Companionway hood issues

[mark48]

Greetings,

I'm starting to tackle the "bit of carpentry" required to make the companionway hood and slide. A couple questions for all you builders:

1. Page 11 of the plans (step 4) says "Install stops in track." I can't find a reference to that in the manual (or on the forum) but it seems that retaining the capability to remove the companionway slide for maintenance would be an asset. That's especially so if one ever needs to clear the drain holes in the hood. Where have other builders placed the slide stops, and how have you still made the companionway slide removable?

2. If I understand the geometry correctly, in the finished PS with the companionway slide closed, water (rain, spray, etc.) will run off the slide, down its sides, and along the plastic slides to ultimately drain outboard of the companionway sills and off the cabin roof through the drain holes in the companionway hood sides. If that's so, it seems to me that the companionway hood slide grooves should be treated with epoxy like every other bit of wood in the boat - and then sanded somehow to allow the companionway slide to move freely. That seems tough in a 3/8" dado, but widening the dado would allow the slide to bounce up and down. Any thoughts on this?

3. The drain holes in the companionway hood sides could be sized larger than the 1/4" stated in the manual at page 280 (to prevent clogging and ultimate wood swelling restricting companionway slide travel - per JH at the 2017 Mystic WBS). Coming from John, that seems like a good idea, but then these holes will penetrate (or protrude through) the companionway slide grooves in the companionway hood sides. Other than allowing a prompt egress for some of the water as noted in 2 above, any issues with this? These holes could best be drill-fill-drilled before the hood sides are attached to the hood face, and before the grooves are sawn (so epoxy doesn't run down the grooves if the holes intersect with the grooves.

4. Regardless of the kit pattern and plans (I can't believe I wrote that!), the aft face of the companionway slide must be large enough in height to overhang the dropboards to keep water out of the cabin. Have builders sized this aft face with the dropboards in place before cutting it and gluing the companionway slide together?

I appreciate any thoughts on these issues - as well as instructive comments about any misconceptions I may have about the geometry involved here, especially before I put saw to wood.

Thanks to all at CLC, and all posters and bloggers.
Mark Nunlist

[riverron]

Mark,
I haven't gotten to this point yet, but I can give you my two cents.

#1 - There is a picture of the slide stops on page 194. The middle picture. I like the idea of a removable stop. You may be able to make a plastic piece and screw it into the grove. That way you could remove the slide.

#2 - Yes I agree the grooves should be treated with epoxy like everything else. I agree if you make it wider, the slide may bounce and cause damage. The slides in the hardware kit are just under 3/8 ths, so I think the water will find it's way.

#3 - If I am following you question, you are saying to drill a larger hole than 1/4" for water to drain.
Is it possible to do a half-moon hole, with the deck being the bottom? The plans sort of look like a half-hole. This may allow for larger without conflicting with the slide.
Also, does the slide go all the way forward? Could you put a stop and then drill a hole through the stop?

#4 - I will defer to previous builders.

Hope this helps.

[mark48]

Hi Ron,

Thanks for your thoughts. In reply...

1. The photo on page 194 shows stops on the forward end of the grooves (as opposed to making a "stopped dado" in the companionway hood sides) but I don't think that's what the plans are referring to by "install stops in the tracks." I understood those stops (referred to on the plans) to be intended to keep the companionway slide from simply pulling out the aft end of the hood.

3. The lower edges of the companionway hood side rails are beveled (pg 190) to match the curvature of the deck. Thus the outboard edge is lower than the inboard edge, so a properly drilled drain hole would cant "upward" as the hole proceeds inboard. So far, I think the best option for these holes is to drill with a wide forstner bit angling parallel to the slides' lower edges, as far forward as is reasonable (while remaining aft of the companionway hood front face); then fill these holes with thickened epoxy before re-drilling a smaller diameter drain hole. Then when the companionway hood is mounted on the deck, exercise care with the fillet so as not to obstruct the hole. I don't know how I'd do a half-moon hole while protecting all the then-exposed wood edges from water.

Incidentally, have any builders attached their companionway hood with a "strong waterproof sealant" (pg 196) rather than epoxying it down permanently? If so, how has it gone?

Thanks,
Mark

[DanaDCole]

I guess I missed the bit about stops. Anyway I never installed any and have never had any problems.

[mark48]

Hi Dana,

Thanks for your post. Does your companionway slide then come all the way out to allow access to the interior of the hood and any necessary maintenance to hood or slide? If I understand the construction correctly then, the locking tab of the aft face of the slide if fixed to the acrylic drop boards when the PS is "buttoned up" keeps the closed slide in place from further aft travel....

Thanks,
Mark

[DanaDCole]

I can just slide it all the way out for maintenance or whatever reason. I see no problem with this--it's not going to slide "uphill" on its own. I suppose in a raging see it could slide open and out but I think if anyone ever got in that dire a situation he/she would have much bigger concerns to worry about. It might be possible that the wind while traveling on the road could blow it back and out, but I always have it latched when I haul it around on a trailer.

I don't know if you are building from plans, but as you point out, on page 11 of the plans that come with the kit they don't explain anything about these so-called stops. I carefully studied the section in the kit construction manual on building and installing the hatch and I can find nothing about any stops. So if I were you I would stop worrying about it.

Or, you might try writing to CLC and asking them about it. They have a form for this on the website, and they usually respond promptly with answers. Or if you want to email one of them directly, it's just the first name followed by "@CLCBoats.com."

[Wayne G]

Adding my 2 cents worth.
I'm pretty sure the stops referred to are at the forward end of the rails as shown on page 198. If you look at the photo on page 278 you can see the sliding hatch when closed comes all the way to the aft edge of the rails so nowhere to install stops on this end. I have had no issues with the hatch sliding out when being trailered, I think sliding forward is the biggest concern, and if the hatch is secured to the drop board by means of the hasp it does not move.

Regarding #2, similar to epoxy lined holes, I oversized the rail grooves (by 3/8" I think), filled with thickened epoxy and then re-cut the grooves to the specified 3/8". Probably overkill but it does provide a hard wearing, low friction sliding surface. As I permanently resined the hood in place I wanted to avoid wear on these rails.

[Bflat]

I'm one who did make the companionway hood removable. I drilled and filled holes in both the cabin top and the hood and screwed it on from inside using fender washers as backers. I used Butyl rubber as the sealant. My boat hasn't yet been launched, but it has sat for 3 months on my driveway through a very wet spring and the cabin is dry as a bone. I'm confident that if it leaks at highway speeds it won't be due to the butyl rubber. I should also add that I made my hood sides thicker than designed to better accommodate the screwing down. If I remember correctly they are at least 1 inch thick.

I also coated the slide grooves with epoxy infused with graphite powder.

Bob

P.S. My launch is only a couple weeks away, I think. This is my 5th building season on the project.

[DanaDCole]

For those of us who simply coated the insides of the grooves with epoxy, it's probably a good idea to pull the slide out and check them every now and again. I like the idea of using graphite/epoxy mix. I used it in several places, like the noseblock and centerboard, but didn't think of the hatch grooves. That plastic is a pretty good bearing surface though, so the grooves should be OK. I hope so, will check them tomorrow.

[mark48]

Hi Wayne, Bob, and Dana,

Thanks for your thoughts and experience. Wayne, that's a spectacular idea - especially if the hood is permanently bonded to the cabin roof.

My sails arrive tomorrow. I have bottom paint already (days before I roll the hull to even begin work on the bottom!), but I'm trying to have necessary materials on hand before their need in order to make my projected launch date this autumn. We'll see.

Mark