companionway slides

Posted By: Gene Halpern, Nimble 20, "Morgan Truce"
Date: 6/23/07 12:04p.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

In Response To: Polymer (pic) (Ed, N24, Sarasota)

I suspect the Nimble engineering department was having a bad day when they specified such long, thin plastic strips (with holes, no less) to sit out in the sun all day and night---expanding and contracting. Replacing with the same thing is bound to fail. I would instead go for individual washer discs--each held by one of the existing screws. I believe the hatch would slide effortlessly over these washers. Teflon washers are available on eBay for cheap. While cruising, I had to come up with a place to store our dinghy's kicker motor. I made a bracket for the forward toe rail out of some 5/8" thick teflon (?) that was cleverly disguised as the boat's cheese cutting board. I cut the board into two small pieces, drilled and thru bolted with two stainless machine screws and finish washers. It's held up in spite of that little engine bouncing on it and the sun beating on it. I don't think that the same material cut into 1/8" thick strips would do as well. There was one problem though: whenever I got the munchies and wanted to slice a chunk of cheddar cheese to put on a cracker, I had to carry the cheese and a knife up to the foredeck, bend over the rail, and...