CT34 - Portlight Seals

[RSMacG]

A newbie to the forum and to my boat, so thanks in advance for your patience and help...

I just purchased a Ta Chiao CT34 and after our first significant rain I noticed many of the interior seals on the portlights were leaking. Not surprising, as they appear to be the original seals, and not something I was concerned about, as they appear to be simply o-rings that I assumed I could pick up at West Marine. However, when I brought one in to my local store, they looked at me as though I was showing them a dead squirrel and weren't particularly helpful.

The seals are roughly 10x6 inches when installed, so, roughly accounting for the corner radius, are about 30 inches in circumference. I'll try to get a picture tonight, but any ideas as to alternative suppliers would be most appreciated - I'm running out of towels!

[Maddog]

Is this the rubber seal that is against the opening port -- or -- The seal that is beneath the frame, between the frame and the cabin wall?

If it is the for the port go to McMaster Carr, they should be able to sell you a roll of generic stuff by the foot.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, RSMacG.

Try searching “Glazing Extrusions” - ie:

Tremco ➥ Tremco Glazing Extrusions - Tremco Commercial Sealants & Weatherproofing

Performance Elastomers ➥ Rubber seal and gasket extrusion and fabrication for automotive, glazing, lighting, and fluid handling applications from Performance Elastomers Corporation.

U.S. Sky Sure Seal ➥ Installation Guidelines: Materials & Tools List - U.S. Sky Sure Seal Glazing System

Products, such as these, should be available from any glazing shop.

[sailtiaka]

Thanks Gord May. I will try these sites. I did try McMasters/Carr and they didin't have exactly what I wanted BUT I ordered something that would possibly work. They emailed and said they do NOT ship outside the USA. (We live on the island of Palau in Micronesia.) I then asked to have it shipped to Hawaii for family to send on BUT they never responded. Sailtiaka

[sail.boat]

Hello,
I have a CT34 and had to replace all the porthole gaskets.
Could not find a source so I bought a rectangular strip of neoprene (about 3/8" x 1" or so as I recall) from a rubber and gasket industrial supplier. The dimensions matched the original gasket outside dimensions.
Built a plywood jig with a clamp (about a foot long) that firmly held the gasket and allowed me to cut out a notch along one of the edge corners - matching the configuration of the existing.
If you set the jig up properly, it was not difficult to cut the notch out with good control - the gaskets have worked well for the past 5 years or so.

SV Crumpet - CT34 Crumpet, cutter rigged sailboat built in 1977 by Ta Chiao, CT-34 - site shows results of several projects. It also includes history for many of the CT34s that have been manufactured. If you wish to be included, just send boat information and pictures.