I have a 84 catalina 30. The windows are starting to leak. Has anyone out there replaced theirs? Note that the silicon between the plexiglass and the alumium frame is degrading. The leak is'nt between the frame and the cabin house.
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L
LaDonna Bubak - Planet Catalina
Time to rebed
What a fun job! Usually not too difficult (assuming you have some experience working on boats), but time consuming. I would highly recommend getting Don Casey's "This Old Boat" - I'm 75% sure he goes over rebedding ports in there. Don't just silicone over the "leaks" cuz most likely it'll just degrage quickly and you'll be in the same pickle. Do it right the first time & you'll never have to do it again - not to mention the fact that a leaky boat usually fetches less than a water tight one (when you're ready to sell). LaDonna
What a fun job! Usually not too difficult (assuming you have some experience working on boats), but time consuming. I would highly recommend getting Don Casey's "This Old Boat" - I'm 75% sure he goes over rebedding ports in there. Don't just silicone over the "leaks" cuz most likely it'll just degrage quickly and you'll be in the same pickle. Do it right the first time & you'll never have to do it again - not to mention the fact that a leaky boat usually fetches less than a water tight one (when you're ready to sell). LaDonna
R
Roger Noble
try this
This was posted to the catalina list at sailnet.com by Ken Kloeber. I edited it some, but the substance is unchanged: "Here's my tried and true method and it's the easiest, neatest, least messy, permanent fix that I have found on my Catalina to fix leaks around ports/windows: 1. Figure out from where it's leaking. Is it the aluminum frame-to-fiberglass cabintop seal -- or the frame-to-glass seal? If it's the former, water will drip off the underside of the frame inside, or run down the fiberglass hull below the window, or at locations like that. It should NOT be wet inside the frame if you pull off the rubber trim molding inside the window. If water is laying in that channel where the trim molding is, then its likely the glass-to-frame seal is leaking. Sometimes they both leak. For glass-to-frame seal leaks: Use Automotive Polyurethane window sealant for the seal between the glass and the frame (3M makes it) $10.50 for a caulking gun . 2. Is the window in or out? This can be fixed with the window on the boat, but I find a better job is had working on it removed. Careful, that when you push it out, it stays onboard. (If you remove it, it leads to having to replace the hull-to-frame seal also). 3. Remove the old seal. Cut very carefully around the whole glass, right along the aluminum frame with a razor knife or X-Acto knife to remove the old silicone rubber seal (that is probably now somewhat cracked, hard, and gray). Cut angled "into the joint" so the new seal will have as much "depth" as possible. Also cut flat against the glass to break the seal there. The old seal will pull out. Clean up anything remaining w/ a razor blade, etc., to get all the old seal off the glass and frame. 4. Prep. Clean everything well! Alcohol, ammonia, glass cleaner ... just so it's all gone and there's no residue. 5. Replace the seal. Use a good grade of clear Marine-grade silicone. It has mildew control and is better at UV resistance. Don't scrimp. Use a 100% silicone product with the ammonia base not acid base. The vinegar-smelling silocone is acid based. I believe Life Seal make a 100% silicone with the ammonia base. I find I need more than one of the individual tubes, so I get the large caulking tube kind -- it's more economical. Run a bead down in the cutout to replace the old seal. Angle the tube and head so it forces the goop down inside the cutout space. Let it set up well before replacing the window (if possible). 6. A nice edge? (here's where there's dissension as to the best way) A. Lay a strip of masking tape down so you can end up with a neat edge along the glass side. B. Use a wooden popsicle stick, plastic blunt item (spoon?) Even your finger – all wetted so the silicone won't adhere. And run it around to C. Whatever works for you to get a job you're happy with. For the frame-to-hull seal leaks 7. Remove the window. 8. Remove ALL the old mastic from BOTH the cabintop fiberglass and the aluminum frame. 9. Clean, clean, clean it. And clean it again. I find a harsh solvent like acetone to VC thinner works to get at the mastic. It's a bugger. Get as much off as you can physically -- before you go the solvent route to finish up. It gets messy and its nasty stuff, so why use more than you have to? 10. Clean it again 11. Check the frame for straightness... a bent frame will more likely leak again. Put the window in the opening to see how it fits against the cabin top. Are there gaps? As a guide, mark lightly with a pencil around the frame, or at the corners so you know where the frame fits in correctly. You want to get it right the first time -- not reposition it. can you do this before you take the window out? (The thinner and cleaning will remove your marks). 12. Replace the seal. Lay a butyl rubber seal onto the back side of the frame. You can get a big roll at your friendly RV dealer for a couple bucks. It's used for setting RV windows and the like, just like on your floating RV. It comes in both black and off-white -- with the white being a little more "sticky," flexible, and easier to use, I find. A. Put the butt joint of the seal at the BOTTOM of the window. B. Don't overlap the ends by making the seal too long. Just butt them so there's pressure holding the two ends them together. C. LAY the rubber in -- don't stretch it in place. You want as much body to it as possible. Pulling and stretching it onto the frame will end up with less "meat" to seal the joint. 13. Replace the window. Go for it. Put 'er back in place and evenly take up on the screw to seat the rubber. Don't distort the frame. Just an even pressure all around. 14. Finish off Now here's some more options... A. Let the butyl rubber set overnight and wait to pull off the excess that oozes out around the frame outside. It's best done when it's cool weather outside. I can usually pull ("snap") it off from the cabintop with a quick, jerk-like pull (okay, nothing required from the peanut gallery). I have also used a sharpened wooden stick, plastic putty knife or whatever to cut the rubber around the aluminum frame. B. Immediately carefully trim the excess off with a razor knife or X-Acto knife."
