Small Favors

When I first got the boat, almost all of Sunrise's hatches and ports leaked, plus there were two nasty leaks coming from the deck scuppers (the hose leads inside the cabin, then down to a through-hull just above water level). The starboard scupper leak was so bad that it filled the storage compartments below the pilot berth when I got back to the boat after my vacation in Franklin County. But, the most annoying was the hatch above the Vee-berth, which would soak my bedding every time it rained.

 I found the gaskets for the Perko port lights on the Defender marine supply site--very expensive--and replaced every one.








I also removed, re-caulked, and replaced the scupper fittings, first using 3M 5200 which failed, then I found that 3M 4200 was better for metal to fiberglass sealing, and it worked.

Finally, the only leak remaining was the fore-cabin hatch.

Some research revealed that I had a Bomar hatch, and I was able to purchase 10' of Bomar gasket material for $36--pricey, but it stopped some of the leak, enough to reveal that the worst leaking came from above the gasket, where the acyclic sheet bedded into the hatch frame. I was able to remove the acrylic and use the last of my 3M 4200 to re-bed it. I used my index finger as a caulking tool, so the result is not so pretty, after all, but the seal holds.


It rained in Fort Myers all through the night, and this morning there was no leak, nowhere!