After rinsing the boat down and finding that both opening ports leak somewhere around the gaskets I knew this was a job had to move to the top of the list. Even a small amount of water coming in over time this would not only ruin the wood but also create a musty smell. As of now I believe Prudence is one of the best 2-27's around and we intend to only make it better. This means no leaks. Luckily the leaks hadn't created any damage yet as the wood is still strong and well oiled. Maybe the PO's purposefully kept the hose from blasting the ports.
The first step was to take apart the gaskets and a hard plastic ring that seals the gasket to the frame. Both these items have a "leg" that goes in a groove in the frame and both had dirt on them showing that some water and air were passing at these points. Surprisingly there was no sealant at all. Adding a layer of LifeSeal all around the inside of the hard plastic gasket, a bead on the out side and then finally a layer on the soft gasket leg. The result...no water. What a great feeling it is to blast your ports with the hose and not have it leaking.
Test number two is doing a similar job on the starboard side but I'm going to use butyl putty. I'd like to learn more about it's use. If it works just as well, it may be a better solution both in costs, but also it's easier to clean. If it doesn't work it will be easy enough to clean off and use the LifeSeal again.
The first step was to take apart the gaskets and a hard plastic ring that seals the gasket to the frame. Both these items have a "leg" that goes in a groove in the frame and both had dirt on them showing that some water and air were passing at these points. Surprisingly there was no sealant at all. Adding a layer of LifeSeal all around the inside of the hard plastic gasket, a bead on the out side and then finally a layer on the soft gasket leg. The result...no water. What a great feeling it is to blast your ports with the hose and not have it leaking.
Test number two is doing a similar job on the starboard side but I'm going to use butyl putty. I'd like to learn more about it's use. If it works just as well, it may be a better solution both in costs, but also it's easier to clean. If it doesn't work it will be easy enough to clean off and use the LifeSeal again.
