Need to reset the plexiglass in forward hatch

[Nick in Manitou]

Our 1984 53' ED has a leak between the plexiglass and the frame and needs to be resealed.

I have gotten two very different opinions already from knowledgeable friends about how to proceed.

One said to use silicone - allowing a small continuous bead to set up for the plexi to sit on, then one it has set up apply more silicone and bed the plexi in that on top of the small bead that has already set up. The theory he says is that with the frame and the plexiglass expanding and contracting at different rates, the cured silicone bead under the plexi will remain intact whereas if the plexi is bedded in silicone in just one step, the different rates of expansion and contraction will cause the silicone to loose its adherence to one of the surfaces allowing for leaks to start again. - It sounds sensible to me!

The other instruction I was given was to find a sealant designed for the purpose and that it would work fine.

I don't know what material the frame of the hatch is made of, but the unit is right heavy!

Any experience with this issue?

Thanks!

 

[MadHatter53]

You would get more results having this moved out of the "for sale" section.

 

[Nick in Manitou]

Whoops!

I didn't realize I had not returned to the "Tech Talk" section.

I will re-post it there.

Thanks!

Nick

 

[SKYCHENEY]

The plexi expands and contracts quite a bit with temperature variation. This breaks the caulk. That is why Hatteras did not use plexi and instead went with fiberglass. You can reseal, but it will likely always be an issue over time if you don't rough up the plexi first so the caulk sticks and use something that will flex and move.

I talked with Tom Slane when I was considering doing this and he told me not to do it because it would eventually leak.

 

[Nick in Manitou]

I have re-posted this question in the "Tech Talk" section of the forum...

Nick