Leaking cabin windows.

[burgundyben]

My cabin windows leak, its been driving me mad for years.

The cabin sides are 5/8ths ply, an aperture the shape of the window has got a rebate cut around it, the acrylic sheet sits in the rebate and a chrome brass strip an inch wide screws over the top.

I've used polysulphide (didnt stick to the plastic window), polyurethane (tore the wood to shreds when removing to repaint), glaziers putty was okay for about 2 months. Non setting mastic worked for a few months but suffered messy white streaks running down the boat and began to leak.

Problems include that moisture wicks along the screws, many of the (300 or so) screw holes have been drilled to a bigger size and a cross grain dowel screwed in, some of the screws fall into the gaps between rebate and plastic, boat flexes a lot in choppy weather so everything moves.

The Huntsman 28 is renown for leaking windows.

I propose to fit aluminium framed windows.

I reckon on removing the old windows, chopping out the rebates, rebuilding the aperture to the correct size by laminating in narrow strips of veneer with epoxy, I reckon two strips of 1/8 inch veneer would get it close, a bit of tidying up and triming. Then make a template of the hole and send it off to get the window made.

I reckon on putting a chamfer around the outer edge of the aperture, so there will be a trianguler cavity for sealant and using butyl rubber.

I'm going to strip and epoxy the cabin sides and two pack paint them.

Then fit the windows.

Internally the cabin sides are not trimmed, just painted, so clamp in windows would look dreadful. Screw in ones would look authentic from the outside.

I can see a pitfall in that the screws will be right into the area of the epoxied strips.

Any comments or suggestions?

 

[joliette]

Sounds like you have a good plan!

The windows on my Settimo Velo are screw in aluminium frames (like the type you intend to fit) and there are also some fitted in rebates. It will be interesting to see how they hold up. I haven't attempted to take them out as they appear to be in reasonable condition and they are bonded in with Sikaflex.

I made inner window frames and fitted interior trim panels, completely transforming the appearance of the interior. I glued and screwed the inner window frames to the cabin sides (which are plywood, like yours). I think this will help to stiffen the whole thing up, as the inner frames are quite substantial.

You could give something like this a try, rather than replace the windows completely? You could bond inner frames in place, clean up the rebate and rebed the glazing, then fit longer screws through the outer frame so that these go right through to the inner frame.

 

[Lyulph Hesling]

Consider using a flat frame inside the boat, and bolting through the coach roof with interscrews.

These are small set screws which screw into a "nut" that looks like a screw head. Available in SS in several sizes, and the thread is standard fine metric, so you can buy any available length of set screw.

 

[Sequoiah1]

My cabin windows leak, its been driving me mad for years.

The cabin sides are 5/8ths ply, an aperture the shape of the window has got a rebate cut around it, the acrylic sheet sits in the rebate and a chrome brass strip an inch wide screws over the top.

I've used polysulphide (didnt stick to the plastic window), polyurethane (tore the wood to shreds when removing to repaint), glaziers putty was okay for about 2 months. Non setting mastic worked for a few months but suffered messy white streaks running down the boat and began to leak.

Problems include that moisture wicks along the screws, many of the (300 or so) screw holes have been drilled to a bigger size and a cross grain dowel screwed in, some of the screws fall into the gaps between rebate and plastic, boat flexes a lot in choppy weather so everything moves.

The Huntsman 28 is renown for leaking windows.

I propose to fit aluminium framed windows.

I reckon on removing the old windows, chopping out the rebates, rebuilding the aperture to the correct size by laminating in narrow strips of veneer with epoxy, I reckon two strips of 1/8 inch veneer would get it close, a bit of tidying up and triming. Then make a template of the hole and send it off to get the window made.

I reckon on putting a chamfer around the outer edge of the aperture, so there will be a trianguler cavity for sealant and using butyl rubber.

I'm going to strip and epoxy the cabin sides and two pack paint them.

Then fit the windows.

Internally the cabin sides are not trimmed, just painted, so clamp in windows would look dreadful. Screw in ones would look authentic from the outside.

I can see a pitfall in that the screws will be right into the area of the epoxied strips.

Any comments or suggestions?

