This may seem an odd question but I was wondering if anyone knows if there is any wood in the structure of a 1994 Carver 440. Why?? Well I noticed I have a small leak under a window frame in the salon and if I caulk it from the inside then where would the water go?? Hopefully outside but if not could it weep into the hull and if there is any wood then possible rot issues. Having owned older Tolly's I have found wood under the fiberglass .actually between fiberglass layers. I am also going to have sunbrella window covers made to protect the windows from the elements including water intrusion. I hate leaky boats !! The leak appears to be coming from between the window frame and the fiberglass it is mounted to. Thanks for any help !!
I can't believe that someone doesn't have the answer !! I posted this a week ago and there has not been one response.....someone must have some insight !!
I am not a Carver guy. Maybe/maybe not a few Carver experts here. Wood coring is nothing out of the ordinary. On vertical planes, I would think not but again, I am not a Carver guy. However, I ask, Have you asked the factory yet? Carver Yachts
wood in hull I did call Carver. The person I spoke with said that he wasn't sure but he thought the bedding for the screws for the window frames could be would but any structure would be fiberglass.
I have a 1987 3607, I've replaced or re-bedded all my hatches and port lights, Carver used plywood on this model. I'd re-bed that port light if you use Tolley on the inside you'll force the water between the f-glass.
this link references a solid fiberglass hull on the 440 as opposed to the 36 Aft Cabin review which references a fiberglass hull cored with balsa wood. For what it's worth... http://www.powerboatguide.com/Free_Access_files/Carver 440:445 Aft Cabin.pdf
the link showed the 440/445 sales spec. And a 3607 doesn't have a cored bottom. The sides are cored as is almost all Carvers the 440/445 also. Drill a hole in her, you'll fine balsa and most likely plywood around openings.
So pop one off and look for sure... Since the factory has not the $^&s to answer your question. Everybody else is offering a compare to their model and nobody knows for sure. Pop it and tell us what you find. Bedding or crack seal from the outside would be a better plan also.
The windows on a 440 should be a very easy fix to rebed. Unscrew the frame on the outside and pull it outward. Clean, re bed, screw back in. No sense in putting a band aid fix on it, it will only do it again. All boats need something re bed at some point, just stay ahead of it.
I'll check it out .... Thanks for all the input....I'm heading up to the boat tomorrow and will look at the frame. My thought is that the leak is in the window track itself. In order to get to the track the glass would have to come out ....I believe....Carver did mention that I would probably have to use a jack to separate the frame slightly since the fly bridge over 17 years has compressed the frame....thoughts ????
Highly doubt it is in the track itself. Mine leaked for about 2 weeks before I re-bed it. The water was coming in at the top of the frame and trickling down the side of the window frame with the drip ending up on the bottom. Took me a while to figure out exactly what was going on. I taped off the top, sides and bottom of the frame and hit it with direct water from a hose at full blast. No leaks, then I removed the bottom section of tape again no leaks. Removed the side portion, no leaks. Removed the top edge and there was the leak slowly flowing down the angled edge of the frame and coming out of the bottom on the inside of the window. For what its worth, my sides where my windows are was just solid fiberglass, no wood or coring at all in the salon at least.
Rb480 Thanks..... Do you have a 440???? What year???? My frame itself gathers water outside as well as inside. I cleaned the track drains. It seems like an odd design to me where water collects on the inside as well and then relies on the drains. Did you have to use any special tools / jacks to get your windows or frames out ??
I have a 1994 370 Aft. One of my friends has done this on his 1995 440 though and said it was just as straightforward.
Thanks again Thanks again ,,,,, I will look at the windows tomorrow ....you have a great help ....I'm glad to hear there is no wood backing for the frame ....one less thing to deal with !!
Windows I checked my windows....the aft windows in the main salon had frames that could be removed by unscrewing the outer portion, but the forward windows did not have any screws ..... Different method of removing them ????
I'm thinking those frames have screws that old them on inside the tracks. However I've never seen one leak and I believe that window is sitting on top of a gel coated surface and has no way to leak internally inside the boats structure. You should be able to seal that window from inside and out.
Thanks Thanks for the info .....any particular sealer you recommend?? I've been using 3m. 4000 or 5200. ??
4000 works great and doesn't yellow like 4200 can. And I'd never use 5200 topside due to it's a pain to remove and yellows fast.