April 3, 2014

Installing the last of the bronze ports turned out to be a bit more of a saga than I would have liked.  While the filling and fairing of the old opening was no worse than the slog I anticipated, after a very careful job of cleaning and resealing the new (used) port, it leaked when tested prior to installation.   It turned out that I had been too conservative in the amount of silicone sealant I used in my effort to keep it all neat and tidy.  When I disassembled the port to start over again, I found several gaps around the glass.  The second time around I made sure I used enough sealant to squeeze out in a yucky mess.  After cleaning up all the excess yuck, it looked pretty tidy anyway.  And it didn’t leak!

Several days of occasional showers this week delayed the installation of the port.   Couldn’t be cutting holes in the cabin with the threat of rain, after all.  So, I turned inward and did a bit of trim work in the area where the new port will be located.  And while the amount of rain wasn’t enough for a severe test, there were no signs of any leaks from the dorade vents I recently repaired.   A good week all-in-all.