Window Leaks

we have a 1996 330 Sundancer. During a recent heavy rain I noticed water leaking thru and around the window glass and the rubber channel. Is there an ‘easy’ way to seal the glass in the channel? Or, does the channel all need to be replaced? Has anyone done the replacement? If so difficult and how was it done?

We just had the secondary seals replaced on our boat. They had been patched by the previous owner with the wrong material and instead of helping the situation, they made it worse. The secondary seals were starting to pull away from the window edges and at the end of our windshield. We found signs that water was leaking in under the helm/electronics so we knew it was time to deal with the problem. We chose to have a window expert redo the seals on our windshield, skylight and side windows rather than attempt to do it ourselves. They used a UV-rated material that's black and won't deteriorate. It's supposed to last 10 years so most likely longer than we'll own this boat! Having seen the results of someone who didn't know what they were doing and using the wrong material vs having an expert do the windows, I'm really glad we chose to spend the extra money. Do you have pictures of the area on your windows that's leaking?

Currently don’t have pictures but the leak is coming thru the gasket that holds the window in the frame. I would guess the rubber gadget gets hard from exposure and the no longer can keep out the water. I am going to visit a window company to see if they can replace the rubber gasket.

wshiley said:

Currently don’t have pictures but the leak is coming thru the gasket that holds the window in the frame. I would guess the rubber gadget gets hard from exposure and the no longer can keep out the water. I am going to visit a window company to see if they can replace the rubber gasket.

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Our window guy mentioned that there is a kit available for restoring the gaskets around windows and he’s going to drop it off for me this week. You are correct that they dry out and are no longer effective at keeping the water from coming into your boat however it may be possible for them to be restored. I’ll be sure and post back here when I get that information from my window guy.

Here are the products you need:

• 3M – wet type silicone spray
• Spray away glass cleaner from Costco (comes in a 3-pack)
• Kimberly clark – wypall x-60 towels for cleaning out the grooves

Happy cleaning!