Bronze Port Removal

[Bob Emmons]

Hello,
I have noticed a few leaks around the bronze ports on the interior cabin trunk of my CD 30. I removed the bronze screws, and tried to pound the ports in for removal, but no movement. It looks like they were bedded with silicone. has anyone ever removed one, and if so any specific technique used?
Bob Emmons
CD 30 "Red Wing"

[RMeigel]

It sounds as though you tried to push the window unit IN toward the inside of the boat from the outside. The Spartan ports are 2-piece - an interior "ring" and the main window unit.

When I had blue green tears weeping on the inside, I removed the interior ring, then pushed the main window unit OUT and rebedded using 3 Ms 4200 product.

In retrospect, I probably could have gotten away with just rebedding the interior ring and left the main window unit in place.

Robin Meigel
s/v "Pacem"
1979 CD 27

[Carter Brey]

Robin--

How are you?

I also have to reseal one of my ports; tell me, which one of the two parts is the larger, "female" part? Does the outer ring fit into the inner, or vice versa? I ask because I was thinking it might make more sense just to remove the outer ring, and rebed that. That, after all, is where the leak must be. In other words, can I unscrew the outer ring and lift it away from the boat?

Thanks a lot--
Carter

[RMeigel]

Hi Carter -
What do you think of "The Gates"? I checked them out last weekend - great fun. As one critic observed - a giant orange highlighter at work.

The "female" ring is on the inside of the cabin on the CD 27. I suspect that in many cases, you can stop interior leaks by just rebedding this ring. There is no outside "ring" - what may look like a ring is actually an integral part of the main window unit - cast in one piece.

When I did the rebed on my unit I also replaced the gasket - if you are going to do that I can send you some off my industrial size utility roll of gasket material - or bring it up on April 26th!

Robin

[Bruce Bett]

I use the word widows advisedly as I have worked a carpenter and have sealed or glazed a few windows in my day. Carter has it rigth. the water is getting in from the outside. That's where you want to seal it. Once it gets past that seal you want it to drain. And you want it to drain somewhere were you can see it. If you let it leak on the outside and seal it on the inside the water that gets in may drain harmless to the bilge. On the other hand it might pool up here and and the and cause no end of mischief on it's route back to sea. My advice would be to seal it on the outside and not to seal it on the inside.

Bruce Bett
Sostenuto
CD 25 #496

[ronaldlegan]

Awhile back I had a similar leak and asked for advice. The board advised me about a product that I found works wonders. It is AUTO WINDSHIELD SILICON. This comes in a small tube and is very easy to use/apply. It flows and I used it around a leaky port. That has been several years ago and no leaks since. I have told other boaters about the FIND and have had similar feed back. I am not suggesting we patch leaks that need real attention, but I know pulling port lights and windows is a big job. So food for thought, and it may be worth a try. FYI, Clean the area aroung the suspected leak and apply a small amout of WD 40, then apply the silicon, smooth with a wet finger/WD 40. It goes on and penitrates. It can be removed as it is only silicon. Good luck.

[RMeigel]

I thought it worth mentioning feedback on silicon that came to me from a gelcoat repair professional with Osprey Marine in Deale, MD. I had retained him to fill in holes originally made for running wires from the mast into the coach roof (I re-ran the wires from the mast interior through the deck step so they wouldn't be exposed outside and the next step was to fill in the old holes). The electrician that ran the original wires had used silicon sealant for the fitting through which the former wires were run.

In his words, silicon "contaminates" gelcoat and makes gelcoat repairs more complicated. Silicon is best used to seal non gelcoat surfaces - screws into the mast, metal to metal, etc.

FWIW

Robin Meigel

[Stephan Howden]

Before I fixed a leaking portlight on my CD25 I looked at all of the previous postings on the subject. However, I didn't really understand how all of the pieces fit together until I was into the job. I first removed all of the slot-headed bolts from inside the cabin, since it appeared that they screwed into the holes in the outer ring. Next I spent about an hour or so working a 1" wide putty knife between the outer ring and the outside of the cabin until I could pull the outer ring off. I then realized that the ring was held in place by the silicon and not the bolts. I cleaned all of the silicon off the ring and the exterior of the cabin and then wiped it all down with acetone. Then I dry-fitted the ring back on the portlight and put masking tape around the periphery. Then I pulled the ring off, spread sika-flex on the cabin exterior and the interior of the ring and put it back in place. Following recommendations on the Board I then wiped the exess Sika-flex off, immediately put the rags and gloves into a plastic bag, and took the bag off the boat. Back on the boat I put another pair of gloves on, finished cleaning up the excess, and pulled the tape off. The portlight hasn't leaked yet.