Repairing Window Leaks

[Dave Siebs]

I have had a strange leak since we took ownership of this boat three years ago. After taking out much of the interior panels and re-bedding the genoa track and stanchions, I just discovered that the leak is from the port lights. I took out the interior cover and discovered some damage to the wood. From the outboard side- it appears that I can remove the windows and rebed them, but will that take care of the problem? Will I eventually have to deal with the damaged wood? Thanks in advance. Dave

 

[Warren Milberg]

Dave: it's hard to say

whether what you propose will stop the leaks or not. Years ago, I had a C&C with window leaks that sounded a lot like what you have. When I removed the window bezel, I had some rot in the surrounding wood cored/fiberglass. In addition to rebedding the window, I scraped out all the rot, dried it with a hair dryer and acetone, and began to refill the void with epoxy resin filled with silica. I made the epoxy into a thick paste, the consistency of peanut butter. It did a nice job of filling the area that was rotted. The window never leaked again. Good luck with this.

 

[Dave9790]

Thanks for your tips

Thanks for your response (I tried to respond earlier but not sure if it went out- if you did receive- sorry)I like your approach that you described with your C&C. That is sort of what I was thinking- but I had not thought of adding the silica to make it thicker- or the acetone for the drying. Did you do all this with the windows out then replace/rebed? I would like to do this job this winter, but I think I need warmer temps to support drying and for the epoxy to set up properly.Thanks again for your response.

 

[nobody]

How are the windows done?

When you removed the windows, how were they attached? Are there bolts that go through or are they screws? I.e. do I need to take inner wood wall coverings to remove the windows or can they be removed just from outside?

 

[Steve]

Rasmus ports

The Rasmus ports are simple to re-do. The stainless ring around the port is simply screwed in to the fiberglass cabin top. To stop the leak, remove the old window, clean the surfaces, then apply silicone caulk in a continuous bead around the opening. Put your plastic back on, then lightly screw the stainless ring back in place. Let the silicon cure before doing a final tightening. If you tighten it too soon, you'll just squeeze all the caulk out of the gap.

Silicon caulk makes a fine gasket, but is a lousy adhesive - so snugging up that ring is critical. Other caulks (polysulfide or polyurethanes) are better adhesives and sealants - but they tend to attack plastics. If you use 5200, you'll stop the leak, but never get the thing apart again. There is a newer caulk (Lifecaulk maybe - black & yellow tube at Marine stores), that's silicon with a bit of polyurethane. This stuff is wonderful, will form a gasket like silicone, but sticks much better, and doesn't seem to eat plastics like the polysulfides.

If you're re-sealing the ports, you should also look at the shape your windows are in. If they are badly scratched, or show any fracturing on the edges, now's the time to replace them. Use the old panes as patterns, and cut new polycarbonate replacements (same thickness or greater). Some glass stores in yachting regions do this routinely, ask around. A band saw is best for cutting, but I've done this with a saber saw and fine blade. Mask the plastic so the saw base doesn't scratch it up.

You can get tinted material or clear, but try to get something with a scratch resistant coating - and be sure that winds up on the outside.

The common problem is that the screws have stripped out the holes. If that's the case, hunt up larger stainless screws that still match the ring, or fill the old holes with an epoxy / wood mix. Let that harden, the tap new holes. I think the screws mainly engage with the fiberglass and core material, so your damaged wood should not matter too much. The port would be much stronger if you through bolted the ring - but then you'd have to dress up the insides somehow.

Good luck.