Rebedding stanchions

[Scott Berger]

I have a 1987 Pearson 33. The life line stanchions have never been rebedded. I removed one them yesterday and I found some sort of gasket material between the stanchion and the deck. Does anyone know what this stuff is and where I can get more? Also, although the material that extended beyond the stanchion base was dry and crumbling, the material under the base appeared quite fresh. Does that mean it does not need to be replaced?
Thanks for your help.

 

[RON20406]

I have a 1987 Pearson 33. The life line stanchions have never been rebedded. I removed one them yesterday and I found some sort of gasket material between the stanchion and the deck. Does anyone know what this stuff is and where I can get more? Also, although the material that extended beyond the stanchion base was dry and crumbling, the material under the base appeared quite fresh. Does that mean it does not need to be replaced?
Thanks for your help.

Scott, I don't know what a marine chandlery would call it, but I use rubber plumbling gasket material which is an orange/ red and available at any hardware store. Pearson used a white gasket which I have never seen for sale.The reason it crumbled at the edge is that it was not trimmed sufficiently when it was originally installed. I would cut a new gasket. I generally use 1/8" or 3/16" and cut it slightly smaller than the base of the stanchion so that when the stanchion is torqued you have minimal, if any, trimming to do. I use a dremel to punch the holes in the gasket and then coat each side of the gasket and the deck surface with 5200. If you outline the base of your stanchion with masking tape(leaving an 1/8" gap) you can smooth the 5200 with your finger around the base for a clean look and after its has tacked, remove the tape for a perfect line. The purpose of the gasket is to allow movement of the stanchion without overstressing the fiberglass substrata. I have used this method for 20 years and it is bulletproof. While you're at it, why not enlarge your bolt holes and fill them with thickened epoxy for a perfect installation? Good Sailing, Ron

 

[Scott Berger]

Ray, thanks for the advice. I found a website, rigrite.com, that sells pre-cut and pre-drilled gaskets that they claim were used by Pearson, though they are black, not white. Anyway, given how good the gasket material under my stanchion looked, I wonder whether I need to rebed them at all. Again, thanks for your help, Scott