Lewmar Port Gaskets

[mikewright]

Just finished successfully re-bedding and installing new seals on a couple of Lewmar ports.

Removing the previous bedding material was a PITA, but critical to getting a good fit for the new Lewmar seals that went in. Do not damage the plastic spacers!

Found the trick to fitting the Lewmar seals was to:
- cut them (where they were originally fused together); trying to fit them as a continuous piece is impossible!
- dry fit them using a hard plastic handle/leaver (any device that you can exert pressure wit will do)
- start at the top and slowly/firmly press/squeeze the seal/arrow into the frame channel using the leaver; push even harder around the corners while exerting pressure from the free end, back towards that which has been inserted/afixxed
- wet test: if dry or water leaks from the plastic spacers or the seal connect point, you're probably OK (I had some leakage around the plastic spacer- added a dab of silicon at installation & found that the Lewmar frame, which has some flex when out, snugs in tight when rebedded)
- for final seal installation, run a bead of silicon around the arrow seal slot & surface where the seal will sit and where the seal ends meet, with portlight open (I used BoatLife Silicon); once seal is in, close portlight to squeeze out excess silicon

Rebedded the frames and all is good - no leaks!!

Hope this makes sense & helps....

Hey Kerry. Thanks for you thoughts on re-bedding your lewmar ports. I'm doing all 8 ports and the 4 main salon windows on my 1987 Ericson 34. The seals on the ports are challenging. You are the first person I've read that has cut the seal. I can imagine after working on my first one today that cutting them would be easier. But I'm curious if you had leakage or did you rejoin the seal with silicon. Wasn't there a gap in the seal that would naturally let in water? I'm scared to cut it. Thanks.

 

[Loren Beach]

Strictly "FWIW" after removing all of our '88 Lewmar ports with their fiddly little O rings for each little turn-lever, and replacing them, I am more pleased than ever with starting over with new opening ports.
I did have to slightly enlarge the cutout, but that's a lot better than trying to shrink it.

The new/improved Lewmar latch design is way better. They all seal tight with zero leaks, and because of the newer design there are less parts to leak.

Atlantic Portlight - Thin Valance | Lewmar

www.lewmar.com

When you add up your time (or someone else's time (your $), it's a pretty good deal IMHO.

Look around for a friend with a wholesale account with Fisheries or WM, to lower the price quite a bit. Sometimes you can talk to a smaller chandler about placing an order thru them for their cost plus 10%. I have done that, over the years.

 

[Marlin Prowell]

We have an Ericson 34, and I replaced all 7 opening portlights with the current Lewmar Size 1 portlights. The original lenses had UV crazing so bad you could not see out the portlight, and the turn lever latches would leak. These new portlights are the exact same size as the old style portlights installed in 1987. I removed each old portlight, frame and all, and replaced with new. No cutting necessary. These are not as expensive as the Atlantic Portlights but they still cost $100 more than what I paid two years ago.

I found that the leaks in the fixed portlights in the main cabin were only between the glass and the aluminum frame. The seal between the aluminum frame and the fiberglass hull was still sound. The glass was sealed to the aluminum frame with silicone which by now had turned chalky white. I was able to pull out the remaining silicone in long stretchy threads. I cleaned out the crud in the channel, and resealed with new silicone. This fixed all the fixed portlight leaks.