Leaky old hopper windows

[boathunter]

Oldies (28) with a frameless opening pane sitting on a now hardened rubber seal.

At each end there is a slot visible in the sides if you lift the pane out. It appears that odd drips that get past the seal, or when it's open and windy should travel through and make it's way along the condensation channels and out of the bottom. But water is getting past and dripping out inside from lower corner of the hopper and even more is getting inside the frame and at least some of it is coming out from under the wood lining under the windows.

 

When the forecast improves I'll take a window out and see what's happening, but in the meantime, any pointers?

[Tony Brooks]

You can buy self adhesive closed cell "rubber" strip from Seals+ direct. I used a length of U section rubber along the bottom of the hopper (glued in place) with a small gap at each end to let water drain away plus the strip along the top and also n either side of the V the hopper drops back into and then goes forward to seal against.

 

However I suspect your windows need to come out and the cabin side de-russted, primed and painted and the windows refitted with proper window tape (mastic or foam to your choice).

[boathunter]

Thanks Tony. I thought first that it could be frame to hull but it isn't. It looks from the screws and frame perimeters that they have been out and refixed on closed cell foam tape reasonably recently. It only happens at the lower end and much worse when it's windy.

 

I have foam tape fitted as you describe except the u at the bottom. The problem is the frame at each end of where this u tape would be. The water here gets through the frame somehow, but misses the condensation catching trough down the sides. Some doesn't get right through and comes out under the window. I'll try and take/post a picture so you can see what I mean. I was hoping you'd see the thread, when I googled you were the only person who seemed to have knowlege of these windows (on another forum).

[bizzard]

Thanks Tony. I thought first that it could be frame to hull but it isn't. It looks from the screws and frame perimeters that they have been out and refixed on closed cell foam tape reasonably recently. It only happens at the lower end and much worse when it's windy.

 

I have foam tape fitted as you describe except the u at the bottom. The problem is the frame at each end of where this u tape would be. The water here gets through the frame somehow, but misses the condensation catching trough down the sides. Some doesn't get right through and comes out under the window. I'll try and take/post a picture so you can see what I mean. I was hoping you'd see the thread, when I googled you were the only person who seemed to have knowlege of these windows (on another forum).

When wind and rain is forecast and to locate the leak exactly squirt some washing up liquid on the outside of the frame. When the rain and wind arrives a stream of pretty bubbles will be blown through the gap into the boat for you to run about and pop.

[boathunter]

When wind and rain is forecast and to locate the leak exactly squirt some washing up liquid on the outside of the frame. When the rain and wind arrives a stream of pretty bubbles will be blown through the gap into the boat for you to run about and pop.

I was thinking I could fill the boat with water and see where it comes out?

[magnetman]

a bead of sikaflex or pu18 or other polyurethane sealant applied to any doubtful areas would probably stop it leaking.

[boathunter]

a bead of sikaflex or pu18 or other polyurethane sealant applied to any doubtful areas would probably stop it leaking.

I think you're probably right. The thing I don't understand is the very deliberate vertical slots each end of the hopper frame. Seems madness on the face of it, if they weren't there I would expect water to happily drain outside, but there they are so I must be wrong and daren't sikoflrx them up. I think the only way I'll find out how they are supposed to work will be taking a window right out. For all I know there could have once been nylon blocks fitted in the slots to keep the loose panes central?

[magnetman]

Ah. The removeable glass on some hopper top windows have little plastic edge guards fitted to them, maybe to protect the toughened glass from breakage if it is removed.

Perhaps this is missing on your glass panels? I wouldn't have thought that would make it leak and from your description it may not be the problem anyway.

 

Just a thought