Hi all, As the winter season moves along...small but significant projects get completed...my M17 "Pajarita" now has new portlights! The old lights were probably the original acrylic (in very sturdy extruded aluminum frames). Hazy and crazed, though still intact, but leaking both around the frame to cabin overlap and through the channel that holds the acrylic (also probably the original weatherstrip, which was dry and hard and not sealing any more). Took 'em out. Nasty gooey smeary black gunk of some kind had to be cleaned off parts of the opening in the cabin and the aluminum frame. Presumably the original sealing goo, frame-to-cabin. Opened up the frames, pulled out the old acrylic, verified the weatherstrip was dry & hard & defunct. Took 'em to a local specialty window/glass/plastics shop. They recommended 1/4" laminated glass ("safety glass") instead of acrylic or polycarbonate. Said with such small rigid frames and that kind of glass, risk of cracking from flexing was essentially zero. And no need to try and find suitable weatherstrip, with 1/4" glass instead of the old 3/16" acrylic the channel was just right width to hold the glass with an edge seal of silicone. They did a sloppy job on the edge sealing the first round, and only did one side, though the guy that wrote up the order said both sides would be sealed. So I said that won't do & they did re-did the sealing, much better & both sides. Then during mild spells of dry weather I put the port and later the starboard side back in place, sealed against cabin exterior with butyl tape. Now I have water-tight (tested in multiple rainy spells since re-installation), very clear, clean, bright, unscratched & highly scratch resistant (compared to acrylic or polycarbonate) portlights. Looks better outside, feels & lights better inside. Ahhh.... cheers, John S. -- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design -------------------------------------------- - Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com