FLT CREW OF B737-200 MISCOMMUNICATED REGARDING ALT CLRNC WHEN COCKPIT WINDOW PRESSURE LEAK MAKES NORMAL COM IMPOSSIBLE. CLB ABOVE CLRED ALT AS A RESULT.

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I WAS THE CAPT AND PNF. TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL. UPON CLBOUT; A LOUD PRESSURE LEAK APPARENTLY DEVELOPED IN THE FO'S R WINDOW. THIS NOISE CONTINUED TO BUILD. I RECONFIRMED HDG AND AIRSPD CLRNCS WITH CLT DEP CTL. I USED MY R HAND AND EXTENDED FINGER TO MAKE VISUAL EMPHASIS TO THE PF WHEN ATC GAVE US AN INSTRUCTION. ATC ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO CLB TO 14000 FT. I READ BACK THE CLRNC. PNF AND PF USED THE DOUBLE POINT METHOD TO CONFIRM 14000 FT. BY NOW; I WAS CUPPING MY HANDS OVER MY HEADSET TO MAKE SURE I COULD HEAR ATC. I WAS ALSO CUPPING MY BOOM MIKE WHEN I XMITTED TO ATC. ATC ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN TO 270 DEGS. I READ BACK THE CLRNC AND USED MY R HAND WITH AN EXTENDED FINGER TO MAKE THE POINT TO THE PF. I BELIEVE WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 10000 FT AT THIS TIME. ATC ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN L 250 DEGS AND TO INTERCEPT HARAY. I WAS CUPPING MY HANDS OVER MY HEADSET TO HEAR THE INSTRUCTIONS. I READ BACK 'L 2-5-0...HARAY' TO ATC. I THEN RAISED MY R HAND FROM MY HEADSET AND STATED; 'L 2-5-0 HARAY.' I DID NOT LOOK AT THE FO OR THE MCP. I CALLED ATC TO RECONFIRM THE SPD RESTR ON THE DEP. ATC CONFIRMED 280 KTS. I THEN WENT HEADS DOWN TO THE PDC AND SET 280 IN THE MANUAL CLB PAGE. THE ACFT WAS LIGHT (87000 LBS) AND WAS CLBING AT 4000 FPM OR BETTER. ATC THEN CALLED AND ENGAGED US IN A DISCUSSION REGARDING OUR ALT CLRNC. HE ASKED WHAT ALT WE WERE CLRED TO. I LOOKED AT THE MCP AND SAW FL250 DIALED IN THE ALT WINDOW. BUT THE '5' LOOKED LIKE A '3' AND I READ BACK FL230. THE CTLR ASKED 'WHO GAVE YOU THAT CLRNC?' I SAID THAT THE LAST CLRNC GAVE US THE CLRNC. HE SAID HE WAS THE LAST CTLR. THERE WAS A PAUSE IN THE CONVERSATION AND HE SAID WE WERE NOW IN CTR AIRSPACE. WHILE THIS CONVERSATION WAS TAKING PLACE; I INTERVENED ON THE MCP TO STOP THE CLB. I ASKED THE CTLR WHAT ALT HE WANTED US TO BE AT. HE SAID 14000 FT. I CONFIRMED 14000 FT AND SET THE MCP TO 14000 FT AND POINTED TO THE MCP ALT WINDOW WITH THE FO USING THE DOUBLE POINT METHOD. WE RECEIVED THE AMENDED CLRNC TO OUR CURRENT ALT; WHICH I THINK WAS 17000 FT. AS THE ACFT PRESSURIZED; THE LOUD NOISE DISSIPATED AND COCKPIT NOISE LEVELS BECAME NORMAL. ATC THEN HANDED US OFF TO ZTL AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. UPON ARR IN ATLANTA; WE WERE MET BY MAINT WHO INFORMED US THAT THE WINDOW SEAL ON THE ACFT WAS BAD; THAT THE WINDOW HAD BEEN REPLACED ON JAN/WED/04; AND THAT THE NEW WINDOW SEAL HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP FOR A PRESSURE LEAK ON FEB/WED/04.