edited September 19, 2016 by Slim

[Bloomsberry]

I've got a wooden hatch and I cured mine by increasing the hatch lid size by 4 inches at the back to cover the runners more. I did this by getting a larger piece of ply to replace the existing board.

 

If you've a metal hatch you could try attaching something over the runners at the back to achieve a similar thing.

 

Before this I also tried creating drain holes in the runners which didn't work

[rustydiver]

Mine leaked when we had heavy rain so i made a cover to go over the hatch and runners when we are not using the boat i loop up one off he ropes in front off the runners to block the off.

Since down it we've had no leaks.

[Traveller]

Plenty to think about thanks. I am back on the boat tomorrow so shall get to it :-)

[bastion]

Just put a small cut in the brass strip at an angle to divert the water away, just before the closed position of the hatch.

[ditchcrawler]

Just put a small cut in the brass strip at an angle to divert the water away, just before the closed position of the hatch.

Spot on

[rustydiver]

While we are on the topic off the sliding hatch, i know they are all different but how easy are they to remove, i noticed over the weekend the wood on the outside that would slide under the runners is rotted on one side, its like a bit of 2x1.

looks to be 4 screws holding each side, is it undo and lit off does the wood stop the hatch from being lifted off.

[system 4-50]

Mine leaked when we had heavy rain so i made a cover to go over the hatch and runners when we are not using the boat i loop up one off he ropes in front off the runners to block the off.

Since down it we've had no leaks.

Likewise.

[rustydiver]

Likewise.

and i put a bit off twin wall polycarbonate stuff between the runners to stop the cover sagging under the weight of the water.

[lesrollins]

 

While we are on the topic off the sliding hatch, i know they are all different but how easy are they to remove, i noticed over the weekend the wood on the outside that would slide under the runners is rotted on one side, its like a bit of 2x1.

looks to be 4 screws holding each side, is it undo and lit off does the wood stop the hatch from being lifted off.

 

I have just replaced the internal board on my steel hatch I did it by removing the strip of wood on the inside of the hatch closest to the stern and then pushing the hatch forward towards the bow and sliding it off the rails, it can be heavy so be careful better to use two people.

[Chewbacka]

Mine is Colecraft.

The hatch lid is steel with folded down sides on 3 sides. On the left & right sides the metal turns in by about 10mm to give a lip parallel with the top face.

There are 4 slotted blocks which fit onto the runners bolted to both sides of the hatch lid.

To remove the hatch lid remove the 4 bolts fixing the 4 blocks to both sides of the hatch, then slide the hatch off the back.

 

When you slide it off the back, make sure there is some carpet or something to protect the boat roof as the lid is heavy and does scratch the roof no matter how carefully you try to slide it off.

[GUMPY]

Simple way to cure water running down the slide runners is to cut a slot right across the top of the runner with an angle grinder close to the edge of the hatch.

Water then drops through the slot onto the roof.