Leaky windows

[blackrose]

In yesterday's rainstorm I noticed that a couple of my windows were leaking into the boat. This first happened last winter on one of the windows but from the outside it looked so well sealed around the frame I thought it must be the screws holding the frames in so I backed them off and applied some sealant to the screw threads before screwing then back in. 

 

It seems this hasn't worked as the same window is leaking again. This only happens in a severe downpour like we had yesterday and the puddle on a shelf below the window is very small.

 

When the boat was new 18 years ago there was a blob of silicone in corners of the top glass hoppers, but when I removed them for cleaning I obviously pulled the silicone away. So I'm just wondering if it's the frames themselves that are leaking. Is wafer getting into the frames and then leaking out at the bottom behind the wooden lining? They're just cheap anodised aluminium frames.

 

Pictures with top hopper removed

 

 

Edited September 21, 2023 by blackrose

[David Mack]

Can water get in through the horizontal joints between the top and bottom halves of the porthole frame?

[blackrose]

7 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Can water get in through the horizontal joints between the top and bottom halves of the porthole frame?

 

Yes I didn't think so as that would seem like a poor design, but that's what I'm wondering now? I've added a bit of sealant in the corners of the frames where the hoppers sit - I'll seal that external horizontal joint too.

Edited September 21, 2023 by blackrose

[BEngo]

Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure.  Good Stuff

 Apply to the frame  joins, round the fastening  screws and if that doesn't fix it, round the outside.

 

N.

 

 

[Hudds Lad]

30 minutes ago, BEngo said:

Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure.  Good Stuff

That's reminded me i need to apply some more to the roof prisms next time we're down to the boat, it cured the little leak we had, but another dose before winter can't harm  

[Tony Brooks]

The little drain hole at the bottom of the frame looks a bit blocked. They usually drain the inner channel inside the boat and if they are not free water will spill from the channel onto the wooden surround.

Edited September 21, 2023 by Tony Brooks

[Sea Dog]

Same frames as I have - Caldwell's I believe. My boats previous owner had also added silicone in the corners, but water drains out from there, not in. I took the manky looking silicone out and my portholes don't leak.

 

Where I have had small leaks on a frame,  Captain Tolly's and a strip of electrical insulation tape does the job til the weather is ok. I then took the frame out and replaced the old boatbuilder's gobber with closed cell foam strip as often recommend and additionally used a mastic bead to seal any gap left between the frame and the paintwork. A few years later, when that leaked again, I used automotive butyl rubber strip. Job done. 

 

(If you use butyl, don't think it needs to be warm to stretch, compress or stick, cos it goes claggy and gets more difficult to do a decent job - if anything it's better to apply a bit cold.)

[blackrose]

3 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

The little drain hole at the bottom of the frame looks a bit blocked. They usually drain the inner channel inside the boat and if they are not free water will spill from the channel onto the wooden surround.

 

Yes I did check them and poked a cotton ear bud through the holes to make sure they weren't blocked. But the water is coming from behind the wooden lining. If it was overspill from water spilling over the condensation gutter then wouldn't it come down the inside of the wooden lining?

 

2 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Same frames as I have - Caldwell's I believe. My boats previous owner had also added silicone in the corners, but water drains out from there, not in. I took the manky looking silicone out and my portholes don't leak.

 

Where I have had small leaks on a frame,  Captain Tolly's and a strip of electrical insulation tape does the job til the weather is ok. I then took the frame out and replaced the old boatbuilder's gobber with closed cell foam strip as often recommend and additionally used a mastic bead to seal any gap left between the frame and the paintwork. A few years later, when that leaked again, I used automotive butyl rubber strip. Job done. 

 

(If you use butyl, don't think it needs to be warm to stretch, compress or stick, cos it goes claggy and gets more difficult to do a decent job - if anything it's better to apply a bit cold.)

 

Mine had silicone in the corners from new so it may not have been the previous owner of your boat that added it. As Caldwell's put it in it must be there for a reason. Mine also didn't leak without the silicone for about 16 years... then they started leaking last winter.

 

Mine are sealed externally with PU sealant. I've looked at them really carefully but they don't look like they could possibly be leaking.

 

This is an example of the seal on one of the 3 leaky windows. It's representative of the seal all the way around the window. I can't see how the external seal could be leaking. 

 

 

If those seals were leaking then I'd expect them to leak every time it rains, but I only get leaks when we have lots of rain combined with strong winds which makes me think it must be the comers of the frames where the top hoppers sit. I understand what you're saying that they're designed to drain water out, but when you have horizontal rain perhaps they can let water in?

Edited September 21, 2023 by blackrose

[Sea Dog]

2 hours ago, blackrose said:

This is an example of the seal on one of the 3 leaky windows. It's representative of the seal all the way around the window. I can't see how the external seal could be leaking. 

Gotta say they look good, but then there didn't look to be anything amiss with my bus window that was leaking. Capillary action doesn't take much of a gap - but if that is your problem Captain Tolly's will work for you, albeit somewhat temporarily. At least you'll know either way then, eh.

[blackrose]

Ok I'll get some Capt Trolley's and see if that works.