I'm currently trying to replace the gaskets in my 1980 Beckson ports.
Someone posted here when I asked last fall about this that they got
gaskets from Beckson that were way too big and Beckson was
unresponsive.

I found Beckson as responsive as you could wish. They identified my
ports and sent me a whole new set for the boat. A pleasure doing
business with them. The gaskets were way larger but they were softer
and the rep assured me it was only because mine were flattened by 26
years of use.

I tried putting in the new gaskets today. It's a bit like core to
core splicing. It can be done but the instructions are not the whole
story.

Once the gaskets were in, it became clear that they are way, way, too
large. I can't even get the dogs on after leaning on the covers so
hard the cabin creaks. They are not going to "break in" to usability.

I've emailed Beckson. I expect them to be quite forthcoming based on
past exchanges. If any Beckson users want to follow this little drama
for their reference, please let me know and I'll put something on my
web site about it. Otherwise, I won't bore the rest of you with it
further.

--

Roger Long

Hey, Roger (original left below for reference), and group,

I have a complete set of new gaskets for our Becksons, and only recently got
the instruction set, which would have made the installation of the only one
I installed, worse, in colder weather, much more difficult! :{))
Fortunately, I have 13 others to do, and the instructions should make it
enormously easier.

Back to the first one...

However, I did get it on. Like you, I found the gasket enormous to the gap
it covered.

In my case, it was a 4-dog 6x14. I wound up having to start with the side
dogs to even get the bottom dogs to engage. After that, I was very nervous
about the amount of pressure I was putting on the pane, as the dogs are
molded into it, and too much pressure, I was sure, would break them off.

However, slowly, and over time, I did, indeed, get it to mold to the point
where there's still lots of resilience, but it closes fully and securely.

YMMV but I'd bet that in warmer weather, you'd succeed. Do you have a means
to warm the area substantially (without overheating, of course)?

--
L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Believe me, my young friend, there is *nothing*-absolutely nothing-half so
much worth doing as simply messing, messing-about-in-boats; messing about in
boats-or *with* boats.
In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's
the charm of it.
Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your
destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get
anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in
particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and
you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not."

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
I'm currently trying to replace the gaskets in my 1980 Beckson ports.
Someone posted here when I asked last fall about this that they got
gaskets from Beckson that were way too big and Beckson was unresponsive.

I found Beckson as responsive as you could wish. They identified my ports
and sent me a whole new set for the boat. A pleasure doing business with
them. The gaskets were way larger but they were softer and the rep
assured me it was only because mine were flattened by 26 years of use.

I tried putting in the new gaskets today. It's a bit like core to core
splicing. It can be done but the instructions are not the whole story.

Once the gaskets were in, it became clear that they are way, way, too
large. I can't even get the dogs on after leaning on the covers so hard
the cabin creaks. They are not going to "break in" to usability.

I've emailed Beckson. I expect them to be quite forthcoming based on past
exchanges. If any Beckson users want to follow this little drama for
their reference, please let me know and I'll put something on my web site
about it. Otherwise, I won't bore the rest of you with it further.

--

Roger Long

On Sun, 02 Apr 2006 17:57:56 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

Otherwise, I won't bore the rest of you with it
further.

Don't leave us in suspense, please post the outcome here.

"Skip Gundlach" skipgundlach at gmail dotcom wrote

YMMV but I'd bet that in warmer weather, you'd succeed. Do you have
a means to warm the area substantially (without overheating, of
course)?

Yes, but that extension cord is going to get pretty long and heavy if
it's going to reach as far as Newfoundland I'm already in Maine.
There will be plenty of August nights no warmer than it was today.

--

Roger Long

I've got to tell you, companies don't come any more reasonable or
responsive than Beckson. My Sunday email was answered before coffee
time this morning and about two screens long. I had a nice chat with
the fellow this afternoon.

They assure me that the gasket I sent them a picture of came out of
the same extruding machine as the new ones. It's hard but, I believe
them.

Out of about a 1000 gasket sets sold, they run across about 10 that,
through a combination of materials variation and condition of the old
ports, create the problems I described. The keep a bunch in a set of
windows slowly being squeezed for when these problems are encountered.
They are just sending me out a new set and I'll send the old ones
back.

It doesn't get any better than this folks. Anything I can buy from
this outfit, I will. Suggest you do the same.

--

Roger Long



"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 02 Apr 2006 17:57:56 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

Otherwise, I won't bore the rest of you with it
further.

Don't leave us in suspense, please post the outcome here.

On Mon, 03 Apr 2006 18:34:33 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

The keep a bunch in a set of
windows slowly being squeezed for when these problems are encountered.
They are just sending me out a new set and I'll send the old ones
back.

It doesn't get any better than this folks. Anything I can buy from
this outfit, I will. Suggest you do the same.

Pre-squeezed gaskets, I'll be darned.

It doesn't get any better than that.

On Sun, 02 Apr 2006 17:57:56 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

I'm currently trying to replace the gaskets in my 1980 Beckson ports.
Someone posted here when I asked last fall about this that they got
gaskets from Beckson that were way too big and Beckson was
unresponsive.

I found Beckson as responsive as you could wish. They identified my
ports and sent me a whole new set for the boat. A pleasure doing
business with them. The gaskets were way larger but they were softer
and the rep assured me it was only because mine were flattened by 26
years of use.

I tried putting in the new gaskets today. It's a bit like core to
core splicing. It can be done but the instructions are not the whole
story.

Once the gaskets were in, it became clear that they are way, way, too
large. I can't even get the dogs on after leaning on the covers so
hard the cabin creaks. They are not going to "break in" to usability.

I've emailed Beckson. I expect them to be quite forthcoming based on
past exchanges. If any Beckson users want to follow this little drama
for their reference, please let me know and I'll put something on my
web site about it. Otherwise, I won't bore the rest of you with it
further.

I have a 5 x 12" opening Beckson port for my head that I am using to
replace a fixed port. I will likely be installing it this week, so I
will follow this with interest.

I just replaced three fixed portlights after 33 years (not me...all
the P.O.s). Don Casey's instructions in Hull and Deck Repair worked
for me, and if you are on the Great Lakes and merely replacing 1/8"
Plexiglas or Lexan portlights on a C&C or a similar boat, I recommend
a simple 3/8" bead of 50 year silicon sealant instead of butyl tape in
the aluminum frames.

The stock C&C/CS "grey" window gasketing works better around radiuses
corners if you heat in a bucket of hot water first. It takes working
in, but it's far more malleable.

I post this because this is just about the time of year many inshore
sailors in the North do this job.

R.