International - radar arch leak

BobCT · Post by **BobCT** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:20 am

Has anyone checked out the gap between the side window and radar arch?
I had a really bad leak last year into the mid cabin locker in the Stb side. It looked like the water was running down the wiring and into the locker right around where the dockside water fill can be seen.

There's a gap and some sort of filler between the glass and the arch that looks like it's from the factory. Well that's shrunken and I think it allows the water to run straight down into the bottom of the arch and into the boat. That might also explain why I'm getting wet balsa weeping out of the bottoms of each arch even though everything up top is sealed.

I can also see part of a screw if I pull on the window a little so I think the window frame and radar arch were fastened together at some point. Not sure what I'm going to do yet but figured I would see what you guys think.

I was thinking maybe 4200 pushed down to try and bond them together and then 4000 to fill the gap on each side. If I can mechanically fasten them together again, that will close the gap a little but probably not critical.

Mike Kulp · Post by **Mike Kulp** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:35 am

I tightened up the radar mounting bolts and filled that gap with 4200 I did it over a period of time with several layers, Also check that your dock side water fitting is not leaking my did this year and I needed to replace it.

koviak · Post by **koviak** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:14 pm

Bob, same issue on mine. I used 4200 to fill the gap last summer. Before that I used boatlife caulk, did not hold to good (shrinkage). Ditto on the fresh water inlet as Mike said mine also leaked.

BobCT · Post by **BobCT** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 8:23 am

ok, then maybe I'm onto something. Did you guys also get any leaks as a result? Dock side fill is new plus it's never used.

On a somewhat related topic, is there anyway to access the bottom 12" or so of the arch from inside the boat, maybe with coaming section removed?

I'm 90% certain this will stop the leak but that lower part of the balsa in the arch is wet and it'll probably drip all year. I'm trying to figure out a way that I can remove the wet wood w/o removing the arch all together. The inside of it is bone dry as far as I can see which is almost the entire thing EXCEPT that last bottom section.

If I can get to it from the backside, I can make an easy repair.

Bob

koviak · Post by **koviak** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 8:56 pm

Bob, short of removing the arch I do not think you can access this bottom part. I removed all panels from the arch last season and resealed all hardware mounts and also sealed where the wiring passed thru to the mid cabin. The locker was so wet on mine I removed all the carpet, dried out and put in rubber flooring mat.

Mike Kulp · Post by **Mike Kulp** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 1:09 pm

Dennis is correct you will have to remove the arch.

RWS · Post by **RWS** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 8:16 am

removal of the horizontal, sound insulated panels behind the coaming allows access to the arch bolts.

If you remove the arch, consider removing all the wood and stiffen her up with aluminum tubing bent to the curve of the arch and then fiberglassed into the arch

use two tubes, running in the leading edge and trailing edge and tie them together with amn aluminum plate at the base ot the arch

once glassed in that arch will be as stiff and secure as a concrete post

mine used to dance when we were in rough water.

no more

RWS