How upset/concerned should I be that some of my large portlights are screwed in?

[MikeTheHunter]

Believe it or not, neither I nor the stupid surveyor noticed this crude fix. The windows were reseated with black caulking and screws.
-- Could the cause have been hurricane damage?
-- Could leakage work its way into the fiberglass?
-- How much could this affect resale?

 

[sail sfbay]

Are they leaking? The fixed portlights on my Hunter 386 and now Hunter 46 has screws on windows util cauking.....no leaks. You might find this thread on replacing portlights: WINDOW REPLACING AND WHICH SEALER | Sailboat Owners Forums and this article DIY: Replacing Fixed Portlights - Sail Magazine helpful.

 

[rgranger]

I would not assume Hurricane Damage. Ports leak over time and need to be reseated.

 

[Dave Groshong]

Dow Corning 795 is the sealant you want, screws are no longer required:

Portlight and Hatch Sealant

Portlight and Hatch Sealant

shop.hunterowners.com

 

[finefurn]

Looks like a standard method of repair. Are they leaking, if not, forget about it and go sailing

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Believe it or not, neither I nor the stupid surveyor noticed this crude fix

Actually, nobody missed nothing.

This is how the windows are set in place in the factory to allow the DC 795 time to set when dealing with curved surfaces. Given the depth of the sealant (in cross section) several weeks are required. This is the factory installation on my 1999 H-310.



The screws on the fixed portlights are countersunk and covered with the black DC795 sealant. The screws on the forward fixed hatchlight are enameled black so as not to show.

Don't sweat the small stuff. The glass does occasionally spring small leaks and is easy to seal.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Dave Groshong is correct on Dow sealant. Screws were used to hold the window invfor the caulk to solidify. Sometimes the screws were left in but taken out, holes filled with caulking. One thing about screws, make sure they are smaller than the actual hole to allow for room when the window changes size due to weather or the window can crack