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Leak near main cabin port lights on E32

9K views 24 replies 9 participants last post by  Dispatch 
#1 ·
Hi - I recently purchased a 1981 E32 an have found a leak somewhere near the starboard center port lights in the main cabin. Has anyone had a similar issue? I am planning on replacing the Beckson port light seals first and then move on from there. Any thoughts or ideas on where to look? Thanks, Cal
 
#2 ·
The Beckson ports on my friends E32 of similar vintage are in terrible shape and leak as well. His are beyond repairing and need to be replaced.
This is one of the few items on the E32 that is a poor design choice. The Beckson ports are cheap plastic affairs that do not inspire "blue water" confidence in the least. Yours have lasted over 30 years which I suspect is longer than they were expected to. You can get replacement Beckson ports and seals but ...

At least one E32 owner here (Mario) has replaced the Beckson ports with New Found Metals ports. An expensive proposition and a big-ish job but an upgrade worthy of a blue water boat.

All your port lights are suspect to leakage (5 on each side).
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the reply. I am going to try replacing the starboard side seals and see if that helps.
I also noticed a slight gap between the toe rail and deck which looks like it as caulked some time ago. Do you think this could be a source of the leak? I was planning on caulking that also once the weather warms up.
I am not familiar with the construction methods on how the hull and deck are joined - do you have any info you could share on this?
Thanks again - Cal
 
#4 ·
Hi- It's probably the toe rail AND the port.... Also could be the hand hold fittings (especially for the more forward Beckson port)- we had some water running down from that one- just enough to leak around and down the ceiling-
 
#5 ·
We recently had to replace the teak side panels inside a E34 because of leaking ports and handrails. Was not fun because of the way the fabric headliner is laid in. We had to replace a section of it along with a zipper and re-tab the settee box back in because of delamination. The cockpit cubbies were also rotting out and had to be cut out, rebuilt and glassed back in.
 
#6 ·
#7 ·
I had leaks coming from the screws that attached the teak trim strip on the cabin trunk above the portlights and from the stanchion bases.....rebedding with butyl tape stopped those. The teak paneling inside the cabin is ruined, and replacing them is one of the items on the to do list for the future!
 
#9 ·
I tried the replacement gaskets from Beckson and they lasted about two years before they started leaking again. I've had to replace the replacements already, so I broke down and bought a set of the Newfound Metals tri-matrix ports at the Miami boat show a while back (now just need to tackle the project of installing them!)
 
#10 ·
Boat is leaking badly this spring not sure if it is stansion toe rail or Wood trim. I have all the interior walls pulled out and I'm waiting for a good rain.

Question what calk did you all use for your Toe rail... I am going to look into tape rig, trim and stansions but I have read about Siko, 5200 and life calk.

Do you want strength or flexibility here.
 
#11 ·
Robbyn - I would use butyl tape from Compass Marine for rebedding the fasteners for the toe rail, wood trim, and stanchions. It's a lot more effective and a lot less messy than the other options, in my opinion.

Good luck - leaks are a PITA!
 
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#13 ·
Hi Robbyn - I just scrapped out and recaulked the toe rails on our E32. I used 3M4000 at the recommendation of my local boat yard. I'll see how well that worked on my leak. I've also noticed the main salon cabin top hatch is leaking also, possibly the source of my leak running across the cabin top underside and down to the port lights, who knows. I didn't tackle replacing the port light seals yet but that's on the short list. Let me know if you find the source of your leak, I'll do the same. Good luck.
Cal
S/V Agave Illusion
1981 Endeavour 32
 
#14 ·
THANKS everyone

CAL I think I may be doing what you did scraping the caulk out and replacing with perhaps Sika or 3M.

I do not know what the tape is all about, so that would be a project just learning about it all in itself. I placed duct tape along my toe rail and screw holes from my Rails from the interior and some next in the doc and then we can start so I now know where to caulk.
 
#15 ·
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#16 ·
The butyl tape seems weird at first but it's really effective, sticky, stretchable. I used it for one port so far and it's been dry where it was a stream previously.

As for leaks, so many possibilities. Water travels.

One thing I've had suggested but gotten to yet is to put a hose over a target area for a long time. Another is to draw lines with a dry erase marker on the interior surfaces. Then re-inspect after rains and the streams of water will show where the ink washes away.
 
#18 ·
Robbyn - here's a link to e Compass Marine site for butyl tape....you can find stuff called butyl tape at building supply places and RV supply stores, but the stuff you find there doesn't have the same stretchy-ness that the tape from Compass has. It's well worth the few extra bucks in my opinion.

***Buy Bed-It Butyl Tape*** Photo Gallery by Compass Marine at pbase.com
 
#19 ·
I agree with Andy. I used RV-store (actually, eBay) butyl because it's what I found when I first searched for it. I rebedded 2 chainplates with it. It looks like I may have a leak in one of the chainplates again (only about a year later), and when I inspected the butyl, I could see that it was dry and cracked in places. The stuff from Compass Marine doesn't seem as likely to shrink and dry out.
 
#21 ·
awahl - thanks for the sketch, that gives me a better idea of how to attack. After recaulking with 3m4000 the leaky area seems dryer but I need to really dry it our with a fan for a day to be sure. I like the dry erase marker idea from Sammyo, I'll try that next time I'm at the boat.
 
#24 ·
I used 3m 4000 as 5200 is a bear to get off if you need to re do it. Caulking the toe rail solved my issue, leak stopped at least for now. make sure you clean it out well - took me over a day for the whole boat and then I wiped down what I could with IPA to help with the adhesion.
 
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