I have 10 year old Lewmar openning portlights on my OC 281. Several of them leak, not severely but enough to be annoying. Rain water somehow ends up in the female part of the latch and drips into the cabin. They are Lewmars "old standard" model portlights. Anyone got any suggestions?
leaking Lewmar portlights
- Thread starter Bill C320 Papillon
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I had this same problem on Lewmar ports on a 1995 Hunter, easily fixed once I figured out the exact source of the leak. On ours, the water also ended up in the dog latches, then would drip from there. If you look carefully on the outside (exterior), you will see the portlight is made of 2 pieces, a top half and a bottom half (assumes your ports are the same). Where those 2 exterior pieces join is some gasket material, or caulking, about an inch long and 1/8" wide. That is where rain was getting in on mine because the caulk was cracked up. Fix is to pull out the old gasket/caulk with an awl or small screwdriver and recaulk. Fixed all my leaks. If that doesn't work, your next leak sources: --The small o-ring that seals each dog where it goes thru the glass. Try adding some teflon grease to those and tighten the dog a bit more. Replace rings as last resort. --The main portlight gasket itself. I replaced a gasket but to no effect (the fix turned out to be the one mentioned in 2nd paragraph). --Elsewhere in the bedding of the portlight. Remove and rebed entire portlight. Save that for last! I used 3M 4000 to recaulk (per Hunter Customer service advice).
same portlights
Great tips. Sounds like Hunter and Beneteau were into Lewmar "old standard portlights" in 1995. I do have 2 piece frames on the outside. If I understood correctly, you remove the old caulk and install the new without removing the frames? What kind of new caulk did you use that you can squeeze in between the frame and the coachroof? Thanks Brian Bill
Great tips. Sounds like Hunter and Beneteau were into Lewmar "old standard portlights" in 1995. I do have 2 piece frames on the outside. If I understood correctly, you remove the old caulk and install the new without removing the frames? What kind of new caulk did you use that you can squeeze in between the frame and the coachroof? Thanks Brian Bill
B
Bill O'Donovan
Easier option
Don't take anything apart, plastic breaks! Score a very fine line of LifeSeal at edges. Recommend clear vs white, less visible. Use red plastic gizmo for prof fine line.
Don't take anything apart, plastic breaks! Score a very fine line of LifeSeal at edges. Recommend clear vs white, less visible. Use red plastic gizmo for prof fine line.
Replacement Seals
I also have leaking portlights on my '96 O-281. It looks to me like the rubber seal that fits into a groove on the fixed port and which seals against the plexiglass has taken a set over the years allowing water to leak in. I purchased replacement seals from Fisheries Supply (www.fisheriessupply.com) last fall but have yet to put them on to see if this fixes the problem. Take a look at your portlights and see if this is where your water is coming in. It will be a lot easier to fix this than a leak around the portlight-to-hull fitting. PS: I just took a look at the Fisheries Supply site and I remember it being a lot easier to figure out which seal kits I needed last fall than it is now. Don't know if they changed the site or if I am not going about it right. Anyway, I ordered two each of the SZ2 (LPd#19898900) and SZ1 (LPD#19898600) sizes to fit the ports in the head, cabin and galley/nav station.
I also have leaking portlights on my '96 O-281. It looks to me like the rubber seal that fits into a groove on the fixed port and which seals against the plexiglass has taken a set over the years allowing water to leak in. I purchased replacement seals from Fisheries Supply (www.fisheriessupply.com) last fall but have yet to put them on to see if this fixes the problem. Take a look at your portlights and see if this is where your water is coming in. It will be a lot easier to fix this than a leak around the portlight-to-hull fitting. PS: I just took a look at the Fisheries Supply site and I remember it being a lot easier to figure out which seal kits I needed last fall than it is now. Don't know if they changed the site or if I am not going about it right. Anyway, I ordered two each of the SZ2 (LPd#19898900) and SZ1 (LPD#19898600) sizes to fit the ports in the head, cabin and galley/nav station.
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Brian
Bill, correct
No need to remove the frames to do the fix I mentioned in my 2nd parapgraph of first post. That's why the fix is "easy" assuming that's where the problem is. Just use a small sharp tool to remove that gasket/caulk material where the 2 extrusions join. Then tape carefully on each side of the groove to catch any excess caulk, then fill with caulk and smooth over. As mentioned in first post, I used 3M 4000 (not 4200) in that gap, per Hunter's recommendation. You may want to start with just one port to see if indeed that's the problem area.
No need to remove the frames to do the fix I mentioned in my 2nd parapgraph of first post. That's why the fix is "easy" assuming that's where the problem is. Just use a small sharp tool to remove that gasket/caulk material where the 2 extrusions join. Then tape carefully on each side of the groove to catch any excess caulk, then fill with caulk and smooth over. As mentioned in first post, I used 3M 4000 (not 4200) in that gap, per Hunter's recommendation. You may want to start with just one port to see if indeed that's the problem area.
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bill
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