leak in the starboard side window

[CHRIS]

HELLO ALL I AM SURE THE A GREAT # 0OF YOU HAVE DELT WITH THIS ISSUE SO I THOUGHT I WOULD CHECK IN BEFORE DOING THE IS JOB. I HAVE FIXED WINDOWS IN THE PAST BY PULLING AND CLEANING AND THEN REBEDING. IT APPEARS THIS HAS NOT BEEN DONE BEFORE BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER SO CHANCE ARE GOOD THE SCREWS ARE NOT STRIPPED OUT. I AM CONSIDERING BUYING THE WINDOW AND REPLACING IT RATHER THEN DOING BATTLE WITH THE OLD. IT IS AN OLD BOAT AND WOULD TAKE ALL MY MONEY IF I LET HER, LIKE ANY WOMAN . BUT I AM NOT INTERESTED IN DOING THIS ON A MONTHLY BASIS. WE ALL HATE OPENING THE HATCH TO A WET MUSTY, AND DAMP SALON. SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS WHAT PROCESS HAS BEEN MOST SUCCESFUL FOR ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE?THANKS CHRIS S.V. WHISPERWILL

 

[Joe11688]

Leaking windows

I had the same problem on my O'Day 222 a few years ago. I found that some of the screws may have loosened due to vibration over the years. Normally I'd use use a regular boat caulking like boat life, but for these windows I wanted an adhesive as well as a sealant. I'm pretty sure that I used some stuff called 5400. I didn't want to use the 5200 because it's almost a permanent bond and if I ever needed to take the windows out for some reason, I'd stand a better chance of doing it without breaking them. Whether I made the right move in using the 5400 sealant, I don't know but so far I haven't had any leaks. Also, I'd rather be doing other things than re-caulking windows every year. Maybe someone else on the forum can come up with a better answer for you. If so, go with what you feel is best. I re-caulked my forward hatch last year and I used Boat Life Boat Caulk, because my hatch is made of cheap plastic, and some day I may need to take it out again for some reason. Good Luck!Joe

 

[ken]

Hate that musty smell

Chris........You didn't indicate what brand/size boat you have. I have an O'Day 25 and I hate that musty/hot/humid gust of air you get when you open the bunk boards after sitting awhile. I replaced the forward fixed windows on each side with ports that open. I leave them partially open while at the dock and I get permanent flow thru ventilation all the time. I had to enlarge the window holes slightly but the installation was straight-forward and easy. I used Beckson ports that I bought @ WM for about $100 each. They also have a website. http://www.beckson.com/ports.html. Good luck!!ken in sacramento

 

[Buck]

Get some information about

Chris. You may want to look at RTV. We used to use it on Navy ships for repair work and it worked great. I also have to repair a port, that's what i'am going to use.

 

[TT23844]

Re musty smell

Try a solar powered vent to exhaust air from the cabin: they have enough stored power to run thru the night and will give a continuous air change. I installed one on my boat in June '03 & it has run non-stop ever since.Doesn't move a huge amt. of air, but it seems to do the job.