Companionway Slide | Making Turnbuttons

The matter of how to retain the companionway slide inside the hood has been bugging me for ages.

It's not practical to fit stops in the runner grooves in the side of the hood. That just wouldn't work - we need to be able to easily remove the slide when needed.

So a turnbutton of some kind seemed the best option.

I thought about making one from some scrap carbon fibre that I had, but it looked completely incongruous.

So I considered a piece of ash that I had left over, but it was too bulky and I didn't want to spend ages making something.

Then I discovered a length of sapele left over from the drop board retainers - just the right thickness and width!

I decided two would be required - one on each side of the companionway hood frame across the cabin roof.

So I made a pair and test fitted them. Here they are.

They prevent the slide from coming all the way out, as it would if pulled vigorously or when the boat is being towed on its trailer.

That'll work!

I cleaned up the buttons and varnished them - here they are with the brush.

They took nine coats to look presentable.

Then I fitted them. This is the starboard turnbutton, holding the slide in place.

And here are both turnbuttons with the slide partly open.

Ans lastly here they are with the slide closed.

That's one more job finished so she can move back outside on the trailer, sometime soon!