MacGregorSailors.com

We just glued the smooth part of the velcro on the sliding hatch. The quietness of moving the hatch forward and backward is amazing. Who ever thought this mod up, THANK YOU. If we have to redo this 4 times a year it is worth the silence. Does anyone know how long this mod will last? We put the velcro the entire length of the hatch attaching it to the sliding part. One day I may remove the hatch, gelcoat the grove cut into the top of the boat by the hatch and do one of the other hatch mods but for now this one is very nice.

Might want to pull that hatch sooner than later, mine actually broke thru in 2 places and would leak a lot.

See post: http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 01#p242901

I have had the Velcro mod since 2012, still quiet and working.

Erik
KnotShore

I've had it on for a few years with no problems. So simple, the factory should have done this.

Did it a couple of years ago, takes a licking and still ticking (so to speak).

ris wrote:We just glued the smooth part of the velcro on the sliding hatch. The quietness of moving the hatch forward and backward is amazing. Who ever thought this mod up, THANK YOU. If we have to redo this 4 times a year it is worth the silence. Does anyone know how long this mod will last? We put the velcro the entire length of the hatch attaching it to the sliding part. One day I may remove the hatch, gelcoat the grove cut into the top of the boat by the hatch and do one of the other hatch mods but for now this one is very nice.

I did this mod also a couple yrs ago , but I used the fuzzy side because i thought using the other side would make the hatch too slippery when standing on it , some have said u have to be careful it does not slide from under ur feet using the shinny side ! , the fuzzy side does make it a little harder to move but it is now quieter & not wearing off the gelcoat , I completely removed my hatch for this mod as I had really bad water leaks when my dodger was off , found about 4 small holes in the gelcoat where the hatch would slide & water would just pour into the cabin through them was amazing just how much water came through these little holes so fixed that issue & made the velcro mod , no more water leaks or squeaky hatch , when the fuzzy side wears out I might try using the shinny side I have left over but I think that will be a long time waiting !

J

RIS,
I searched and found the posts from 2009 when I first used the Velcro.
7 years later, it still works as well as day one, and I have done nothing other than hose a little water in the area at each wash down.
It does not seem to be coming un-stuck anywhere.

I don't know how much actual wear has occurred over this time as I have never pulled the hatch to inspect.
In my mind, I will replace it at the first sign of the grinding noise returning, or I die -- whichever comes first.

IHMO, every Mac 26 X/M built should have this simple mod installed.

Perhaps even the Tattoo would benefit.

Velcro is ok but i choised polished stainless steel because couldnt find Velcro nearby .

Hardcrab wrote: IHMO, every Mac 26 X/M built should have this simple mod installed.

Perhaps even the Tattoo would benefit.

So, do you apply the Velcro to the hatch itself or to the sliding channels? I don't have any leaks (yet ), but it sure makes a lot of noise, so I like the idea.

Applied the velcro to the sliding part of the hatch. Put the fuzzy part down. We cut the velcro about 8 inches longer than the hatch. Then punched a hole about a quarter inch from the end of the velcro and tied some string through the hole. With the sliding hatch closed to the aft position, from inside the cabin we fed the string through the gap in the forward part of the hatch to a person on top. The person on top pulled the string until they pulled about an inch of the velcro through the gap between the fixed part of the cabin roof and the sliding part. With the person on top and the person in the cockpit holding the velcro tight, the person in the cabin applied the glue right down the center of the non-fuzzy side of the velcro. You want enough to stick but you don't want it to ooze out stick down to the non moving cabin top. The person in the cabin pushes up on the top which creates a gap of about a quarter inch in the track of the hatch. Together the person on cabin top and person in cockpit pull the velcro tight and slide it into position under the outer edge of the sliding cabin top, then the person inside the cabin lowers the top down onto the velcro with glue on it. Let it sit for 4 hours. Then cut the excess velcro off leaving about 3/4 of an inch sticking out. Put glue on this and bend back over the top of the hatch edge and hold down with vice grips or a wedge of some kind. Make sure this part is smooth and tight so it will not catch as you slide the hatch back and forth.
If you took all the stuff off so you could remove the hatch it might be better to put it on the non moving part of the hatch.

I applied the velcro to the sliding hatch channels the hatch slides on. Just cleaned the channel, patted it down and it was done. I'm sure there's more than one way to do this.

Cougar wrote:

Hardcrab wrote: IHMO, every Mac 26 X/M built should have this simple mod installed.

Perhaps even the Tattoo would benefit.

So, do you apply the Velcro to the hatch itself or to the sliding channels? I don't have any leaks (yet ), but it sure makes a lot of noise, so I like the idea.

cougar,
Yes, the Velcro goes on the sliding hatch on my boat. Others have put it on the hull. The noise is gone either way, but to my mind, any down the road velcro replacement should be easier working with the hatch at a bench, or such.
I used the already sticky sided, industrial strength stuff from Walmart, fuzzy side only. As I recall, the hatch lip is about 1/2" wide, or at least the Velcro was that width. I bought the 2" wide version and split it lengthwise to get four strips 60" long. (At the time, I had no idea how long the service life would be, so I had a replacement set ready to go. They are long misplaced now )

Pulling the hatch was easy on my M. Can't speak to an X. Remove the electrical panel to expose the aft-most port hatch rail machine screw--Phillips head and 3/8" deep socket. (1/4" drive socket would be best, or a nut driver. The liner access hole isn't large) Then pull out the next five liner plugs to expose those rail screw nuts and remove. Six total is enough. The hatch rail can flex so the remaining four screws and rail can remain in place. Bend it enough up and out of the way, pull the hatch aft, up, and to the port and it's yours to work on. Replacement is just the reverse.

If the gritty, grinding noise bothers you or the admiral/ guests when opening the hatch, and if you are mechanically deft enough not to cross-thread the ketchup bottle when you use it, (at least on a good day), then it really is a simple job and the payback will be huge amounts of welcomed silence.

Like others have said, there are many, many ways to skin this cat, but this cat needs skinning, for sure.