Window frames - seal

[Magnus Wallner]

My boat, 1976 SRV220 Cuddy Cabin, is leaking. The water is somehow finding its way down to the long storage area beneath the railing (the one that runs the entire length of the open area of the boat - dunno the correct term for it) on both sides.

At first I suspected the steel railing to be the culprit but I couldn't find any evidence of any mounting point leaking. Then I noticed moisture in the roof of the "cabin", below the windows and around the wiper motor. A visual inspection confirmed that the seal between the window frame and hull is bad. In addition to this the sealant between the glass and frame is also bad, allowing water to enter the aluminum framework and then travel to wherever it finds a hole to enter the boat from.

Now to the question. Should I remove the entire frame from the boat and reseal it properly, quite an amount of work I suspect, or should I reseal both frame/boat and frame/glass with it installed?
Yes, I know it's always better to do it "the right way" but I have a tendency of over doing everything and I'd like to avoid that this time if possible.

 

[moparlvr4406]

I would pull the windshield and renew the seal to the hull and reseal the mounting holes with 4200
might as well do all of the stantion base mounting screws while you are at it

 

[Magnus Wallner]

Hmm, yes that's probably the best route. Any idea as to how it's attached? I'm guessing a couple of screws/bolts in hard-to-reach areas and sealant/glue.

What's 4200?

 

[moparlvr4406]

3M 4200 sealer
doesn't loosen and shrink but you CAN get it back off unlike 5200

Should have bolts that go thru the deck into the cabin holding the windshied down
and a foam seal along the base of the frame to the deck

 

[Magnus Wallner]

Found the bolts. By the looks of them the frame hasn't been off since 1976. I'll remove it once it stops raining (I f**king hate rain!).