In the course of renovating a boat or re-commissioning her,
several parts may require dissembling in order that other parts may be put
right or renewed. I have reached the stage where I can multitask by doing both
dissembling and reassembling. I can also start work on building new things such
as partitions in the lazarette and incorporating items that were not present in
the original. Adding a stove for cooking meals will be essential.
Today, as a part of the reassembling remit, I refitted a
reshaped window to ‘Minnow’s’ hatch. The window is smaller than the original,
because I eliminated cracked edges by sawing them off. I drilled holes in the
reshaped window to match holes for new bolts through the woodwork of the hatch.
The new bolts replace old rusty ones. I previously filled redundant bolt holes
in the hatch by filling them with epoxy.
Although it was cold and rain was bucketing down, I was able
to apply a clear silicone sealant* between the hatch and the window. For
economy, I sealed only the outer and inner perimeters of the Perspex window
where they came into contact with the hatch, plus the holes for the nuts and
bolts. There should be no ingress of water into cavities between the outer and
inner seals.
I could have chosen a very expensive Geocel Sealant, but at
double the cost of a sealant* recommended by my local hardware store; I bought
the latter. The technical data sheet supplied by the maker confirms that the
product is adequate for sealing the window. I intend using Ever Build sealant for
the cabin windows.
Links
*General Purpose Sealant by Ever Build
Geocel Sealant
