I have a Cape Dory 36. Some of my ports leak when it rains. The water seeps between the gasket and the port glass and stains the interior teak. I replaced the gaskets once, but the problem returned. Has anyone found an effective cure for this problem?
Edward.G.Kelliher@TRW.com
Leaking ports
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Bob Miller
Re: Leaking ports
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- Bob Miller
CD 27 Good Times
millerfam5050@worldnet.att.net
Ed - when I bought my CD 27 back in '95, 5 of the six bronze ports leaked. I regasketed them with new ones from Spartan and 3 still leaked. I called Spartan and they told me to check the seal around the flanges. I took one off (from the outside of the boat) and the old silicone was all cracked and loaded with mildew. I redid all 6 of them with a 3M product called 5200 (it's a sealant and adhesive) and haven't had any problems since. Make sure you use plenty around each port and that it squirts out between the boat and the bronze flange. My friend said you have to "make a bloody mess". Hope this helps.I have a Cape Dory 36. Some of my ports leak when it rains. The water seeps between the gasket and the port glass and stains the interior teak. I replaced the gaskets once, but the problem returned. Has anyone found an effective cure for this problem?
- Bob Miller
CD 27 Good Times
millerfam5050@worldnet.att.net
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Matt Cawthorne
Re: Leaking ports - more info please
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Ed,
How old are your gaskets? Mine are about 6 or 7 years old and leak occasionally when dirt gets between them and the glass. To counter this I wipe the gasket and glass clean when I open them. That way if I have to close them in a hurry they are clean. New gaskets are slowly working their way up the priority list.
Are you certain that the gasket is leaking and not the frame? When I purchased the Patricia Loise it had stains around two of the ports, but it turned out to be the frame that was leaking and not the gasket. Re-sealing the frames is a much more time consuming job than the gaskets. To re-seal the frames you just want to pull the trim rings on the outside and re-seal them.
Matt
mcawthor@bellatlantic.net
Ed,
How old are your gaskets? Mine are about 6 or 7 years old and leak occasionally when dirt gets between them and the glass. To counter this I wipe the gasket and glass clean when I open them. That way if I have to close them in a hurry they are clean. New gaskets are slowly working their way up the priority list.
Are you certain that the gasket is leaking and not the frame? When I purchased the Patricia Loise it had stains around two of the ports, but it turned out to be the frame that was leaking and not the gasket. Re-sealing the frames is a much more time consuming job than the gaskets. To re-seal the frames you just want to pull the trim rings on the outside and re-seal them.
Matt
I have a Cape Dory 36. Some of my ports leak when it rains. The water seeps between the gasket and the port glass and stains the interior teak. I replaced the gaskets once, but the problem returned. Has anyone found an effective cure for this problem?
mcawthor@bellatlantic.net
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Russell
Would recommend AGAINST 5200 for rebedding
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3M 5200's strong point is bonding. If you rebed a port with it, you will have hell to pay if you ever want to rebed the same port again, for any reason.
For bedding a port, you want a sealant that stays flexible for a long time, with good adhesion to glass and metal, but not necessarily a lot of bonding strength. The ports ARE bolted in, after all.
3M 5200's strong point is bonding. If you rebed a port with it, you will have hell to pay if you ever want to rebed the same port again, for any reason.
For bedding a port, you want a sealant that stays flexible for a long time, with good adhesion to glass and metal, but not necessarily a lot of bonding strength. The ports ARE bolted in, after all.
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John
Dumb Question
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good adhesion to glass and metal, but not necessarily a lot of bonding strength
I do not understand the difference between good adhesion and high bond strength
good adhesion to glass and metal, but not necessarily a lot of bonding strength
I do not understand the difference between good adhesion and high bond strength
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Russell
Imagine, if you will ..
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Imagine a sealant that, when set, had the consistency of peanut butter, but which once applied to glass or metal, stuck to those materials pretty obstinately. You would still be able to pull the two parts apart, because the sealant itself is not that strong and it fails easily under tension. You'd have a tough time getting the parts completely clean for rebedding, but at least would be able to take a sander or brush to them. Good adhesion, wimpy sealant, poor bonding. (I am NOT suggesting you want a sealant quite this wimpy, since you DO want it to stay in place and withstand repeated washings with water. But you can use a reasonably wimply sealant, since the ports are held in place by bolts. The sealant is only there to seal, not to create mechanical strength.)
Modify the previous sealant so that not only does it stick to the glass and metal, but when it sets, the sealant itself becomes a hard, tough substance. Indeed, imagine the sealant becoming such a tough substance that it is impossible to break with a putty knife, or even hardier tools, and so tough that if you force the pieces apart while bonded, the fiberglass will crack and delaminate and the metal will bend before the sealant gives way. THAT is 3M 5200. It is very useful when, in addition to sealing, you want to create mechanical strength. Permanently.
You want a sealant that adheres to glass and metal, but (under the assumption someone will eventually want to remove this port) you don't want the sealant to be so tough as to make this impossible.
Imagine a sealant that, when set, had the consistency of peanut butter, but which once applied to glass or metal, stuck to those materials pretty obstinately. You would still be able to pull the two parts apart, because the sealant itself is not that strong and it fails easily under tension. You'd have a tough time getting the parts completely clean for rebedding, but at least would be able to take a sander or brush to them. Good adhesion, wimpy sealant, poor bonding. (I am NOT suggesting you want a sealant quite this wimpy, since you DO want it to stay in place and withstand repeated washings with water. But you can use a reasonably wimply sealant, since the ports are held in place by bolts. The sealant is only there to seal, not to create mechanical strength.)
Modify the previous sealant so that not only does it stick to the glass and metal, but when it sets, the sealant itself becomes a hard, tough substance. Indeed, imagine the sealant becoming such a tough substance that it is impossible to break with a putty knife, or even hardier tools, and so tough that if you force the pieces apart while bonded, the fiberglass will crack and delaminate and the metal will bend before the sealant gives way. THAT is 3M 5200. It is very useful when, in addition to sealing, you want to create mechanical strength. Permanently.
You want a sealant that adheres to glass and metal, but (under the assumption someone will eventually want to remove this port) you don't want the sealant to be so tough as to make this impossible.
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Russell
Supposedly, but I'm no expert, AND ..
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If I were getting ready to do a significant rebedding job I had not before, such as ports, I would look through the various catalogs on the properties of various sealants, talk to chandlers, etc.
If I were getting ready to do a significant rebedding job I had not before, such as ports, I would look through the various catalogs on the properties of various sealants, talk to chandlers, etc.