Window woes

[fred1diver]

Hello all
Last year we tried sealing the salon ports( non opening)
They are tempered glass with an aluminum frame.
The frame did not leak, but water managed to go between the frame and windows, so we did not have a dry boat, we are still trying to figure it out this season before the boat splashes.
So we took them out, removed the frame, cleaned everything up, and now we are trying to figure out how to seal the window to the frame before reinstalling the frame over the window.

the frame holds the window in a U channel on the top and bottom part of the frame.
What would you all recommend to seal?
We tried sealing after the install with butyl last year but no joy, we are at a loss.

 

[dlochner]

Take a look at the attached drawing, it is probably pretty similar to the frames you have. The glass sits in a vinyl glazing channel with the exterior flange cut off and replaced by a bead of silicone caulk. At the time I drew this (maybe 15+ years ago) butyl tape was hard to find, so I used an automotive windshield butyl caulk.

The frames may not be interchangeable between locations. On my Sabre 30 there was a subtle curve to the cabin sides that prevented the frames from seating and causing leaks.

Silpruf is an architectural caulk used to seal plate glass in high rise building. Good stuff. Similar to Dow 595.

 

[fred1diver]

Ok, thank you, that is amazing information, exactly what we are looking for!!!!
A very big thank you

 

[dlochner]

In the US the vinyl glazing is available from C R Laurence. I assume there is a supplier in Canada. Catalina Direct used to offer a kit to reseal the ports as at one point Catalina used the same system.

 

[rgranger]

@dlochner's approach is probably better than what I did.... but what I did worked.

In my 30s, 40s, and early 50s, I would find old and neglected sailboats, fix them up, and flip them. Over the years, I completed numerous small projects and seven major restorations.

One of those boats was an old McGregor 22. I stripped it down to the bare hull, removing all deck hardware, ports, everything...then sanded, repainted it with a two-part finish, and rebuilt it.

To my surprise, when I removed the ports, the “caulk” looked like plumber’s putty and was still pliable after 20+ years. So when I reinstalled the ports, that’s what I used. I sailed that boat for two years up and down the North Carolina Outer Banks without a single drop of water getting inside.

Plumber's putty is an amalgum of ground clay and natural oils. It stays malleable but does not have any adhesive binding properties. Caulk will bind. Caulk will eventually dry and typically needs to be replaced every five-ish years. I have also used butyl tape and I would consider butyl tape to be a step up from plumber's putty and is probably going to last longer than putty. If I were ranking the three...

1) Butyl
2) Putty
3) Caulk

 

[colemj]

To my surprise, when I removed the ports, the “caulk” looked like plumber’s putty and was still pliable after 20+ years.

That was probably Dolphinite, a bedding compound that has been around forever.

All plumber's putty I've ever used does dry and go hard. In fact, I have a small tub of the exact one you show that is hard now.

Mark

 

[fred1diver]

Ok, so I went to a reputable glass shop, the guy looked at me as if I was an alien, all he could suggest was a silicone based caulk
So I am at Home Depot at the moment, still get a confused stare
So I am wondering, what if I use backer rod foam as the base and seal with butyl or silicone?

 

[Hello Below]

Silpruf is an architectural caulk used to seal plate glass in high rise building.

Très cher but delivered to your door in a few days.
GE SCS2000

 

[dlochner]

Ok, so I went to a reputable glass shop, the guy looked at me as if I was an alien, all he could suggest was a silicone based caulk
So I am at Home Depot at the moment, still get a confused stare
So I am wondering, what if I use backer rod foam as the base and seal with butyl or silicone?

There are 2 places to seal, the frame to the cabin sides and the glass in to the frame. The vinyl glazing seals the glass to the frame. Here's a link to one source in the US. It comes in a few sizes to accommodate different glass thicknesses.

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www.dkhardware.com

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s.dkhardware.com

For sealing the frame to the cabin sides there are other choices besides butyl tape. A thick bead of 4200 or similar will also work. Sabre used butyl tape and Silpruf caulk. I used butyl rope I purchased at an Auto parts store which is designed to hold windshields in place and Silpruf.

 

[fred1diver]

For the frame to the cabin, I have no issues, it is really the window to the frame that I am having issues with

 

[rgranger]

That was probably Dolphinite, a bedding compound that has been around forever.

All plumber's putty I've ever used does dry and go hard. In fact, I have a small tub of the exact one you show that is hard now.

Mark

Thanks for that info. I had to look up Dolfinite's chemical make up. It is low molecular weight oil and rosin. Rosin is a hardened resin made from the sap of pine trees. Dolfinite is conceptually similar to plumber's putty where the ground clay is replaced with rosin and the fish oil is replaced with petroleum oil. I can see why (chemically) dolfinite would provide a longer shelf life.