Spent an hour or so today pulling ports in preparation for cabin top sanding and paint prep. I had pulled one of the opening ports a few years ago when I started the project so I knew how beefy those were, but I didn't realize how heavy the solid bronze frames on the fixed portlights were. I was really surprised when I took out the last screw and I felt their full weight. Now that I know how they were put together, I can say with some certainty that many of the leaks I had below decks were not necessarily from the soggy deck itself. The fixed portlights were sealed with a thin (and very brittle) bead of silicone that no doubt leaked. However, I never saw a drop of water around the ports and now realize that all the water from every rainstorm or errant sea leaked in through the bad silicon bead and in between the cabin top structure and the inner headliner, where it would percolate down to the lowest point of the headliner which is near the hull deck joint. Now I know...
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