Hull-deck joint repair opinions

[piratesnail]

Today, in search of some persistent, mild leaks after a rain, I pulled off the rub rail on my 1985 Starwind 19. Sure enough, there are places where the original sealant is degraded or missing. On top of that, some of the rivets pulled out with finger force. Clearly, repair is needed. My intention is to use wedges to lift the deck up enough to clean inside the joint, apply new sealant, and through-bolt it closed again. I'm seeking opinions about a few aspects of this repair:

1. Some of the joint looks like it's still in fine shape - sealant obviously present, rivets look fine, joint is stiff. So, should I pry apart and clean inside only those areas that are compromised? Or should I take the time to remove all rivets and clean/reseal the whole joint, all the way around? (One method will obviously take a lot less time.)

2. Should I reseal with 4200? Or assume no one will ever try to fix this again and go for 5200? (It looks like the original sealant was 4200.)

Some info that might be pertinent:
- I don't anticipate owning this boat that much longer. (As I thought, we have outgrown the Starwind - or at least the kiddo has - and now that we live in Maine, we want a beachable boat that will make it easier to camp on the many available islands. My dream is a trailerable multi-hull - if anyone knows of one for sale, let me know!) So I would prefer not to spend too much time on this repair. The boat otherwise has plenty of life left, though, and if we sell it, I want to pass along a boat that is fundamentally sound.
- New rub rail has already been ordered.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

I wouldn't want to try to beach anything bigger than this boat. There isn't a ton of room inside but Jim Taylor did do a fantastic job of the space that is available. Not too many boats of this size (and larger) can sleep four.

 

[piratesnail]

Oh, we don't necessarily want anything bigger. Since my family has decided they much prefer sleeping ashore to squeezing into the boat for the night, we are hoping for something we can beach easily - essentially, optimizing for camping ashore rather than space aboard. I like small boats - simpler, more affordable, usually less to break/fix. My desire for a multi-hull just comes from a desire to get places more quickly. The Starwind has won her way into my heart, but no one can say she is fast.

 

[dlochner]

Before using wedges, use and oscillating tool and a flexible or rigid scraper blade. This will slice through the sealant like a hot knife in butter. Wedges will help lift the deck to get a little more room.

Check the chainplates and how they are installed. The caulk may keep the deck from lifting and you don't want to damage the bulkheads or the chainplate attachment points.

I'd go with 4200 and new rivets. Since there will be a lot of rivets, do your hands and arms a favor and get a pneumatic rivet gun.