Repairing Leaks - Any Grand Banks Owners

Leaks is more of an old topic then a new one, and it seems that everyone has them to some extent on the older boats. .... and I am trying to work through these. Our boat is a 1977-78 Grand Banks 36' Classic.

My hope is for a quick answer or two?

I know I need to replace felt, and that is it's own topic. Still looking for a way to switch felt without removing track. Seems like it should be able to be done, but so many unknowns for part source. Is Grand Banks any assistance as a resource for repair parts?

Fixed Windows - If you see a trickle of water on the inside does that mean the bedding failed, and how is that fixed? Is is simply caulk between glass and frame or is it removal of the frame and reseal? I can't figure the leak source but have one at top and one at bottom where water pools.

Lastly - I have two leaks, almost the same place but Port / Stb side. Port side is real bad and I can't figure out where it might come from. I have attached a photo because maybe if it is a standard design issue, others will say, oh yah mine leaked there also and I .....? leak is above the window. behind the valance.

Is there supposed to be a seal on our cabin door? I see grooves in the door, and frame but nothing that would hold a seal in. With this boat now our home, it seems there should be a more leak free door seal.

Last year was our first year with the boat, and here in WI the season is short, so were seeing the first real "Rain Storms" to help us find the leaks. We are pushing to get as many repairs done as we can prior to our leaving on the first leg of the Great Loop in late July - Early August.

Any help is welcome - thank you in advance

Russ
M/V Long Story

Hi Russ. I know of no way to replace the felt without removing the window frame. You might want to check on the Grand Banks forums. International Association of Grand Banks Owners - International Association of Grand Banks Owners Forum Index

If your leaks are above the windows, I woulds start looking for a source on the flybridge. We had a little leak into the master stateroom. It was coming from the handrail up to the flybridge. I took it off and re-bedded everything with butyl cape. No more leaks ... yet.

There should be weatherstripping on your doors. Unfortunately, Grand Banks does not have the material or any drawings of it for our older boats. Newer boats have a deeper slot. Grand Banks has the material for that.

You might try contacting Nazri Abu (nazri_a@grandbanks.com) at Grand Banks.

Moved from Welcome Mat to General Discussion

Make sure the drain holes from the tracks are clear, many insects find those drains to be a perfect place to raise a family. Clean out your windshield washer pipes too while you are at it. A zip-tie works well. The felts around the windows get green and dry out, making them rock hard and they will not seal or allow the glass to slide well. Dish soap and a scrub brush to clean them up. That might work to fix your leak. Just about every GB owner has removed and rebedded their windows. Originally, they used to use Dolfinite which eventually gets rock hard; remove the frames and rebed. NEVER use silicone or any permanent sealer like 5200, you will need to destroy the windows next time they need repair (and they will). The track is available and it contains the felt, it is not separate - though not from a GB dealer. Try Fisheries Supply. On those older models, frequently the frames were held on with screws installed on the inside, the builders were capricious about that. You might need to remove the curtain valence to get at it. Some are installed from the outside, look for dowels or bungs covering the screws. A fein tool is a good thing if you can't find the fasteners.

You probably have teak decks on your flybridge, wet it down with a hose and watch it dry. It will reveal all the bad seams and bungs by how it dries. Use masking tape to mark the areas that need help. There are lots of threads that will tell you how to fix leaks in a teak deck. Also, rebed any railings or other fittings, as mentioned previously. Fresh water leaks need to be fixed asap as they will cause dry rot.

> You probably have teak decks on your flybridge, wet it down with a hose and watch it dry. It will reveal all the bad seams and bungs by how it dries.

How so, what are you looking for?

The leaking seams and bungs will hold the water after the rest of the deck is dry. These are the areas that need recaulking (seams) and the bungs will need to be pried out, fastener removed and a new fastener installed and the teak bung glued in. cut the bungs off with a Japanese pull saw (they are very flexible and very sharp) for a smooth bung top flush with the deck and try to avoid sanding, it will remove even more material. No silicone or 5200, no matter how tempting it is - it will thoroughly b*ggar up the next repair.

Longstory, what happened?

Short of re-bedding a window has anybody tried Captain Tolley's penetrating sealant? Captain Tolley - Uses . It looks enticing.

In the UK its called Captain Jolley's Creeping Crack Cure.
I've used it with mixed results, usually temporary, until you can do a permanent repair.
The Captain Tolley's/Jolley's simply buys you time to re-bed the window at a time that suits you.
If it was a permanent solution they'd make a fortune.

As for sliding window tracks, if you are in a damp area moss tends to grow in the felt, if you have that problem the a moss killer from a garden centre will do the job.
Some sliding tracks have a rough canvas type material, this can be removed with long nose pliers before refitting new, try Hopcar or local mobile plant window repair company's to source new and as Xsbank says clean it all thoroughly to remove any wildlife squatters.
If your windows are stiff to slide use a Silicon spray to lubricate the track.