Leaking hatch

[arthurn]

I have a Manship hatch which is leaking where the acrylic glass fits into the frame. I figure I will need to pull the glass out and rebed it with a new gasket and silicone. I would love to hear from someone who has done this before. Specifically how do I get the acrylic glass out of the frame without breaking it.

Arthur

 

[Comodave]

Very carefully. Look at Sika 295UV caulk.

 

[BruceK]

If water is entering between the acrylic glass and the frame, it should be possible to seal the gap between the two without removing the glass. A hatch leak which when I bought my boat had destroyed a sliding timber "blind" under it, all I had to do was reseal between glass and frame ( and remake the sliding blind). Seals contract, or even separate where the join is, it can be quite obvious to close inspection. A matching sealant introduced after taping either side could be a fix. Use of silicone will cause apoplexy in some TFers (eg RT Firefly) but imo the "Roof & Gutter" variety which does not impede paint later on is fine.

 

[Comodave]

The problem is when you use silicone and it leaks again, which is certainly possible, it will be very di To get another sealant to stick where the silicone was. I prefer to remove the “glass” and thoroughly clean all the surfaces and start over with a continuous bead of sealant. I don’t care for silicone but have had excellent results with Sika 295UV for sealing acrylics.