2006/2007 SS Ports

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DickTuschick
skipper
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Posts: 98
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2008 3:38 pm

2006/2007 SS Ports

Post by DickTuschick »

Hi Folks,
For those of us with 2006 and 2007 model year boats we have SS ports offered by Bowmar.
They are excellent ports but as they age some may encounter leaking problems that can lead to a more significant failure of the port.
Bear with me as this is a long story.....
The way the ports are manufactured, the port plexiglass is pressed outboard onto a stout rubber gasket by three black arms. As that gasket ages it may allow water get behind it and when that happens the water runs down and settles in a basin under the gasket. This basin is formed when they weld the outside SS trim onto the port component that holds the plexiglass and also becomes fixed to the inner retention ring that holds the port in place.
So....as that basin fills up with water it may (and usually does) come out thru the interior retention ring screws. A slightly bigger problem can occur as the weld that holds the outer SS trim to the base unit rusts and fails from the inside out. When this happens the outside SS trip can no longer be "pulled" into the inside retention ring. It appears that only the bottom portion of the weld rusts and fails, the top portion holds fast. So we are probably not going to see any lost trim rings. However if not addressed the leak and damage will only get worse.
This problem becomes visible when you see significant rust marks on the bottom of your inside retention ring.
To fix this problem.....1. you can replace the entire port at significant cost. OR 2. you can have the outside SS trim re-spot welded to the unit and fill the basin under the gasket with silicone so that a leak has no where to go. Any good welding shop can do the spot welds to repair the unit. You can squeeze silicone into the basin through the screw holes that pull the unit into the inside retention ring until it comes out just under the gasket. Lastly you will probably want to replace all the screws that pull the port into the inside retainer ring as these may be compromised due to rust. When remounting the port in place be sure to use a good flexible sealant between the SS trim ring and the hull.
IMG_4765.jpeg
The attached photo shows how the exterior SS trim ring is separating from the main body of the port.
AlanH
admiral
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Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2016 3:55 pm

Re: 2006/2007 SS Ports

Post by AlanH »

Dick,

Thanks for the detailed explanation. A couple of years ago one of our SS port windows started leaking. I purchased enough replacement gasket material from Bomar to do all the SS port windows. We have not had any problem since. I am hoping we caught it early enough and will not have the more significant problems you are describing. By the way, replacing the gaskets is an easy job.

Alan
Alan Hendry
Catbo
2006 34' Hull #81
75hp engines
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