cabin fix window popping out

[GK2016]

I have a Lagoon 38 year 2008. And the upper corner of the aft cabin fix window suddenly started to pop out. I had been searching for someone to repair it but is not easy task, some people don't know how to deal with it. Does anyone have any ideas on how to fix it, or know about someone who can do it?? At the moment we are on the west coast of Florida.
Thank you!

[robert sailor]

Your not the only one to have this problem. My advice would be to track down someone who makes a business out of rebedding ports and hatches. These people are around, check with a larger charter company in your area or a surveyor. R

[Attikos]

Rebedding fixed port lights is a nasty piece of work. I know because I had to do some of that last summer. There are two or three ways of doing it. What I wanted was having them like they were when the boat left the factory, so I hired a fellow who used to work for Hatteras to do the job. He scraped out the old bedding sealant, put in Sika, and set the lights back in place with stainless screws.

Were I doing it myself, I think I'd remove the old lights, make new ones from Plexiglas, and screw them on using butyl tape as the sealant. They'd look like the afterfit replacements they were, but the cost would be considerably lower, the wear and tear on the boat less, and the finished work good enough for an old boat.

Having seen what it took to do it as the factory did, there's no way I'd attempt that on my own. If that's what you want find someone who's done it a number of times, look at boats he's done it on, and if you don't like what you see and hear keep looking for someone else. That's not work just anyone can do. And make sure you have a decent cash balance in the bank.

[GK2016]

yes, thats exactly the biggest problem, to find someone who could really do it. We are planning to leave for Bahamas soon, so we are desperate to find someone good for this job near Palmetto, Tampa or Fort Myers.
So please if any one has advices we are glad to receive then!!!!

[LeeV]

If nothing else pops up, call Just Catamarans in Ft. Lauderdale. If you don’t want it done there, they may recommend somebody in your area.

Best of luck,

[GK2016]

Well apparently all the good places to fix it are in Fort Lauderdale!!! but we can´t sail with the window popping out like this. So we just find a place in Bradenton area that does rebedding they are call FREUNDSHIP MARINE, does anyone has heard of them?

[LeeV]

Originally Posted by GK2016

Well apparently all the good places to fix it are in Fort Lauderdale!!! but we can´t sail with the window popping out like this. So we just find a place in Bradenton area that does rebedding they are call FREUNDSHIP MARINE, does anyone has heard of them?

If it was my cat, and I couldn't find a very competent repair shop, I'd cover it with a temporary fix/repair, and sail it to wherever I needed to go.

Regards,

[hellosailor]

In the worst case, for about $15 you can buy a "floor panel lift" or "glass lift" suction cup handle. Also sold now as portable handicap assist handles for showers ($15 from Moen in the bath stores). Two big suction cups on a handlebar. Clamp 'em down inside the window and then tie that off to something inside the boat, they'll take over 200# each.

Then just apply your choice, duct or packing tape over the edges.

That really should be able to get you to Ft Laud, unless this is an escape "window" down in the hull?

Maybe someone at the St. Pete YC could refer you to someone. Surely, there's got to be one plexi shop that knows their business out there.

[mowerandy]

Had to replace all my stbd portlights last year after my forestay snapped in a storm (fatigue under the furler drum) and the furler drum was just the right height to smash them all out on the fly. Lucky it was on the marina and not at sea or prolly would have lost the rig.
Anyway, replacing them was easy in my case (not too much curve and fairly light plexiglass - only 3mm as my portlights are quite small). Paper template for each pane, cut with a fine tooth jigsaw or scroll saw with the backing paper still on (else scratches), old panes and bedding out with a chisel, rebed with your preference of sealant (butyl tape sounds like a good idea) then screw back down. You can see where to drill the screw holes once the backing is peeled off. Screw down in a pattern (like an engine cylinder head) to prevent warping/cracking. Not too much screw tension if you don't have metal frames, else you can crack the new panes.