Companionway -- Rebed

[rcjim34]

What is the best caulk / seal to use when rebedding the caompaionway bracket?

I'm thinking Life seal or dow corning 795?

Thanks for your time.;; Jim

 

[kloudie1]

Glad ya started this one, Jim. I am getting things in order to replace the plexi companionway slider and I have been wondering the same. I removed mine once before and I know it was originally bedded with a butyl product.. I have been thinking about going with a tube-applied butyl or 795 .. I don't know which. I am concerned that once 795 is on there, it will be extremely difficult to ever remove in the event ya have to service the slider or the stops.

 

[rcjim34]

companionway rebed

Glad ya started this one, Jim. I am getting things in order to replace the plexi companionway slider and I have been wondering the same. I removed mine once before and I know it was originally bedded with a butyl product.. I have been thinking about going with a tube-applied butyl or 795 .. I don't know which. I am concerned that once 795 is on there, it will be extremely difficult to ever remove in the event ya have to service the slider or the stops.

kloudie1; thanks for the reply; that's pretty much quandry. What to use?? I removed and rebedded the frame a few weeks back and used Boatlife, Life seal; unfortunatly I did not go up a size in SS screws and the upper port side of the frame pulled the top two screws out and broke the seal... So I pulled everything apart again and this time I'll go up a size in screws after I repoxy the holes. It's a lot of work.. So I'll use a wedge when I put all back together; which brings me back to what I should use for bedding. I want an adhesive but not a 5200. Like you say, I want to be able to take it apart again if needed.

Also; have you or anyone else pulled the top off the boat? I have a leak somewher under the top and need to remove the top to see what's going on under there.

Thanks, Jim

 

[Allan12210]

Jim,

I tried digging through the old forums looking for a picture of one of our boats with the seahood removed. I thought I remembered seeing one, but couldn't find it. I did find a reference from Fred Ficarra that there really isn't anything under there that can leak and he felt the sealant was mainly cosmetic. This is with the exception of some of the screws being too long and penetrating the overhead under the head liner. I have re-bedded those to solve that issue.

Since you both (Jim and Claude) have removed the seahood in the past, would you think that just a minimum amount of caulk (probably Boatlife) would be enough to facilitate future removal? This caulk would only be applied around the perimeter after re-installation and not used to bond the seahood to the cabin top in any structural way. I know we have to keep the aluminum slider tracks and end drain holes clean so the water doesn't overflow into the interior right over the sink. We made a cover that shields the slider hatch area.

 

[rcjim34]

Jim,

I tried digging through the old forums looking for a picture of one of our boats with the seahood removed. I thought I remembered seeing one, but couldn't find it. I did find a reference from Fred Ficarra that there really isn't anything under there that can leak and he felt the sealant was mainly cosmetic. This is with the exception of some of the screws being too long and penetrating the overhead under the head liner. I have re-bedded those to solve that issue.

Since you both (Jim and Claude) have removed the seahood in the past, would you think that just a minimum amount of caulk (probably Boatlife) would be enough to facilitate future removal? This caulk would only be applied around the perimeter after re-installation and not used to bond the seahood to the cabin top in any structural way. I know we have to keep the aluminum slider tracks and end drain holes clean so the water doesn't overflow into the interior right over the sink. We made a cover that shields the slider hatch area.

Well there's a hint worth about a weeks worth of labor! I did not know there were drain holes in the aluminum slider tracks?#$%! The leak is directly above the sink!! I'll clean the drains and wash the boat.. Hopefully no more leak..

Thanks, Jim

 

[wufibugs]

Yeah, I've got to do the same job on my H31 to make sure the drains are clear and to stop the squealing when the hatch is opened. There was a thread on the noise, but I can't find it. I think butyl or some kind of teflon tape in the track was recommended. I never liked the idea of screwing directly into fibreglass, but there is no choice so bedding the screws with some sealer/light adhesive is a good idea. Dab of Dow 4200?

 

[rcjim34]

Yeah, I've got to do the same job on my H31 to make sure the drains are clear and to stop the squealing when the hatch is opened. There was a thread on the noise, but I can't find it. I think butyl or some kind of teflon tape in the track was recommended. I never liked the idea of screwing directly into fibreglass, but there is no choice so bedding the screws with some sealer/light adhesive is a good idea. Dab of Dow 4200?

Yes; 4200 would probably be fine..I don't like the idea of screwing directly into fiberglass either. The companionway screws are completly stripped out.

 

[Guillaume C.]

Concerning the sea-hood, my suggestion (and what I did) if you remove it, is to fill all the holes, around 66 if I remember well, with epoxy in both the deck and hood and holding the hood only with a few strong fastener instead of 66 weak ones. I used 4 thru-deck bolts + the 2 bolts alreader there for the main traveller. I did not use any caulking (other than butyl for the bolts) around the hood as sealing the perimeter has absolutly no point other than Maybe giving a nicer look (visually, I prefer without the caulking ...). If you do the math, that's 62 less possibilities of water leakage!

I will eventually post pictures but my current internet don't allow it (super-slow-satellite)

 

[Ilanortho]

Hi; any chance of seeing pictures that show how you bolted the sea hood down? Thanks