Leaking Portals

welshwind · #1 (**permalink**) 10-27-2008

I have a 1998 Beneteau with Lewmar portals (at least, that's what brand I think they are).

This weekend when we went up to pull the boat out and put it on the hard (a sad day, for sure), we had three portals which clearly had leaked water. There had been a lot of rain - some of it driving rain - since we were last up at the boat. Fortunately, it didn't do any permanent damage to the wood work.

So, does anyone have any insight into this sort of issue? This is our first big boat, we've had it about six years, and have not run into these issues before. Any thoughts/advice as to how to proceed would be appreciated.

sailingdog · #2 (**permalink**) 10-27-2008

Welsh-

Are you talking about hatches—which are generally horizontally mounted, portlights—which are generally vertically mounted and open, or deadlights, which can be either but do not open.

If the driving rain was driven by high enough winds... it could just be a matter of adjusting the dogs on the hatches or replacing the gasket on them. Without more information, it is hard to say. However, I'd try adjusting the dogs first, since the gaskets may have become a bit more compressed over time and that is why the water is getting by them now.

arf145 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-27-2008

Well, this is confusing. Judging by our boat, I thought that ports were supposed to leak--I mean, they do it so well.

Really, though if we are talking about opening portlights, if the leak is through the seal/gasket, check to make sure it is nice and clean and plastic/glass it seals against is clean as well. If the leak is around the non-opening part, that's more depressing.

welshwind · #4 (**permalink**) 10-28-2008

Oops ... When I heard the word used, I thought it was Portal. Looking things up, it is Porthole. I'm not talking about the hatches (which lie horizontal) but the portholes (which sit vertical).

sailingdog · #5 (**permalink**) 10-28-2008

Did you try adjusting the dogs on the portholes??? if not, try that first, since it is a very likely cause and cheap to fix.

arf145 · #6 (**permalink**) 10-28-2008

So getting back to your original question of how to proceed, you need to figure where the water is coming in: around the frame or past the gasket. Since it's three of them and you seem to be implying that this is a new occurrence, I'd figure it was the gasket/"glass" seal and go simple like Sailingdog said and adjust the dogs for a nice tight fit--and make sure the gasket surface isn't dirty. And make sure that whoever closes them up when you leave is doing it correctly