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Canal narrowboat sliding hatch application

Improve narrowboat sliding hatch performance with polymer adhesive tape

With over 35,000 canal and river boats in the UK's waterways, understanding their pain points is essential. The biggest issues centre around maintenance, space constraints and the UK's ever changing weather. So when considering sliding or moving parts on a boat, especially parts that are open to the elements, its no wonder rust and corrosion are problematic.

One key problem area is sliding hatches. These are an essential feature of canal narrowboats, providing both a secure entrance and exit route as well as maximising available deck space. Many traditional metal-on-metal sliding systems used on canal boats have can become difficult to operate over time due to wear, rust, corrosion and contamination.

We can offer a lubrication and maintenance-free solution that improves hatch movement and protects sliding surfaces for minimal cost.

Requirement, challenge and solution

Narrowboat sliding hatch with visible wear, blue deck, and red rope alongside a life ring.

Requirement

The customer was experiencing high wear on the entrance to their narrowboat.

Previously it was metal sliding on metal, so they wanted something with a low absorption rate which was designed to withstand outdoor use as well as cope with the high wear rate from frequent use.

Open hatch on a canal boat showing wear around the metal frame.

Challenge

As with any outdoor applications, the biggest challenge is the weather.

Subjected to wind, rain, canal water and snow, metal on metal sliding parts are not only noisy, but they can seize up and ultimately can cause more damage to the hatch costing a lot of money.

You can see the results from the image above.

Red coil of rope on a blue boat deck beside a hatch and rail.

Solution

The customer chose to use our W160 Tribo tape with adhesive back to keep it secure.

This material is very durable, hard wearing, water resistant, with low coefficient of friction and is easy to cut to size whether its required for industrial applications or small DIY projects.

Key benefits:

  • Smooth operational movement
  • Reduction in metal to metal contact
  • Maintenance-free
  • Dirt and dust resistant
Our narrowboat hatch was dragging whilst opening, we were using WD40 to help it glide but as you know it leaves a residue which can ruin your clothes if you happen to touch it, so we were researching options on Google for something that would do the job without lubricants. We found a passage that had ‘Tribo Tape’ highlighted so I clicked on it and found the solution to our problem. We have been extremely happy with the tape and it works well. Many thanks for supplying a great product that does the job.

Debbie & Chris Allen

Solutions

Blue tribo tape roll with a strip extending to the right.

A160, ideal for Food & Pharma

  • FDA compliant
  • Low coefficients of friction
  • Easy to clean
  • Optional self-adhesive back
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Tribo-Tape roll with black tape wound around it.

B160, ideal for machine builders

  • Low coefficients of friction
  • Reduce wear
  • Easy to cut to size
  • Optional self-adhesive back
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Tribo-Tape W160 as white roll material.

W160, ideal for outdoor use

  • Low coefficients of friction
  • Easily cut to size
  • Wear resistant
  • Optional adhesive back
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Tribo-Tape rolled up and unrolled as a strip.

V400, high temperature applications

  • Extreme wear resistance
  • Up to +200 °C long-term
  • Easy to cut to size
  • Optional self-adhesive back
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Tribotape roll on band material.

F160, ESD resistant

  • ESD compliant
  • Low coefficient of friction
  • Up to 90 °C long-term
  • Optional adhesive back
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Tribo-soft-tape on a roll with a green core.

A160 soft, ideal to reduce friction and impact

  • No minimum order quantity
  • ideal for transporting delicate products like bottles on conveyor belts.
  • Outstanding sliding properties
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Frequently asked questions

One issue that can occur that affects the hatch movement, as previously mentioned is metal to metal wear. This makes the hatch hard to manoeuvre.

Another issue is the potential for gouge marks to occur if the runners are forced into a movement.

Adverse weather conditions can also play a part with the degradation of the narrow boat sliding hatch, being exposed to the elements over time will cause rust and corrosion, which in turn will also affect the movement of the sliding hatch.

Some people use standard teak wood, Vaseline and PU sealants which can work temporarily, however these aren’t considered long term solutions and can actually be detrimental because of the potential build up of dirt and debris that builds on the runners.

The boat hatch is used as the main entrance. It is a sliding hatch which was designed for ease of use and space saving ability. They usually consist of two pieces of angled iron welded to the roof of the boat. The hatch then slides forward and backwards on runners, traditionally both metal.

Contact us

Contact details

Alan Hicks
Alan Hicks07467 956571Contact us

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