Cal 21 port light repair

[PeteTheri]

I removed the port lights on my Cal 21 to replace the glass and channel gaskets. The original channel gasket that surrounds the plexiglass was deteriorated but didn’t seem to have any old caulking nor was there any old caulking in the aluminum window frame. I saw a YouTube video about similar replacement and they were using caulking in the gasket and window frame. I’ve tried this but created a mess with the caulking as I need to bend the plexiglass to get it into the frame that only opens on one end. I’ve tried this twice unsuccessfully and now I’m wondering if caulking is really needed. Any comments would be helpful thanks

 

[dlochner]

It is a little hard to tell from the photo, however, back in the day a standard way of mounting ports used aluminum frames bent to a particular shape.

The lens sits in a vinyl gasket which is located in a channel. The frame to cabin side is sealed with a good marine caulking, like 3m 4200 or 4000. Some companies used an architectural glazing compound, GE Silpruf or Dow 795. There is a frame inside the cabin that is screwed to the outer frame which keeps everything in place.

CR Laurence still makes the vinyl glazing (amazon link) and it comes in different sizes. Catalina Direct also sells supplies to reglaze the ports.

 

[PeteTheri]

It is a little hard to tell from the photo, however, back in the day a standard way of mounting ports used aluminum frames bent to a particular shape.

The lens sits in a vinyl gasket which is located in a channel. The frame to cabin side is sealed with a good marine caulking, like 3m 4200 or 4000. Some companies used an architectural glazing compound, GE Silpruf or Dow 795. There is a frame inside the cabin that is screwed to the outer frame which keeps everything in place.

CR Laurence still makes the vinyl glazing (amazon link) and it comes in different sizes. Catalina Direct also sells supplies to reglaze the ports.

So as far as the vinyl glazing in the channel does that require any caulking? I understand the frame will be sealed against boat with what you had mentioned but I saw a video where a guy out caulking inside the vinyl glazing and in the channel inside the frame. I’m starting to think that’s not necessary

 

[dlochner]

Here are the instructions for rebedding ports from Sabre. They will be pretty close to what you want to do.

http://216.38.10.201/sabre/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/RebedSabre28.pdf

 

[PeteTheri]

Here are the instructions for rebedding ports from Sabre. They will be pretty close to what you want to do.

http://216.38.10.201/sabre/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/RebedSabre28.pdf

Thanks for your help!

 

[jssailem]

Morning Pete.
I removed 10 ports from my Cal35C boat as a major refit of the salon windows.
I took the windows to an Auto Glass shop to have the glass removed from the outer frames. The frames have a channel in them that needs a bead of adhesive caulk to hold the glass is place. I suspect the shop might use a special tape as an alternate, but suspect the bead of sealant is the easier method.

The glass is now stuck to the aluminum frame. There is a rubber ( vinyl) gasket that is stretched and inserted between the glass and frame. Not sure it serves much more than to trim the frame. There is no caulk or sealant in the space between the frame and the glass. If there was the rubber trim would not fit.

The windows frame was set into the boat with some form of caulk sealant. When I removed the frames from my boat there was a white caulk. Either 5200 or 4200. It was tenacious to remove, but also had gaps in areas that were not sealed. This caused the issue of water getting in under the frame.

Check carefully that you get the forward end of your window (the small rounded pointy end - arrow #1) in good contact with the boat and the properly sealed. On my boat the hull starts to turn in and that left a 1/16th to 1/8th inch gap for water to slip in under the window frame and play havoc with the internal plywood. A Cal design flaw? Maybe.

At point #2 you can see the original grey outer gasket pulling away from the corner. Over time it just shrank. There was no water intrusion as the glass/frame sealant was still in tack. Where the sealant had decayed there was tiny cracks in the sealant. You could see the moisture bubbling through these cracks. Depositing water in the interior channel of the window frame.

I found a source for the rubber gasket. A Canadian company. Sold me the gasket by the by the foot.