Leaking Lewmar port lights

[dclintonbaker]

Catalina 34 Mk II hull number 1700. Extended summer trip we noted many of the port lights were dripping water into the cabin. I have scrubbed the rubber gasket on all of them and that seems to have helped but two of them still leak. I believe the leak is coming under the rubber gasket. Has anyone tried increasing the thickness of the gasket by running a thin O-ring like material as a loop behind the gasket?

[Jim Hardesty]

As regular spring maintenance, I clean the gaskets with a little alcohol on a soft cloth then a wipe a very thin coating of "Super Lube".  That works for me.
Jim 

[Ron Hill]

dcl : Spray all of your gasket with silicone spray. It will keep them nimble!!

I always use some silicone spray on the windshield wipers of my autos. After spraying you need to leave the auto blades set for a few weeks. I have two pair. One on the shelf sprayed and the other on the auto!

A few thoughts 


 

[Dave DeAre]

I have had the same port leaks on my 2002 MK2. Cleaning and lubing the gasket is a yearly chore. But I have adjusted the closing fit by carefully tapping on the aluminum latches to tighten the fit. I used a screwdriver against the latches and a small hammer to do this. Be careful, it worked for me.