Window Leak on a 32.3

[jim7289]

I have a 2006 Beneteau 32.3. The fixed skylight window is leaking in the corner. It could be a typical leak and be coming from an adjacent area. I had the 'yard' guys try to fix it last year but it still leaks. I am considering cleaning the silicon sealant out and taping off the area and re caulking.
Any info. about how you dealt with a similar problem would be a great help to me.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Here's a sequence of repairs for one section of the front hatchlight after I suffered a microscopic leak for a couple of years.

Here the problem section has been cleaned out using an exacto knife and coarse (80) sandpaper. The blue masking tape is highly flexible.

Automotive masking tape.

The masking tape is fully masked (just because I hate cleanup).

DC 795 is pumped in as deep as possible and smoothed with a 1" socket (or something equally round).

The finished product.

 

[helmfam]

Great looking repair Ralph. Did you use 3M 4200 caulk?

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Did you use 3M 4200 caulk?

Used DC (Dow Corning) 795 silicone. Seems to be the industry standard for most boat mfg. The original still looks like the new stuff. The big problem with this front hatchlight is its width. Just too wide and sets up a large differential thermal expansion when it heats up (and probably when it gets cold as well).

 

[DougM]

Another thing that exacerbates the potential for a leak is standing on the window when working around the mast. Just try not to do it. The added weight at one side flexes and can break the seal over time.

 

[jim7289]

Ralph, thanks for your reply. Your solution looks like a perfect fix. The sealant is also good fit. Another 'board' suggested removing the entire window and rebedding it......I know I don't want to go that route.
When I stop the leak I am going to have a cover made for both windows and attach W/Velcro.
Thanks again for your reply and help.

 

[Mechone]

I believe the proper sealant that most boat builders use to seal ports , hatches ,skylights is
Sikaflex 295 UV with the primer google it ...silicone will not last.

 

[Bob S]

Ralph
Great looking job! Is your window screwed into place? Can't help notice the screw heads or dimples equally spaced. I might be wrong but I don't think the Bene's are fastened. It is one long window that must have some curvature in it. I'm not sure how it would be held in place for curing.

Dow 795 or GE Ultra Glaze are both structural adhesives used to hold their windows in place on all those high rise building we walk by. Got to be pretty good stuff! GE Ultra Glaze is what Bomar recommended for their hatch repair. 795 is more readily available and is equivalent. That's what I would use.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Is your window screwed into place? Can't help notice the screw heads or dimples equally spaced. I might be wrong but I don't think the Bene's are fastened.

Yes, all windows were originally screwed while the sealant set and then removed. Holes then filled with 795 and are invisible unless you're close up.

They may have left the screw in the forward curved hatchlight to ensure the 795 had several months to cure.

 

[Philbert]

Interesting as my 323 had the very same problem and thanks to this blog we also used Dow 795. The hardest part was cleaning the old stuff out. Instead of using a small socket my buddy Jim suggested using a plastic spoon to finish it off. It worked like a charm and just throw it out eliminating the cleaning. So now that that was done and successful I might add, there is the need to replace the finish trim around window inside. The original material is brittle and looking hideous. I'm not sure where to get it or if there's a suitable replacement. Any ideas?? I've included two pictures of the existing stuff that's short of 90 and 1/2" on each side.
Thanks,
Phil

 

[Gary Ryan]

Thank you for all your replies. Great photos and instruction from Ralph. Ordered up some Dow 795 and will repair. Thanks guys!

 

[Hello Below]

Here's a sequence of repairs for one section of the front hatchlight after I suffered a microscopic leak for a couple of years.

Wow this is timely. A noticed a few drops of water enter the inside of our fwd stbd port last week during a torrential rain storm last week. Given the limited amount of water ingress, I was thinking about employing Capt Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure. Ralph had you considered using "Miracle Stuff"?

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

had you considered using "Miracle Stuff"?

Been looking at Capt Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure for years now for sealing spider cracks in the exterior fiberglass. Up "til now been grinding out the cracks and filling with gel coat. Looks 100% when finished but is time consuming.

I guess what's held me back is the hokey name of the product. Doesn't exactly inspire confidence. Have you ever used it and success, if any ?

I would recommend against using this in sealing the DC 795 as it may react unfavorably with the 795 and if it just dries hard without affecting anything, it may not produce a good seal.

Cleaning out and re-filling the gap with 795 is the only job on a boat I have ever done which took my "estimated time" rather than 8X as much which is the norm. The job I show in post #2 is about 2 hours.

One thing I learned on this project is to very gently warm the nozzle of the 795 cartridge and permanently squeeze it into a narrow slit (before starting) so it's guaranteed to fill upwards from the bottom of the gap. This removes all air from the caulked joint.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

I guess what's held me back is the hokey name of the product. Doesn't exactly inspire confidence. Have you ever used it and success, if any ?

@Hello Below , have you ever used Captain Tolley's snake oil before and how did it go ? I'm thinking about trapped water in the spider crack causing problems. Also wonder if it renders the spider crack invisible.

Contrary to what you may hear on the streets, it's not a case of me getting lazy, I'm just looking to see if there's an easier way of dealing with spider cracks rather than the gel coat job which I've been doing for years, and years, and ...............................................

 

[Hello Below]

@Hello Below , have you ever used Captain Tolley's snake oil before and how did it go ? I'm thinking about trapped water in the spider crack causing problems. Also wonder if it renders the spider crack invisible.

Contrary to what you may hear on the streets, it's not a case of me getting lazy, I'm just looking to see if there's an easier way of dealing with spider cracks rather than the gel coat job which I've been doing for years, and years, and ...............................................

Ralph, if there is a difficult way to do something, I seem to find it. And in many (to read most) cases that difficult way is unwarranted leading to additional costs, time and frustration.
In answer to your question, I used Capt. Tolley’s creeping crack cure (CT) on my first boat some 10+ years ago. I did try masking spider cracks employing CT with mixed results. Mostly negative. I find that spider cracks are visible primarily because of organic material settling in the cracks. CT dries hard and clear. So cleaning the cracks is critical but near impossible. I happen to use (with great care) acetone to clean as best as possible. This may also flush out any residual water that you speak of. I mixed up gel coat tinted to match the surface colour and added the MEK. I then heavily cut this mix with acetone and used a pointed toothpick to wick this mixture into the spider cracks, mm by mm at a time. I did this several times until the gel coat built up sufficiently to mask the crack. Other solvents may also work and be more suitable.
Ralph, my process seemed to do a decent job in masking the cracks at least as observed from a few feet, for the 2 years that I further owned the boat.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

I find that spider cracks are visible primarily because of organic material settling in the cracks.

How true. You could remove the dirt with a small pressure washer (read as WaterPic water flosser) but risk driving the dirt and/or water deeper in. Not too impressed.

I mixed up gel coat tinted to match the surface colour and added the MEK. I then heavily cut this mix with acetone and used a pointed toothpick to wick this mixture into the spider cracks, mm by mm at a time.

I can hear the clock ticking, and ticking, and ticking away on both our procedures. I have a bit of an advantage in that my deck and hull colour is a perfect match for white gel coat right out of the can. Hard on the eyes but easy for gel coat repairs. One little trick I have learned is to apply a piece of masking tape on both sides of the defect when working on a reasonably flat surface. Use a putty knife which reaches across the two pieces of tape to smooth out the gel coat after you have worked it into the defect. After it sets, you are only looking at sanding off about 0.001" of excess gel coat to bring the new material down to the level of the original coat.

The spider cracks I can't deal with are the larger circular ones which actually have as many threads as a real spider web. Don't have an easy answer for those.