Good luck with this. You are right to strip the coachroof down, we did this to my Dads huntsman years ago, we also replaced the windscreen and the windows, frames etc. The aluminium window frames were replaced with polished s/s and fastend as per the aluminium
ones but I did epoxy the window cut out surround very carefully and dowelled the holes. I think what might be a better solution is to router back the Ply and put a hardwood bead in where the screws are going to sit. The windows/frames need to be placed in two seperate operations. Using a silkaflex sealant with a specific type of Polycarbonate the windows were bonded in situ first. Everything was masked and primed accordingly. The frames were then placed seperately again using silkaflex. All areas masked etc etc. it took a week just to get the five coachroof windows in situ. The windscreen was a project all of its own..........

 

[burgundyben]

my Dads huntsman years ago...

Remember the name? Hull number? Current whereabouts?

Thanks for the comment, given no-one has screamed dont do it I reckon we have a plan!

 

[Sequoiah1]

Remember the name? Hull number? Current whereabouts?

Thanks for the comment, given no-one has screamed dont do it I reckon we have a plan!

Dont remember the name or the hull number just that it was shed with a huntsman underneath...........

 

[Scarron]

Leaky windows

Well I reckon there are three problems to solve,

First we need to make you a proper resilient gaskest to interface between the acrylic and the rebate, about 50% thicker than the gap so you have plenty of compression to account for the boat flexing [if you will insist on dropping into holes off St Albans head]..

Best we cut it from one sheet so as there are no joints and choose a material with good compression set - expanded neoprene should do the trick.

Next we need to stop the screws wicking, so perhaps as suggested, through bolt with interscrews and a pair of compliant washers, a tapered one behind the countersink and a flat one behind the head of the interscrew nut.

Right now that's yours sorted, what about stopping my aluminium frames from leaking?

 

[burgundyben]

if you will insist on dropping into holes off St Albans head

Er yes, I'm still in the doghouse over that, apparently Nat and Lorna both thought they were going to die, it was a pretty heavy landing...

We're going to go out tomorow and run up and down to see if we can find the leak, i'll gvie you a bell.

I'm pretty sure I know where it is. The H28 is a very flexi boat and they tend to fall heavier on the stbd side as both props tend to make the boat fall that way.

Hey ho.

 

[svenmaximus]

Have you got room to cut away the rebate, and make a new rebate in the cabin sides for slightly oversized glazing? 1/2" all the way around should easily be enough. Get some new glazed pannels (glass has to be preferred), and some slightly enlarged stainless plate frames made up which will screw on top into newly drilled holes outside of any original fixings. To reduce the visual impact, your new frames could be bigger than the old ones, but not so wide, with the screw holes slightly offset towrds the outer edge. Copious amounts of Life Caulk (non setting, non adhesive), and, as has previously been mentioned, a nicely fitted covering frame in timber, screwed and plugged to give a great look inside. All this has to be easier than trying to rebuild the cabin side with laminating etc etc.

Be a little careful if you do have room to enlarge the windows though, as you don't want to spoil the aesthetics, easily done!

 

[30boat]

You really need a system that allows for the movement of the coachroof.Any kind of adhesive sealant will break up with said movement.I would make alloy or stainless steel frames that would be bolted to the coachroof with a foam rubber gasket instead of sealant.The perspex would then be bolted through the frames also with a gasket.The holes for the bolts (machine screws) should be oversize to allow for the expansion of the acrylic..This way everything moves relative to everything else while still mainaitning the seal.If a leak starts just tightening the screw a bit will stop it.A bit of good quality silicone sealant under the screwheads will ensure no water seeps down the holes.The screws should be driven through the gasket.This has two advantages,the gasket stays in place and when compressed around the screws it seals them.

 

[TAS12]

Sounds like there is too much movement in the cabin sides, think i would check this out before hand, if so, beef them up on the inside and probaly put them back as is.

 

[ValleyForge]

Just a thought, probably a silly one, but maybe a complete fix is impossible given the nature of the beast - fit a small moulding or rail below each window to catch the odd drip & channel it somewhere harmless ?
(I well remember those drips on the head when overnighting on dads Dolphin 16 back in the 50's & 60's, you know, when socks & wellies were always damp and the Anzani would never, ever start ..)

 

[TAS12]

You know i have a Hillyard , all my windows apart from the port holes are surface mounted. The windows are perspex mounted straight onto the brightwork , good old weather shield yatch varnish. For a time i actually screwed the windows straight into the wet varnish, they never leaked, now beded on with perflex, no problem what so ever. Think the sealant he is using is not an adhesive as well as a sealant.