Here are some projects I got into when repairing some leaks under the spray hood (another story).
I replaced the worn and soiled covering under the hatch with material obtained from the local sewing store. I also noticed that 28 years of the hatch sliding back and forth had worn the ?feet? down very thin as well as cutting a groove in the deck the hatch slides on. I rebuilt the hatch ?feet? using glass mat and west system epoxy thickened with WEST System 406 Colloidal Silica and filled the groves flush with the deck. I never liked the screeching noise the hatch made when sliding back and forth and thought this would be a good time to fix it.
I purchased some bondable, Virgin Electrical Grade Teflon? PTFE 1/8? thick and ?? wide available from
http://www.mcmaster.com/. It is UV resistant, flame retardant and weather resistant and very low friction. I set it in some 2 part, 3M Scotch Weld, epoxy adhesive #2216 B/A, Translucent.
I did need to raise the wood rails holding down the sliding hatch by 1/8? using pieces of the Teflon strip under each screw. I screwed some of the Teflon strips under the teak fascia on the hatch, on both top and side, for the hatch to slide on the top ?rail? and it helps take up the change in height as well. I also adjusted the height of the hatch boards that I recently replaced as well.
The hatch now slides effortlessly and silently.