UV probably takes one of the largest tolls on out boat of any one thing not directly attributable to the owner(s). Those of use who keep our boats at 48° north don’t have to deal with it as much as a lot of other people, but even up here, 25 years of sun take a toll. That being said, the portlights and deadlights on Piko had fought a valiant life but they were getting pretty tired…let alone the the sealant and bedding materials that keep these items water-tight. Here is what the pastic looked like before we replaced them.
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The two large hatches were crazed to the point where you could barely see though them, and the smaller hatch in the head had a few cracks in it as well as the crazing. The non-opening deadlights are in the same condition, and while non of the hatches or deadlights leaked, it was time to replace them before heading off shore.
This project is just about the opening hatches, since most of the sealants you use for these don’t like to cure when it is cold, I am going to wait until later in the spring when the weather gets warmer to do the deadlights as I was able to remove the frames from the boat and have the sealant set at my house. Continue reading
TOWARDS THE PACIFIC 