hi everyone
I had a cracking sail today on my 1998 Catalina 36
18 knots beating upwind and she did great!
We had her heeled over nicely and noticed that both the port and starboard port lights (the ones in the hull) we're dribbling in a small amount of saltwater (not a ton but I take great pride In keeping the boat nice and dry and would like to fix). I'm hoping not to replace the entire thing as the glass appears good so I think some sealant (from the outside of the frame) should do the trick. I can get a very good angle from the dinghy as the boat is on a mooring can. Any advice - (ie what material to use for stopping the leaks / any tips and tricks) would be greatly appreciated.
Mamy thx!
many thx in advance!
CB
Hi and welcome to the website.
We encourage you to post some boat info in your profile/signature; it makes it easier for people to spot questions they might be able to help answer.
I also recommend you join the Association as a Member. Not only will you be supporting the group, but you will also gain access to the Members section, including our extensive technical library.
We have at least one other active Member in Hong Kong, by the way.
As to your question: There is no leak that can be fixed by applying sealant from the outside. You will have to remove and reinstall the ports in order to get a good seal between them and the hull.
Nick Tonkin
*Former* Website Administrator, C36/375IA
*Former* owner, C36 tr/fk #255, Santa Barbara, CA
I purchase a tube of lanolin from CVS and melted with a hair drier and poured it around the seal from outside and continued to heat the seal until lanolin melted like butter and filled in the cracks. I do not open the ports. This winter with all the heavy recent rains that we had - there has been no water dripping. This is not a permanent fix, but it worked for me.
Sail La Vie 1999 Catalina 36 MKII, M35B-17031, Coyote Point, San Mateo, CA
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