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Old 10-09-2016, 20:24   #1
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Location: Somewhere on the Australian Coast
Boat: FP Lavezzi 40, BMW R1200GS
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Window Seals Leaking

Hi Everyone.

We have a Lavezzi 40 with 4 of the oval style windows in the sides. They have some kind of black seal which has been leaking a dark stain down the side of the boat for some time. Typically it will rain just after we clean the marks off and then they appear again.

Now 2 of windows are leaking in weather so I am assuming the seals have perished. A boat builder we have used said just to dig them out and silastic the surrounds. Clearly this doesn't make sense as the black seals appear to be around 10-20mm thick.

Has anyone replaced these seals? Are the a FP special item or can you get similar materials and cut new ones to suit?

Appreciate any advice.

Thanks

David
Lavezzi 40
On Y Va





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Old 10-09-2016, 22:54   #2
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Re: Window Seals Leaking

The black streaks are caused by UV degradation of the window sealant. A quickish fix is to dig out the existing seal to say 10mm from the edge and then use a 1 part polyurathane sealant adhesive like Sikaflex to fill to the edge. Otherwise its a remove and rebed completely.
One reason for the windows leaking we were told of by our charter operators is the hull flexing when being lifted, because of compression load from the strops. Leaking windows were a regular occurence apparently.
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Old 11-09-2016, 06:22   #3
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Re: Window Seals Leaking

Once they have lost the bond. You have to remove them and rebed them. Preferably with a better UV stable adhesive.
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Old 12-09-2016, 18:48   #4
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Re: Window Seals Leaking

Hi Everyone

Thanks for your responses.

@Rapanui - when I look at the seal around the windows, it appears to be one seal the same shape and size of the window. It doesn't look like a seal then a sealant around the edges. Am I understanding you correctly you are saying there is a seal then a few mm of sealant along the edge?

@Captainjay - you are saying there is one seal and you need to remove the window and reseal them? Does the seal come out in one piece? Do you know what the material is in case I need to make a new one. Perhaps attempting to remove will cause a problem with the old seal. Is your advice FP window specific or ore generic in nature?

Here is the response from the local rep in Australia.

------------------------
The sealant used by FP has always stained the hulls. On a positive the windows never leak!

The easy way to solve the issue is to neatly tape a border around the existing sealant and seal over it with a product like black fix tech. It is a couple of hour job.

If you have never applied black sealant that has to look tidy on a white hull, maybe recruit a shipwright to do the job for you?
------------------------

So I don't feel I am any closer. Assuming CaptainJay is generic feedback and Rapanui is same as the FP rep, digging around the edges and then resealing 10mm seems to be the best approach?

Best Wishes

David
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Old 12-09-2016, 23:12   #5
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Re: Window Seals Leaking

Not sure whether FP use a tape or a 2 part rubber putty but it is a soft flexible material when cured. What the dealer suggested is basically what I have done on both my FPs. I have actually removed and rebedded my front windows on tha Maldives and that was a nightmare. Your small side windows less so. When the new seal started to bleed black I used 1 part polyurathane sealant and made a fillet round the edge using a round former. The dealer is right, you need to mask otherwise cleaning off the extra is a real pain.
On the Athena I had serious black bleed on the saloon to cockpit window. The sealant adhesive was already undercut by years of washing to remove the bleed so I filled the gap and added a fillet. The front windows are next.
While the absolutely correct thing to do is to remove and rebed the windows, yours are small and not structural, I would just do as I originally suggested. Undercut the rubber with a narrow chisel, clean as well as possible, mask up, get primer in the gap maybe using cotton buds, then gun in the Sikaflex and fair the edge, remove tape and spray with water to cure polyurathane.
Just be careful when craning Lavezzi, you need a travel lift or spreader bars the same width as the boat, otherwise the flexing can pop the windows.
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Old 13-09-2016, 18:40   #6
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Re: Window Seals Leaking

We have had to redo a bunch of them Mahe's, Lavezzi's and Lipari's. Typically we remove the entire window. Stainless steel wire can be used to cut the remainng seal out. Then sand down the hull area to remove the old sealant. Then clean off the sealant on the window. Cover the inside of the window with masking tape. Have some one hold it up to the hull and go around with a razor blade inside the opening. Take the window back off and clean off the edges. Then tape off the hull on the outside hold the window back up and go around it with a razor. Take the window back off and take the tape off that is under the window.

