Bedding chainplates

[higgs]

I am rebedding leaking chainplates and ran into the "who cares about the next owner" syndrome. I am guessing my chainplates were bedded with 4200. As my chainplates, which leak, are thru bolted to the hull, I want to rebed everything including the bolts that hold the tangs against the side of the hull so I am removing the entire tang and starting over. The only way I could get the tangs out, because they had been bedded with what I think is 4200, was using a halyard and a winch to pull them out. It took major force on that winch to drag the tangs out. Don't do this kind of thing to those who might buy your boat down the road.

 

[Ross]

You know of course that if they are well enough bolted they won't move. If they don't move then the bedding compound need not be adhesive. In old wooden boats the bedding compound of choice was Dolfinite which was really just a high grade putty for which plumbers putty is often substituted today. Easy to use easy to clean up and easy to reset.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Hey, higgs, what next owner? By then...? I thought we'd both bought our last boat.

 

[higgs]

Ross - chain plates move. That is a given.

Stu: I will sell this boat someday and I don't want thenext owner cursing me.

 

[Rick D]

That's funny, Higgs. You know, I and I'll bet plenty of others here, struggle with that axiom a lot. There are plenty of times I could short cut a project and be perfectly good for a while, but I just can't do it out of respect for the next owner. The PO of my boat did a superb job of maintaining and improving her. That's the least I can do for the next guy or gal.

BTW, I think you meant 5200. Pretty common practice among builders to squirt that stuff all over! Tough luck later...

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Caulk for chain plates

That's funny, Higgs. You know, I and I'll bet plenty of others here, struggle with that axiom a lot. There are plenty of times I could short cut a project and be perfectly good for a while, but I just can't do it out of respect for the next owner. The PO of my boat did a superb job of maintaining and improving her. That's the least I can do for the next guy or gal.

BTW, I think you meant 5200. Pretty common practice among builders to squirt that stuff all over! Tough luck later...

It is not common practice for builders to squirt that stuff all over. 3M's 5200 is an "ADHESIVE" caulk and is considered non removable. It is good for hull to deck joints, hull to keel joints, etc. but for anything you might wish to remove in the future, you don't want to use an adhesive caulk.
Silicone will work fine for chain plates (and by the way, silicone is never used below the waterline).

 

[Rick D]

Re: Caulk for chain plates

Well, they sure squirted it on a lot of other places on my last two boats... :-(

 

[Stu Jackson]

I think, higgs, that if we fix it for ourselves, it'll be done right and will outlast even us AND the next owner(s).

 

[RON20406]

I am rebedding leaking chainplates and ran into the "who cares about the next owner" syndrome. I am guessing my chainplates were bedded with 4200. As my chainplates, which leak, are thru bolted to the hull, I want to rebed everything including the bolts that hold the tangs against the side of the hull so I am removing the entire tang and starting over. The only way I could get the tangs out, because they had been bedded with what I think is 4200, was using a halyard and a winch to pull them out. It took major force on that winch to drag the tangs out. Don't do this kind of thing to those who might buy your boat down the road.

Higgs, there is an excellent product called Anti-bond that works on a molecular level to loosen any items that are bedded in 4200/5200/polysulfides. I used it to remove my main hatch and it completely debonded all surfaces after 15 minutes and the removal was simple and uneventful. Try it next time and you'll save yourself some serious musclepower whether personal or mechanical. Good luck and good sailing, Ron

 

[higgs]

Anti bond will be just what I need. I am rebedding all my chainplates and at this point I don't know how may of them will have been bedded with 4200. Thanks for the suggestion.

Stu: You are right. If you have the ability and knowledge, doing it yourself is the way to go. Both the ability and knowledge are not that hard to obtain. I suspect that this chainplate was done by pros. The PO, judging by receipts left aboard, seem to have this type of work done by the yard.