Solvents and fillers on windows on Cavalier 28

[Martin Jacobs]

My windows leak. The windows themselves are good, I'm guessing they are perspex, but the seals between the frames and hull have plenty of gaps. 

I'm considering taking the windows and frames off, sealing up the gaps with Sikaflex or Fixtech and fixing them back. However, I'll need to think about cleaning up the inevitable slops. If it were fibreglass or steel, I might use methylated spirits, turps or acetone to clean the slops, but these solvents could react with the window material. What do you advise?

[John MacLeod]

You might also consider replacing the rubber that sits betwixt the aluminium frame & the perspex. Here's some information from the forum

"Grippy Rubber is the only place to go for Rubber products. Inexpensive and helpful.

They are at 28 Vore St. Silverwater and 98989688

Make sure you get the profile right.

Good luck

You will need 2 people to put the windows in and lots of patience." 

Re your solvent question. I think you are probably safe with metho & turps. I would find a small piece of perspex & try it out. If you don't have one, a small amount on the end of a qtip dabbed on an inconspicuous corner of the window & left to evaporate should tell you what you need to know! 

Acetone is used for glueing perspex so I would go carefully with that. However it takes quite some time to dissolve the perspex so you may be OK if it turns out to be the only one that will dissolve your glue!

[Martin Jacobs]

I took one of the windows off to take a look. I'm fairly sure it is glass. It is held in an alumnium frame by a rubber seal. On my boat the rubber seals around the glass look OK, but have had some attention over the years. The bigger problem is the join between the aluminium frame and hull. My plan is to leave the glass in the frames, clean the frames and re-seat them on the hull with new rubber or neoprene gaskets. There have been previous attempts to stop leaks by injecting silicon and other goo, and there is a fair amount of galvanic corrosion product (white aluminium oxide powder) where stainless steel screws have been used to fix the aluminium frame.