[C38] Leaking windows, Steve has the solution

[Donald Strong]

Steve:
     For years we had a full boat cover on Discrete Charm and did not 
have to face the music of a 30-odd year-old boat in winter rains. Two 
years ago we switched to cover just the cockpit, and all of the windows 
held forth with big leaks.
     After reading and messing around, I found that the leaks come in 
between the aluminum frame and the window as well as between the 
aluminum frame and the fiberglass of the house. On the outside, remove 
the old silicone with a probe (frame-window) and a razor blade 
(frame-fiber glass), tape, and apply new silicone. You don't even have 
to remove the inside frames. While San Francisco is not nearly as rainy 
as Seattle, this year has been very wet. NO LEAKS YET!
     The mast, of course, leaks onto the depression on the floor and 
into the bilge. A tiny Rule bilge pump empties the bilge into the sink 
and out the sink through hull. The other two large bilge pumps would 
come on automatically if the little guy failed.
Regards, Don

On 12/30/12 12:32 AM, Steve Smolinske wrote:
>
> Well it's that time of year in Seattle when it rains for the next 9 
> months, the windows I so meticulously pulled off the boat and sealed 
> two years ago are showing occasional leaks.  I think I found the 
> problem and thought I would post.  But first a word of advice  IMHO if 
> you are thinking of resealing DON'T replace with the new style as 
> Chuck did on The Mighty Quinn that's what I'm doing next time.   First 
> to let you know I pulled all the windows, replaced all the gaskets, 
> and resealed them to the boat, 3 of them leaked, I pulled them redid 
> them and two of those leaked, I pulled them and redid those and one of 
> them leaked, I pulled that and then discovered there is a tiny seem 
> where the two halves of the frames meet, I put a small bit of silicone 
> in the crack and the leaked stopped.   A month ago I went on the boat 
> and had water on my chart table and quarter berth I traced it back to 
> the window above.  Remembering my experience with re sealing the 
> windows I took my silicone went on deck to the offending window sealed 
> the two cracks where the frames meet and the leaking stopped.   Hope 
> this helps save someone else from the horror of redoing their windows!
>
> Steve
>
> #312 Peregrine
>
> Seattle
>
>
>
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