Sliding hatch runner leak

[blackrose]

After nearly 12 years on this boat I've started to get a slight drip from the sliding hatch. I think it's where rainwater is running along the exposed hatch runners and then dripping in.

I lifted the hatch off today to have a look and found that where the underside of the steel hatch meets the brass runner it was quite rusty on both sides so I guess water just accumulates there because of the rust and manages to get in. I use the bow doors as my main entrance so the hatch just stays shut in winter allowing the rust to develop.

I've rubbed down both sides - the brass runner and the underside of the steel hatch to get rid of the rust build up. There isn't much point in painting over the steel as the paint will just rub off as soon as the hatch is slid. I'm going to put some brass strip on the underside of the hatch too so I have brass to brass contact rather than steel to brass.

Also I've put a 2" bead of Stixall along the inner runner just next to the brass, just in case that's where the water is running in. It's clear Stixall so not so easy to see in the attached pics.

If this doesn't work I was thinking of drilling a couple of 8mm countersunk drain holes across the brass runner at the point where it meets the hatch to give any rainwater a chance to drain away rather than drain in. Has anyone done this before?

 

Sorry about the picture orientations - you'll have to tilt your head to the left!

Edited February 18, 2017 by blackrose

[bastion]

Put a 45* cut in the brass runner to allow water to run of before it goes under the hatch

[Flyboy]

Put a 45* cut in the brass runner to allow water to run of before it goes under the hatch

Yes, I've done this and it works well. As the the rail usually slopes towards the stern there will always be a problem of rainwater flowing down the rail. Most boats have this very poor design feature. A better way is to raise the rear end of the rail so that it slopes forward towards the bow to allow the water to drain in that direction. Unfortunately this would entail quite a lot of work to embody, but easy on a new build.

[blackrose]

Put a 45* cut in the brass runner to allow water to run of before it goes under the hatch

 

Ok thanks, so you just use a hacksaw to cut a shallow groove in the brass runner? Sounds like an easy fix!

[Flyboy]

 

Ok thanks, so you just use a hacksaw to cut a shallow groove in the brass runner? Sounds like an easy fix!

Make sure you cut the 45* groove in the right direction ie so the rainwater goes off the outer edge, otherwise you will make matters worse.

[blackrose]

I was just going to cut a blade-width groove with a hacksaw, but thought that wouldn't allow much runoff in heavy rain, so I cut a piece of the runner out. Hopefully it will work. I think a 90 degree groove would probably have worked just as well but perhaps it would be more likely to catch the hatch as it slides?

 

If you click on the image you can just about see the 2" bead of clear Stixall (PU sealant) that I put on the inside of the brass runner. That should stop any water coming in from that part.

 

I painted the grooves in Bonda primer after I took the photo.

Edited February 19, 2017 by blackrose

[Ally]

Drilling a small hole through also works well

[blackrose]

Drilling a small hole through also works well

 

That was my original thought, but a hole in the middle of the runner doesn't stop water passing either side.

 

Anyway, what I have done has worked a treat - there's nothing coming in now.

 

Thanks for the tip Bastion.

[bastion]

That was my original thought, but a hole in the middle of the runner doesn't stop water passing either side.

 

Anyway, what I have done has worked a treat - there's nothing coming in now.

 

Thanks for the tip Bastion.

 

It's a pleasure. Might be well tested tonight.