Window/Port work on Elysium

After a good steady squall through Key West, we discovered that Elysium has a pretty hefty leak in her saloon windows.  After conversations with the fellow Southerly owners across the pond, we determined we were part of the lucky bunch that had inadequate sealant/installation of our glass.

We need to rebed these suckers pronto, so start dispensing more BOAT units to find a repair person.

As I mentioned before we did find a person to do it, and he's been METICULOUS.  Totally against the normal Keys Disease help you find.  So Boat George pulled the first window--which was problematic--to find that it had been rebedded before, but poorly.  So we call the previous owner with a WTF?  He said yes he had it done.

Not very well, it appears.  Our guy discovers after he cleaned it all off that the glass is fitting almost EXACTLY into the cutout it was designed for-which made he and Tim go UUUUUGGGGGGHHHH.

What? What!  So George and my husband (who restored cars in a previous life) explained that if you don't provide a bit of a gap, the sealant can't seal.  Well, duh!  So what do we do?

We need to grind off some of the glass--okay, what do you need I'll go get it.  NOPE.  It's tempered glass, you shouldn't really do that to tempered glass because it can shatter.

Oooooohhhhh.  UUUUUUGGGGGHHHH!

George starts exploring options, he thinks he finds one, but when he takes our window to show the guy, the guy goes UGGGGGGHHHHH, rounded corners?  $$$$$, ain't gonna be what I quoted you. George says, well crap.

Long story short--we finally found somebody that will grind down our tempered windows--they've done it before. Cool.  But they only do it on Fridays.

Finding somebody to do jobwork in the Keys is right up Bob Bitchin's ally--is it an ordeal or an adventure?  We have entertained ourselves with it endlessly--poor George has been our middle man, and he's done well.

George had to cover our window, couldn't leave a gaping hole, so he custom fitted some plywood in there for us.

Elysium looking a little Whisky Tango, renamed her temporarily Ellie Mae.

So, on Friday, the windows were successfully shaved down so that George could work his magic.  And that he did as you see below.

The shim is to allow the window to rest on it, so that sealant can get around the entire window.
Thus, properly embedding it.

Adding sealant.

Right before window is placed.

After window is placed.

Repeating process down below.

After it is done down below.

Check that off our list!