Hunter 34 owners, a little help?

[Phil Herring]

We're working on a replacement windows for this boat and the originals an owner sent to us have an odd looking gasket. We think this was a patch someone applied to stop leaking but I'd like to confirm this with anyone who has a Hunter 34 handy.

The alleged gasket is a 1/2" strip of flat rubber that butts up against the edge of the aluminum frame (see photo). Below that strip the window is embedded in the frame with sealant.

Does this look like a PO hack to you, or is this stuff OEM? Thanks!

 

[Claude L.-Auger]

Phil, my 84 has plastic frames around the windows. Some early models (83 ?) may have had the aluminum frames, but most of Hunter 34s I have seen have the same plastic frames as mine. No gasket, just some caulking between the frame and the hull. Inside is also plastic and again no gasket. Hopefully you can enlarge the pics for a better view. I would gladly replace those plastic frames with aluminum if available.

 

[Phil Herring]

Thanks Claude! Frames can be tough, especially aluminum. Right now we're focusing on the plexi that works inside of the frames. I suspect these plastic vs aluminum windows will be different sizes, too.

 

[kloudie1]

H-34 Portlights

Mine are the same as Claude A.'s. Window glass is on outside of trunk and is held on by the frame which is screwed over the glass. I think originally was sealed with butyl based stuff. I attached a couple of shots of what the non-aluminum ones look like. The thin plastic one has a recess that the glass fits into. The thicker frame is what I fabricated from poly foam trim board .. I made a recess in the board to hold the glass against the trunk side just as the original. Other folks on forum have just screwed the glass over the opening without the frame.. I think there may be more plastic framed 34's than aluminum framed ones.. I think the cut size of the hole in the trunk may be the same, but I don't know that for sure.

 

[Richard Bryer]

Mine had those same pieces of shrunken rubber strip. I would be pretty sure they were part of the OEM window. I also have the aluminium frame. Your can find my description of the restoration I did about 5 years ago in the Modifications section. I used strips of Butyl (I would use Mainsail's Bed-It product if I did it again) to replace the rubber strips. My windows are not leaking after 5 years and 10 haulouts and launches.

 

[Phil Herring]

Thanks Richard, I would have bet $100 that wasn't OEM. I appreciate your help!

 

[Don Crowther]

Mine also had the rubber gasket. When I replaced the crazed acrylic window with new I went to a thicker acrylic panel. I also had the frames powder coated to deal with the corrosion.

I just used Dow 795 between the window and frame and the frame and cabin.

 

[Dan Johnson]

Phil...

My '83 H34 has the metal fixed port window frames and the rubber gasketing strips overlapping at the corners the same as Richard's and Don's.