Had a leaking hatch for years - it defied all attempts at a cure, eventually replaced it with a new Gebo one - its wonderful, doesn't leak and looks much better! I think Gebo do one that is completely plug compatible with yours.

If using sealant alone to  reseal for Eg a portlight frame remember never to fully tighten down screws until sealant has cured. Result is you have created a flexible gasket between frame and glassfibre.If you squeeeze too tightly before set you can end up squeesing out most of sealant and poss. leaving bare patches.

Having said that two of mine leak like sieves-yet to be done!

Phil

2 days of torrential rain later no water leaking in through the hatch. Sorted for under fiver. Don't know how long the repair will last, time will tell.

David,

I know it's some time since you fixed your leaky Houdini...

I'm about to have a go....

Did you use any specific silicone sealant ??

Any info appreciated....

You could e mail me on

allegretto@tiscali.co.uk

if you've got a moment!

I resealed the deck to hatch and hatch to surround with seals from Seals + Direct in NewMilton... found the chap there very helpful...

Then put a hose on it and the H2O poured in round the glazing seal....   Ho Hum!

I'm off on a cruise on Friday week so I'm kinda pushed for time !!

At present its got electrical tape round the joint inside and out!!!

Cheers Bob E... 

Hi Bob,

working on the inner side due to the bars on the outside, I removed the catch which was pretty straight forward. On mine there is a thin metal cover on both sides of the catch, carefully remove these and you should see some screws. Remove these and the catch comes away, be careful however because there are 2 small springs inside on each end which should be recovered and re-used. Once the handles or catch is removed you have access to the entire inner seal.

I removed as much as I could, I would think the more removed the better, using a felt cutter stanley blade, the one with the curved edge. I also used penny washers about 2mm or 3mm thick to maintain a gap between the frame and the glass. Once I had cleaned out as much of the old seal as I could I used: 

Cerafix Trade Multi Purpose Silicone Sealant (translucent)

from Band Q.  I filled the gap leaving the washers in place, covered the hatch with a taped on bin bag, on the outside to protect from rain for 2 days then removed the washers and filled the gap left by them with the same sealant, again left the hatch covered for 2 days to allow the sealant to cure refitted the catch and

 sorry about this but "bobs you uncle" sorted for very little money, not much effort.

 No leaks to date and believe me it has been tested.

Hope you found this helpful. In all about 2 hours work but 4 days to allow the sealant to cure.

 Cheers

David

Cerafix is my cure all-even buy it by the box full at trade prices-hatches;boat and house windows;slipping slates;no nails fixings-skirtings,studding(with nails/screws as well);sticking nuts into sockets for arkward places;securing battens to problematic walls where screws dont hold well;around baths,sinks and showers.

Usually low modulus-least elastic version which sets like a medium rubber seal.

Phil

Thanks for all that info Dave,

I actually decided to have a go before I received your comprehensive reply..

So I used the remnants of a tube which was used when we had an induction hob fitted ( flush) into our granite worktop... The stuff is called "Silirub MA"  and is recommended for use with Marble etc... Anyway it's a blend of Butyl rubber and silicone and comes in various colours.  I looked at the seal round the hob and it looked good and slightly flexible so I've used it

Took your original advice and dug out what I could of the old stuff and found that the glass was really close to the upper lip but quite a long way from the lower flange...Anyway I masked up both top and bottom.... Took off the closing catch and handles... and then, using a frame and a licked finger filled the gaps as best I could...

Again as you suggested, I covered the thing with polythene and masking tape and left it for the obligatory two days !!!

Yesterday found a couple of small voids at the corners so refilled them and replaced all the mechanism and clips..

Should have made a note of the spring dimensions  but forgot my vernier so it'll have to wait till next time.

I have actually tried to get some spare springs which are, I find, a pain  went to a firm in New Milton  Southern Springs ( from whom I used to purchase large quantities when I was Chief Buyer for Sadia back in the 70's) but they couldn't help... Someone somewhere must make them !!!

Next time if there is one I'll space the glass evenly prior to sealing it into the channel...

Hope I don't have to tho' !!!

Thanks again and Cheers Bob E... 

Paul,

I also saw that solution  but by sewing skills are not upto the gaze of the public!!!

Been trying to get my famly to make a cover for the Autohelm but they don't seem to want to know..

Might try an oversize condom over the piston end of the thing and adhesive tape over the cover seal??

I really think that water ingress is what causes most Autohelm/Tiller pilot failure..

Cheers Bob E...

Hi Paul,Bob, In User Reviews you will see some discussion upon tiller pilot water ingress. If and when a tiller pilot is out of warranty i would open it up and dry it out similar to my notes below taken from User Review . Scotty

My 18 month old Raymarine ST2000+ tiller pilot ceased to work on my departure from Cherbourg to Alderney when the readout went blank, it also made a squealing noise and failed to operate. So we hand steered some of the way and let the Monitor Vane do the rest. When opened up the ST2000 was very damp inside with corrosion on all parts including the circuit board. I spent an hour with it open, held under a hand drier in the gents loo and then brushed off the dry corroded powder from the electronics and slide arms and gear; carefully sprayed some moving parts with WD40 and others like the gears and worm drive with light oil being careful not to spray the electronics and rubber drive band; vaselined the case seal and put it back together. I also put a plug of grease up the fixing arm where it pivots and a smear of grease on the arm which goes out to the tiller to try and prevent further ingress. An hour later it 'fired up' as normal but it would have been annoying not to have had it at times for the rest of the trip. 
I used to take my old one home each time and put it in the airing cupboard to air but was told by some ‘expert’ that it could dry out any lubrication inside. There was no evidence of any lubrication at all in my new one.(?)

Raymarine replaced new for old, no questions asked just inside the warranty. I have put a plug of grease up the fixing arm where there is a large opening and a light smaer of grease on the extending arm to help seal.

Scotty

Scotty,

I agree absolutly with your comments ......But  I think that if one could actuallt stop the water getting into the working parts the things would last much much longer..

Treating a "cause" instead og an "effect" etc..!

I've had total failures and also what can best be described as " mental aberations" when the unit suddenly steerd me 30 deg to port and then slowly came back on course..

raymarine have always put the faults down to water ingress..

I know that each time the rod is extended there must be a small partial vacuum in the unit which will suck in moisture laden salty sea air! 

So I'd like to really seal the piston end and the mount end in some way....If you look at the actual pison rod seal and compare it with for example the seals at the "live" end of a hydraulic ram you'll see the the autohelm system is really NBG..

Surely we should move this topic into a new thread  .. We're Hijacking the one on hatch sealing !!!  How do we do that???

Cheers Bob E....