Beckson Port Advice

[DaveBMusik]

I just removed the two ports in the v berth which had been leaking. The port side will be straight ahead as there was just a small 1/8 inch manufacturing void in the plywood.
The starboard side is another matter, see pic. There is a 1/2 inch void around approx 2/3 of the opening.
The plywood is still in decent  shape but I am not sure whether to just fill the void with closed cell foam and use longer screws or try to glue the liner back on to the plywood.  It would take a number of clamps and some force to try to compress the liner. I'm not sure if the Hull is deformed from being on the hard or if that is the way it was manufactured...

Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.

Dave

[KWKloeber]

dave

I doubt I'd use foam in any event.  Either epoxy and C-clamp back into position, or epoxy where is, as is. 

How deep is the void?  Are you sure that water intrusion hadn't swelled/deformed the ply?

Even if I filled some, I'd still use epoxy for an inch deep around the opening, but in reality unless it was very very deep, no doubt I'd   just fill it entirely w/ epoxy building up in multiple fills if necessary, using non-blush hardener to make it easy(ier) for additional fills   And unless it proved impossible I know I'd get 'er back to the original thickness.

The factory techs did such precise window work.

kk

[Stu Jackson]

Dave,

Don't bother.

Beckson Portlights 101 ("removal tool" with pictures and guides for sealants)

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,3241.0.html

Click on the last link in the first post, which includes an additional picture.  My port side looked almost identical.  I never filled it and it has been dry inside for over ~10 years.

[kwaltersmi]

I'm with Stu. Or you could add some epoxy adhesive to the gap and let the port frame and bolts act as a clamp when you put it back together.

[mj_sailing]

I also have my Beckson ports pulled this winter to be re-bed shortly.  If you don't seal the ports from the inside as indicated in other posts, is the layer of silicone under the outside trim ring really adequate to seal these ports from water intrusion in the cabin?  Thanks to all for your wealth of information and experience throughout this site/forum.

[Stu Jackson]

Mark,

'The best way to seal them is using the Beckson instructions.

Last summer Jeff Tancock traced a leak to one of his Beckson cockpit ports.  His trim ring was easy to remove, so he did, and sealed the joint between the ring of the port and the OUTside of the fiberglass, then reinstalled the trim ring.  The repair was successful.

I only know about this because I helped him to trace the leak.

Point being is that however you do it, you must seal the joint between the portlight that goes through the "wall" and the wall itself on the OUTSIDE.  Sealing the inside does nothing to prevent water intrusion.  THAT is where the "seal" needs to be.  He was able to access that by removing the trim ring.

[mj_sailing]

Ok, thanks for the clarification, Stu.  That's how I was planning to do it and your reinforcement helps clear it up.  It sure doesn't seem like a lot holding those ports in place, but they've been there successfully for about 30 years so far, short of some periodic leaks (most likely from the old, weathered gaskets rather than ports).  The PO siliconed the heck out of these to address leaks, so they were fun to pull off and clean.  I ended up buying new trim rings, as they weren't in good shape after prying them off in the fall.  The removal tool in other posts worked like a champ to get the ports out in the first place.

[Stu Jackson]

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It sure doesn't seem like a lot holding those ports in place,
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IIRC, and from the link provided earlier, there are maybe eight screws holding the port from the inside, aren't there?  This holds the entire port securely from the inside, so all the silicone is doing is the sealing at the outside edge where it belongs.

Glad "the rig" worked for you.  I still have mine.  I store the big parts around the starboard water tank and the two stand-off pieces are in the lip below the sliding black doors forward port side, with a big note on each one that says: "SAVE!!! For portlight removal tool." 

[DaveBMusik]

Ok, thanks for the clarification, Stu.  That's how I was planning to do it and your reinforcement helps clear it up.  It sure doesn't seem like a lot holding those ports in place, but they've been there successfully for about 30 years so far, short of some periodic leaks (most likely from the old, weathered gaskets rather than ports).  The PO siliconed the heck out of these to address leaks, so they were fun to pull off and clean.  I ended up buying new trim rings, as they weren't in good shape after prying them off in the fall.  The removal tool in other posts worked like a champ to get the ports out in the first place.

Having just installed six yesterday and reading the enclosed instructions, Beckson recommends that they are thru bolted, but as you say,our system has worked.  Probably the difference between coastal cruising and blue water.

[Jeff Tancock]

Just to clarify Stu's comment on my repair, the trim ring is just to cover up the unsightly cut out.
The seal needs to be between the port ( the entire unit) and the outside glass. There was a good 1/8" or more of a gap that needed to be filled.
I had done this 15 or more years ago and needed to rebed last year because I didn't do a great job the first time. When I was set to do the removal at that point in time I reasoned that it made more sense to caulk from the outside where the water was coming in then to come at it from the inside.
Both approaches work.
YBYC.
Cheers,
Jeff

[mj_sailing]

Stu - I'll save the "rig" as well somewhere for the future removal when I've either screwed it up or the seal has worn out (hopefully the latter).   

Dave and Jeff - how much caulk did you end up using per port?  I've ordered 3 large tubes for the 6 ports I'm re-bedding.  The Dow 795 Silicone was impossible to find around town here, so I guesstimated and ordered on Amazon.

Dave - I noticed the same thing about thru-bolting on Beckson's instructions, which had me a little confused too, given Catalina used 8 or so screws inside and a plethora of sealant.

[Stu Jackson]

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Dave and Jeff - how much caulk did you end up using per port?  I've ordered 3 large tubes for the 6 ports I'm re-bedding.  The Dow 795 Silicone was impossible to find around town here, so I guesstimated and ordered on Amazon.
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Not clear.  Are you planning to use 795 for the Beckson's?

[Jeff Tancock]

I took off the trim and used silicone to caulk between the glass and the Beckson. It took part (maybe half at most) of a small tube. The trim ring is just cosmetic, covering up the rough cut out. The excess silicone or a few extra dabs holds the trim ring in place.

[mj_sailing]

Yes, Stu.  I'm using Dow 795 for the Beckson ports.  Hope that's the right one for this job.

[DaveBMusik]

I used 3M marine silicone. I used 1/2 to 1/3 of a tube per port.
Taking the cover off tomorrow so we will see shortly how I did.