Prout Owners Association

Nigel, who used to work at Prouts, advised me to try using Arboseal 1081 to bed the windows on to cure the leaks. I contacted Arboseal to order a load of this and spoke to a very helpful guy in technical support who, when he heard the application, said whilst 1081 would do the job 1096 would be better as it had been formulated to stick to perspex, it didn't need a primer and the cleaner, after lightly abraiding the surfaces, was meths which was safe for the perspex. They also did a 6mm thick strip of closed cell foam to use as a spacer to ensure a decent thickness of bed.

The idea was to put the foam strip on, loosely fit the windows, and then squirt the 1096 in. Fine in theory, but not in my practice! I ended up putting the foam on, around the inside edge of the bed, then laying on the 1096 to the depth and width of the bed required, and then putting the windows on and only lightly bolting them up - leaving the final tightening to until the stuff had gone off. Have done 2 windows so far, both the side ones, and so far no leaks! But, it's a very messy job (gets everywhere!) and you have to work very fast as the stuff starts to 'skin' over after about 5 minutes, which is not long enough.

Hope this helps anyone with windows that leak............

Regards, ChrisH

hi, what was the problem with the first method which I assume meant (a)putting on the foam as a spacer (b)loosely fitting window(c) injecting with a skeleton gun the mastic and smoothing edges (d) after curing a final tighten up, I will be doing the side windows on my snowgoose in spring, the front windows I used a strip type mastic with non stick taape each side which I applied to boat then carefully positioned window, the size of side windows makes this a bit of a gamble so your suggestion mighjt be the answer. Bill S 'Zoar'

Hi. The problem as I saw it was injecting the sealant with the windows in place. I felt the width of the sealant bed was too wide to be sure of injecting the sealant all the way across, plus, how could I inject along the bottom of the window - there was just not enough room under the window to get the sealant gun in. So I went for method two as it were. Worked, but you have to work at the speed of light applying the sealant and getting the window on before it skins up too much, plus it's very messy!! You need to mask off along the coachroof around the window. Methelated spirits was a good cleaner - provided you got to it before it had cured.

Regards, ChrisH

After 15 years of trying to stop the 'sexy' wrap arounds on my 1994 Escale leaking I have resorted to the final solution - take 'em out and fibreglass the whole lot. This is being done as i type. I plan to fit two forward-opening hatches. This will, of course, cut down the visibiity and light but at least I can sleep in the master-stateroom again. I now just have to figure out how to fix the water damage to the woodwork caused by the leaks.

Hi Peter - seems like an extreme solution you're going for there! I still haven't done the forward two windows with the black sticky stuff yet but I did run a bead along the top and side edges as a temporary measure which seems to be working.

The two side windows (which poured in rain water) which I did properly (I hope) seems to be working OK so far, no leaks as yet, and a much dryer boat - fingers being kept crossed and wood being touched - but as you say, how to restore the damaged woodwork, that is the question.

ChrisH

Chris,

Thanks for your reply. I agree, pretty radical but I'm not the first. A friend of mine in Hong Kong did his elderly Snowgoose 12 years ago.

The problem I have is that in the tropics the sealant goes off very quickly. When the boat was new in Hong Kong Bob Dempsey came over to commission her. They (of course) weren't interested in a return visit so far when they started leaking a few weeks later. They eventually shipped new windows (which, again unsurprisingly for Prout) were the wrong size!

Then a new Prout 50 arrived and Prout were all over it. They sent engineers over to fix their windows and did mine at the same time. The expansion and contraction out here is so extreme that nothing seems to work. I've done the job myself twice over the past 10 years, using whatever was available. A friend suggested using neoprene from an old wetsuit as a gasket. Not sure if that would work. I might try it on the side windows after the front is sorted.

Any suggestions from the forum would be gratefully received.

pete

Hi Peter,
I can imagine the problems of expansion you experience out there in the hot sun.

On my boat the side windows are long and narrow - I think from memory between 1.5 and 2 metres long - and being 'smoked' dark and 10 mm thick they expand like crazy over here in cool UK in the summer, when we have one. Usually only lasts a couple of days, but that's another tale. The first fitment when the windows were replaced used the black stuff far too thin, so it just sheared. We then used a 6 mm thick closed cell neoprene foam on a self adhesive backing, but when the sun heated it up the glue melted and the foam was pulled all over the place. We tried that twice before going for the thick black gungy stuff again with a min thickness of 6 mm when done up, and with a good fillet bead around the top and sides. If we ever get any more hot weather here I will look with interest as to how it stands up!

Regards, ChrisH

Hello Peter,

i ve seen this old post.

We own a escale 39 with leaking front windows too

Has you realized the fiberglass - wall and built in two separate windows?

If yes, does it work or does the movement of the boat srcatches the "wall"? If yes, do you have pictures or some advise (which windows you took...)

Would be very, very kind!!!!

THANX

Ricchezza