Portlights- Resealing & Reinstalling
Rick Ranno
May, 2007
Hull #: C-380 # 297

After a few years with my C380 [#297], the portlights developed some water leaks. Most were not obvious as to cause. So, after deciding to “dig in”, the first thing I did was to determine that the portlight was leaking and that a dirty or bad window gasket was not the cause. To do this, I removed the plastic trim rings with a screwdriver and applied some powder around the suspected areas. After several days including some rain, drip lines in the powder made it obvious that most leaks were entering via the window-tohull seal or, in this case, lack of seal. The best, long-term way to beat this one is complete portlight removal and re-installation.

First, with the trim ring removed, remove the 10/32 Philips mounting screws. Use a heat gun to help loosen the seal