Portlight Replacement

[egaito]

Finally got the old one out and am contemplating the new install. The old port did not have any caulk or bedding of any kind on the bottom, and before I goop everything in, I figured I'd ask whether that was done for a reason, such as the case when sealing plumbing trim rings and such, to let water escape through the bottom.

I'm thinking it was just missed, or deemed un-necessary, but hey, it never hurts to ask.....

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I think I'd goo it up. Just not with 5200. Maybe a nice 4000 instead.

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Dont boohoo this until you try it. I use ALEX caulk which is siliconized latex caulk for $1.99 for a cartridge. It is not at all like RTV. Its paintable, UV resistant, doesnt crack and its water clean up. After it cures, weather wont touch it, as in caulking windows around the house. It comes in about 6 colors also.
Its not a substitute for 5200 et al, but its a breeze to work with! ws

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Dont boohoo this until you try it. I use ALEX caulk which is siliconized latex caulk for $1.99 for a cartridge. It is not at all like RTV. Its paintable, UV resistant, doesnt crack and its water clean up. After it cures, weather wont touch it, as in caulking windows around the house. It comes in about 6 colors also.
Its not a substitute for 5200 et al, but its a breeze to work with! ws

Bill,
Is that like PolySeamSeal? I have used that before for just sealing around some trim rings on the FB dash and I love it. If you get those baby wipes, you can wipe off all of the excess and make a really nice looking caulk joint. A captain in Ft Lauderdale put me onto that stuff. It sounds similar to what you use. It's water cleanup and UV stable. Neat stuff.

 

[egaito]

I think I'd goo it up. Just not with 5200. Maybe a nice 4000 instead.

I was just out scraping the last bits of old stuff off, and had that very thought.....I really don't need the adhesive properties of 5200 here as the screws bear the stress. It shure would be a lot easier to remove for re-bedding sometime in the future.

I may also hit that plywood end-grain with some epoxy to seal it as well. The wood there is amazingly dry, but it can't hurt....

Thanks,

-Ed G.

 

[yachtsmanbill]

You did the right thing Ed... If youve ever looked in the bilge on a dry Pacemaker, you can see through the planking on the bottom to daylight on the ground. An old PM carpenter told me they had a sign in the shop that read "be sure to seal all 6 sides" on anything wood. Rot was not PMs downfall, there are still a bunch around here.
The ALEX caulk must be a lot like PolySeamSeal. In about 1990 I rebuilt all the window frames and pilot house frames on my Roamer and its still going strong. There is no substitute for 5200 when you need THAT, but I use it sparingly, like stanchion bases and cleats where you honestly need the strength. A small bead and a cup of water for your fingertip and youve got a pro looking job with very little mess to clean up, and no need to tape either.
I buy mine at the homo for $1.99 in "brilliant white", theres 2 browns, black, and bronze to get you started. I also ALWAYS put a #8 or 10 wood screw in the tip when youre finished so it doesnt keep oozing. FWIW, that extends the open life on 5200 by a year or so also! ws

 

[Maynard Rupp]

I prefer 3M 4200. It doesn't weld stuff together like 5200. You can get the stuff apart. The only place I use 4000 is where it will be exposed to the sun. They sell so little of it, finding a fresh tube that is not hard when you open it is a challange with 4000. It sure does hold up in the sunlight. I used it for a fillet all around the edge where our flybridge sits on the cabin roof. Four years and it still shines like new. I am afraid to use Home Depot caulks on boats, but I do use PolySeamSeal with antifungal stuff around my home's bathrooms, and the kitchen counter. It works fine there.

 

[REBrueckner]

Regular caulk, not 5200, will hold your external trim rings in place without screws just fine. No screws makes a nice looking finish. I replaced several of mine which were cracked due to screws either too tight or in holes to small. You may have to gently clamp the rings in place initially to be sure they stay put until the caulk dries. I used a marine polysulfide..the one in yellow tubes...I also found big voids of caulk under my trim rings...but they were not the source of a leak...

 

[egaito]

Regular caulk, not 5200, will hold your external trim rings in place without screws just fine. No screws makes a nice looking finish. I replaced several of mine which were cracked due to screws either too tight or in holes to small. You may have to gently clamp the rings in place initially to be sure they stay put until the caulk dries. I used a marine polysulfide..the one in yellow tubes...I also found big voids of caulk under my trim rings...but they were not the source of a leak...

Our leaking isn't from the rings either....it's coming from above somewere. After getting a good look at her on the wall here, I'm pretty well convinced that the rub rail is a weak spot, in terms of having been poorly bedded.

The fact that they are plastic aside, these aren't badly designed portlights. Simple and effective. Wish they were stainless though!

We did go ahead and drill the trim rings though, to match the others.