This was posted to the catalina list at sailnet.com by Ken Kloeber. I edited it some, but the substance is unchanged: "Here's my tried and true method and it's the easiest, neatest, least messy, permanent fix that I have found on my Catalina to fix leaks around ports/windows: 1. Figure out from where it's leaking. Is it the aluminum frame-to-fiberglass cabintop seal -- or the frame-to-glass seal? If it's the former, water will drip off the underside of the frame inside, or run down the fiberglass hull below the window, or at locations like that. It should NOT be wet inside the frame if you pull off the rubber trim molding inside the window. If water is laying in that channel where the trim molding is, then its likely the glass-to-frame seal is leaking. Sometimes they both leak. For glass-to-frame seal leaks: Use Automotive Polyurethane window sealant for the seal between the glass and the frame (3M makes it) $10.50 for a caulking gun . 2. Is the window in or out? This can be fixed with the window on the boat, but I find a better job is had working on it removed. Careful, that when you push it out, it stays onboard. (If you remove it, it leads to having to replace the hull-to-frame seal also). 3. Remove the old seal. Cut very carefully around the whole glass, right along the aluminum frame with a razor knife or X-Acto knife to remove the old silicone rubber seal (that is probably now somewhat cracked, hard, and gray). Cut angled "into the joint" so the new seal will have as much "depth" as possible. Also cut flat against the glass to break the seal there. The old seal will pull out. Clean up anything remaining w/ a razor blade, etc., to get all the old seal off the glass and frame. 4. Prep. Clean everything well! Alcohol, ammonia, glass cleaner ... just so it's all gone and there's no residue. 5. Replace the seal. Use a good grade of clear Marine-grade silicone. It has mildew control and is better at UV resistance. Don't scrimp. Use a 100% silicone product with the ammonia base not acid base. The vinegar-smelling silocone is acid based. I believe Life Seal make a 100% silicone with the ammonia base. I find I need more than one of the individual tubes, so I get the large caulking tube kind -- it's more economical. Run a bead down in the cutout to replace the old seal. Angle the tube and head so it forces the goop down inside the cutout space. Let it set up well before replacing the window (if possible). 6. A nice edge? (here's where there's dissension as to the best way) A. Lay a strip of masking tape down so you can end up with a neat edge along the glass side. B. Use a wooden popsicle stick, plastic blunt item (spoon?) Even your finger – all wetted so the silicone won't adhere. And run it around to C. Whatever works for you to get a job you're happy with. For the frame-to-hull seal leaks 7. Remove the window. 8. Remove ALL the old mastic from BOTH the cabintop fiberglass and the aluminum frame. 9. Clean, clean, clean it. And clean it again. I find a harsh solvent like acetone to VC thinner works to get at the mastic. It's a bugger. Get as much off as you can physically -- before you go the solvent route to finish up. It gets messy and its nasty stuff, so why use more than you have to? 10. Clean it again 11. Check the frame for straightness... a bent frame will more likely leak again. Put the window in the opening to see how it fits against the cabin top. Are there gaps? As a guide, mark lightly with a pencil around the frame, or at the corners so you know where the frame fits in correctly. You want to get it right the first time -- not reposition it. can you do this before you take the window out? (The thinner and cleaning will remove your marks). 12. Replace the seal. Lay a butyl rubber seal onto the back side of the frame. You can get a big roll at your friendly RV dealer for a couple bucks. It's used for setting RV windows and the like, just like on your floating RV. It comes in both black and off-white -- with the white being a little more "sticky," flexible, and easier to use, I find. A. Put the butt joint of the seal at the BOTTOM of the window. B. Don't overlap the ends by making the seal too long. Just butt them so there's pressure holding the two ends them together. C. LAY the rubber in -- don't stretch it in place. You want as much body to it as possible. Pulling and stretching it onto the frame will end up with less "meat" to seal the joint. 13. Replace the window. Go for it. Put 'er back in place and evenly take up on the screw to seat the rubber. Don't distort the frame. Just an even pressure all around. 14. Finish off Now here's some more options... A. Let the butyl rubber set overnight and wait to pull off the excess that oozes out around the frame outside. It's best done when it's cool weather outside. I can usually pull ("snap") it off from the cabintop with a quick, jerk-like pull (okay, nothing required from the peanut gallery). I have also used a sharpened wooden stick, plastic putty knife or whatever to cut the rubber around the aluminum frame. B. Immediately carefully trim the excess off with a razor knife or X-Acto knife."
F
fred Campbell
fix windows
Yes i fixed the leaks this year. The leak is around the glass and the rubber gasket that on my boat had been caulked with silicone. I had to sut the aluminum farme out and then dis assemble the frame and clean the rubbr gaskets, the reassemble the window and bed the frame against the hull in new caulk and then caulk between the window and the frame. Each window took about two hours.
Yes i fixed the leaks this year. The leak is around the glass and the rubber gasket that on my boat had been caulked with silicone. I had to sut the aluminum farme out and then dis assemble the frame and clean the rubbr gaskets, the reassemble the window and bed the frame against the hull in new caulk and then caulk between the window and the frame. Each window took about two hours.
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