We had some serious rain the past couple of weeks and noticed that both of the larger fixed ports on the port side of Wanderer had some leaking. After some online research and a bit of procrastination, I decided to tackle the project over the long weekend.
Getting the ports out was a little tricky as they were attached with the original foam type weather stripping and a pretty bad silicone caulk a PO had spooged in there. But after some prying, giggling, and cutting with a razor blade they gave way.
Once they were out, cleaning them up became the most time consuming part of the process. Liberal amounts of Goo Be Gone were applied and lots of scraping ensued. Once clean, I had decided on Butyl rubber tape as my method of sealing and bedding the ports. I bought a role at my local Napa for about $23. It was very easy stuff to work with. Certainly a lot easier than my experiences using 5200.
The ports went back in pretty easily and after tightening the inner flange/liner I gave it a pretty good soaking with a hose and found no leaks!
Each port took about an hour and a half, so really not a very time consuming or expensive project as boat projects go. The major part was getting the frame clear of the old sealants and then making sure the goo be gone was properly cleaned up so the butyl could adhere. I was really impressed with the ease of working with the butyl and what I've read about it. I'll definitely keep a role around.