Now get a black primer made for this application and paint the area on the hull.
https://www.amazon.com/3M-08681-Sing.../dp/B000PEZAU6

Use the primer then a good uv stable adhesive. The window has holes in it to use screws to hold it in place while the adhesive dries. Remove them afterwards. If the window is bowed add two more screw holes in the middle top and bottom. Drill them over size so the expansion and contraction of the window from temperature changes doesn't break the window. Once it has cured remove the screws and fill the holes with the black caulk.
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Old 14-09-2016, 09:54   #7
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Window Seals Leaking

Everything you would want to know about FP windows can be found in these pages.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post511878

The adhesive FP uses is standard automotive window glass adhesive with one difference.The windows are not glass, so a primer has to be used on just the window so the adhesive will bond.

Note:the outside of the plastic sheets are painted black for 2” around the periphery of the window so the UV light from the sun will not break down the adhesive.

On a car the adhesive is covered by metal or plastic trim, so the adhesive will not break down, but on our boat the edges are exposed to the suns UV light which is not good.

Solution:That has worked for me.

1) Must be done when at the dock or on the hard. Doing this from your dingy would be too hard.
2) Install painters tape around the window to make cleanup easier. This stuff can be messy.
3) Coat the exposed black window adhesive edges with marine silicon. I used Black “LifeSeal Sealant” made by Boatlife over a year ago and all is well with no problems.
4) Remove the painters tape while the sealant is still wet. Pull off at an angle away from window.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is the FP window info. for your future use.

1) ACRYLITE GP acrylic sheet is a cell-cast acrylic sheet 3/8 thickness

2) Dow Automotive BETAMATE7120 Single-component, high-viscosity, atmospheric humidity-curing polyurethane bonding/sealing compound for high-strength, permanently elastic adhesive joints. Apply ½ thick and squeezed out to 3/8 when window is installed

3) Dow Automotive Betaprime 5404 Pinchweld and encapsulation Primer. Used only on the plastic window sheet. Lightly scotbright 2” around bounding edge and apply this primer onto the sanded 2” area around the outer edge

Mark
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Old 09-02-2017, 22:06   #8
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Re: Window Seals Leaking

Quote:
Originally Posted by ducati996guy View Post
Hi Everyone.

We have a Lavezzi 40 with 4 of the oval style windows in the sides. They have some kind of black seal which has been leaking a dark stain down the side of the boat for some time. Typically it will rain just after we clean the marks off and then they appear again.

Now 2 of windows are leaking in weather so I am assuming the seals have perished. A boat builder we have used said just to dig them out and silastic the surrounds. Clearly this doesn't make sense as the black seals appear to be around 10-20mm thick.

Has anyone replaced these seals? Are the a FP special item or can you get similar materials and cut new ones to suit?hb

Appreciate any advice.

Thanks

David
Lavezzi 40
On Y Va





Hi David
Having owned a Lavezzi for 5 years I to had the same problem , an easy fix which worked very well for us was to remove about 6 mm deep of the black sealant and apply a bead of white sekaflex , we never had a leak and the black streaks totally disappeared .
Cheers
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Old 09-02-2017, 22:31   #9
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Re: Window Seals Leaking

Yes thanks!

That is what we have done except with black silastic and seems to work well on the 1 window done thus far

How did you get the old black seal out of the gap for 5mm? I went and bought a dremel like machine after making a real mess with a Stanley knife

Have tested yet but hoping it works

Best wishes everyone

David
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Old 09-02-2017, 23:53   #10
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Re: Window Seals Leaking

i have lagoon but just went thru leaking windows exercise and fixed it, yyyeyy!!!

dig out old, apply sikaflex 295 UV, black in your case. It was first time I have done it. Ensure you have plenty of masking tape - blue one that can be easily removed after 1 hour after application.

I would do small area first, and observe couple weeks, just in case. Second time your skills will improve and third time will be perfect.



if FP uses diffenet sealant, find out what it is. I believe Lagoon uses above.
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