Members Forum

Dufour Dealers
Dufour Yachts have a network of dealers throughout the UK
Click for details

If the information you are looking for is not available or you have any questions or comments, please contact us.
secretary@dufour.org.uk

2nd May 2012

Dufour Association

Technical - Page 2

Re-sealing leaking windows

Window leaks are a common cause of fresh water getting in to a boat. A very slow build up of water in the bilge's, or even worse in what are supposed to be dry areas in lockers or below saloon bunks can often been due to a small leak from a poorly sealed window.

On the Classic series the saloon windows are held in by a stainless steel surround held in by screws from the outside. Once the screws have all been removed the stainless plate can be carefully eased off, using  small putty knife is recommended.

Now the job is to remove the previous sealant. White spirit can be used to soften some sealants.  Once all the old sealant has been removed wipe all the surfaces, including the stainless surround, with acetone as a degreasant. 

Before applying the new sealant, it is recommended that the area outside the stainless surround is masked off with masking tape. The sealant can get everywhere.

White or clear Sealastic can now be applied to the surfaces and the stainless surround, before carefully bringing them back together and refitting the screws. Do not apply too much sealant, but make sure you get an even spread, ensuring that none will spread towards the window itself - keep it about 1 cm away from the window.  An old credit card make a useful spreader.

Two thing to note.
(1) Tighten the screws in a "cross" sequence working from the middle out to ensure no distortion.  Do not tighten them down in one go. Go round, following a cross sequence, about three or four times, increasing the pressure on the seal slowly. If sealant comes out of the outer edges this can be scraped off, again using the old credit card.
(2) You need to check the condition of the sealant seal around the inside of the window.  If water has penetrated it may have lifted the sealant. If there is a small length, it can be peeled back until a firmly adhered section is found. Cut this square at both ends with a scalpel or Stanley type knife. Clean the area which has been removed with acetone and allow to dry. A small bead of sealant can now be applied.  Once again a rounded corner of a credit card can be used as a scraper to provide the correct shape. A wet (with water) finger can be run over it to get a smooth surface.

This has probably taken longer to describe than to do.

For other types of window fittings, such as on a 2800, there is an inner window surround to be removed, plus about 20 nuts and bolts through each window. Then follow the cleaning procedure above. Here the better quality black Sealastic is recommended as the cabin to is finished in black.  Replace and tighten the screws in a similar sequence.

Return to Technical Index
Return to Home