Hi Flite

The forward companionway was a source of several leaks.  In order to seal the leaks it was necessary to remove all parts and start over.  The "turtle shell" was removed, along with the aluminum slide rails and the teak rails.

The screw holes for the "turtle shell" were drilled oversize and the balsa core around the hole was removed.  The core was replaced with thickened West Systems epoxy.  This insures that the screws will only contact epoxy when it is reassembled.

The teak rails were found to have voids in the silicon sealant and was beginning to rot.  Replacement teak was bought at a local supplier, and a local cabinet shop cut and planed it to size.  3M 4200 caulk was used to seal the deck joint and they are held in place with stainless steel screws.

Three coats of varnish were applied before reattaching the slide rails and mounting the hatch.  The mounting holes for the "turtle shell" were redrilled and the shell replaced using a small amount of 4200 around the screws.