Bock Marine #4

Yesterday was repair the leaking fixed window day.  Reboot has three fixed Lewmar windows about two feet above the water line.  One of them has been leaking while underway.  The particular location of these windows means that they are frequently assaulted by passing waves.  I have not wanted to work on the window with Reboot in the water for fear of dropping parts into the drink.  I have been working on unfreezing the screws that hold the windows in place and finally got the last frozen screw to release.  As I started to take the window out I was greeted with a randy smell.  When I popped the window out from the outside I got a small cascade of very dirty and smelly water.

I let everything dry out.  The hull is sealed with epoxy so there was not water infusion into the hull   The design of the window is terrible.  The lip is only about 1/2 inch and the hole is not perfectly cut.  This makes positioning the window back into the hole critical.

I have heard from several people that butyl rubber tape is a better sealant that silicone.  Ed, one of the other cruisers in the yard game me some tape and I sealed everything up.  The tape is more like a putty but comes in a roll.  You can form around the edge of whatever you are trying to seal.  We will see how it does.