C27 Sliding hatch splash guard

[Jon_E]

Hi -

I'm looking for replacement splash guard material.

Last year painted my deck on my 1977 Catalina-27. Everything was removed including the sliding companionway hatch. On the face (fore side) of the hatch there is (teak) board. Between the board and the fiberglass of the hatch was the remnants of a thin film of plastic or rubber that is a splash guard to keep water from coming into the cockpit. It was shredded, dried, and brittle from decades of salt and soap, so I removed it.

Eventually I would like to replace that splash guard, but I have not found any suitable plastic or rubber material. Without it, I have to be really careful when hosing down my deck; if I don't direct the nozzle spray away from the hatch (towards the bow) I'll get water in the cabin.

Anybody found a suitable material for splash guard? It has to be flexible, flat, and not leave any scrape marks on deck when the hatch slides up and back.

Thanks!

Jon
"Rainbow's End"

 

[weinie]

Is this what you mean?

http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=466

 

[Jon_E]

Not a gasket.

Is this what you mean?

http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=466

Negative. This is like a skirt on the sliding companionway hatch. It isn't a tight gasket or seal.

 

[philwsailz]

I personally have never seen such an item as part of a stock exploded parts diagram, and do not think it was installed as stock. Someone probably added that on their own to combat the very issue you describe.


Were I considering it, I would probably try to come up with a suitable material that fit your goals and fabricate my own. Unfortunately, I cannot think of a suitable material at the moment. With a quick pondering, the non-scratch goal, as well as trying to conform to the non-skid points me to ponder trying to use a brush-style commercial door sweeper; one of those things fastened to the bottom of a swinging door that has brush bristles that would fill the gap and at least slow the water down if not completely stopping it.

Another option will be to put something INSIDE the boat that wiped the inside top of the companionway slider. The bearing/sealing surface of the slide would be smoother and easier to seal against when compared with the non-skid. It also would be out of the UV, opening up options for use of other materials that could be used inside but not outside due to sunlight deterioration.

 

[jimg]

Hatch splash guard

Yes, the pre-80s C27 had just such an arrangement. Mine was a flexible strip sandwiched between the wood trim piece and the fiberglass hatch. Mine was also totally disintegrated. I searched Home Depot and hardware stores until I found something I could use. It's not perfect, but it works and it's lasted about 10 years now. You'll just have to go on a quest for something suitable.

 

[Jon_E]

@philwsailz - Hmm... Your post made me think that perhaps I've been a little to linear in my thinking. Instead of trying to reproduce the old configuration, there may be other solutions that would work better. For example, maybe a thick rubber gasket would work on the forward edge. Not only would that impede the flow over water over the deck, but it could act as a shock absorber when the companionway hatch slides shut. When the hatch was off during my deck painting, I could see where the fiberglass was cracking where the hatch was slammed shut. In addition to a water-stopA gasket would cushion the blow when the deck is forcefully shut. Hmm....

@jimg - Did you find your solution at a hardware store?