While replacing H34 Portlight....

PGIJon

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Mar 3, 2012
856
Hunter 34 Punta Gorda
I purchased 6 NFM Tri-Matrix port lights for the boat at the Miami Show. The first replacement in the head, was quick and easy. Today I finally getting around to replace the second one across from the head over the sink. As you can see in the pics, I found all the wood rotted and to my surprise, it appears that the PO did some repairs and must have used some 5200 on the aft side of the port light. I needed a pry-bar to remove the window. As you can see it ripped the fiberglass down to the fibers. I also noticed that the PO put in 4 screws to hold the inside skin to the plywood.

I've removed all the rotted wood and have cut out plywood to replace. I'm letting the cut out, dry out while the new wood is drying after being wet out. Any reason as to why I would need to do more that just rewet the exposed glass as the new port light will cover it completely????

Thanks
Jon
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Nov 6, 2006
9,885
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Sounds fine Jon.. But I would feather the gel coat edges on that rough stuff on the left of the picture to keep spider cracks from starting there and radiating out from under the trim edge.. A Dremel or other small rotary or a multi-tool with sander could do that pretty quickly before you wet it out again..
 
Jan 22, 2008
1,654
Hunter 34 Alameda CA
Hi Jon,

We just did that job last year. The same exact screws were in several of ours (found after removing the old ports. I think Hunter put those in as the inner liner isn't bonded to the wood core. We coated the raw plywood edges with epoxy to seal them. Then after removing those screws, we took a tongue depressor with epoxy and stuffed it in between the inner liner and the plywood. After replacing the screws and clamping all the way around that bonded the inner liner permanently to the core. This way, if there is ever a leak, the water will not go between the skins, causing the rot you have found. Instead, it will come all the way into the interior where you will discover it right away.
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PGIJon

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Mar 3, 2012
856
Hunter 34 Punta Gorda
Thank Claude and Allan! Charging up the Dremel and definitely will bond the book to the inner liner. I thought it was the PO that added the screws but as you pointed out Allan... it had to be Hunter. Did you find any of your pots bonded with something like 5200 to the inner liner? Thanks Guys! -Jon
 
Jan 22, 2008
1,654
Hunter 34 Alameda CA
No, Jon I did not find any 5200 (thank goodness). Mine still had the original goopy white sealant that just scraped off. It didn't seem to be a curing product. Much of it had already dripped away over the years and gotten over everything including the fixed portlights. I was lucky that there were only a couple of minor rotted spots.
 

PGIJon

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Mar 3, 2012
856
Hunter 34 Punta Gorda
Allan... Thanks for feedback and pictures... they helped.... so far, no more 5200...... 3 down and 3 to go...... -Jon
 
Nov 6, 2006
9,885
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
I have only done the fixed ports and one Gray port (have changed lenses only in other Gray ports). I found stuff that looked and acted like butyl sealant. I believe this was original from hunter as the boat was only 6 years old when I bought it.
 

PGIJon

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Mar 3, 2012
856
Hunter 34 Punta Gorda
Thanks Claude...The stuff I'm finding in all the ports is the same as Allan points out... A very sticky white calk that never cured.
 

PGIJon

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Mar 3, 2012
856
Hunter 34 Punta Gorda
Real happy with how they turned out! Now just to clean up and I'll be painting, not taping the stripes.... -Jon
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pateco

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Aug 12, 2014
2,207
Hunter 31 (1983) Pompano Beach FL
Mine were a lot worse than yours. But did have the 4 screws holding the inner liner to the plywood. Mine had wood deterioration around many of the openings which I had to hog out and fill. They turned out good though
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Likes: lnikl
Sep 21, 2009
385
Hunter 34 Comox
Very nice....I noticed that you have no teak "brows" on your boat. Did you take them off or were they off before you bought it? I think I will remove mine as they just trap dirt an they are looking pretty old anyway.
 

PGIJon

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Mar 3, 2012
856
Hunter 34 Punta Gorda
Heart... Thank You! I have an '86 model and from what I understand (which according to my kids is not much) is that the brows were only on the earlier models. I've only had the boat for almost 5 years now... but it never had a brow. Allan might know better since he is an original owner. -Jon
 

pateco

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Aug 12, 2014
2,207
Hunter 31 (1983) Pompano Beach FL
My 83 originally had the teak brows, but the PO had already removed them when I got her. However the screw holes were still there just filled with silicone. When I decided to buff & polish the deck, I first went over the boat, and filled all the abandoned holes with white Marinetex, and then sanded, buffed and polished. The color is not an exact match, but it looks much better than the mildewed silicone that was there before.
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Jan 22, 2008
1,654
Hunter 34 Alameda CA
Heart... Thank You! I have an '86 model and from what I understand (which according to my kids is not much) is that the brows were only on the earlier models. I've only had the boat for almost 5 years now... but it never had a brow. Allan might know better since he is an original owner. -Jon
Well, up to 1985 they had the eyebrows (mine does). But I keep threatening to remove them. I have pretty much given up on keeping them finished.

Jon your ports really came out nice. Yours too Pateco