What is the best order of silicone sealant, rubber washer, metal washer to assure watertightness?
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- Jan 22, 2008
- 519
based on my daysailer setup...
the rubber washer is first, then the metal washer (which when tightened down will compress the rubber washer... makes sense!), then the bolt, then goop it all with silicone, but especially under and around the bolthead and nut. Apply the silicone with latex gloves and smear it on, rubbing the silicone into all nooks and cranies, then with a light fingered clean glove take off the excess. When dry, it should FEEL slightly tacky as if there is silicone on it, but should look like there are no gobs of silicone.
the rubber washer is first, then the metal washer (which when tightened down will compress the rubber washer... makes sense!), then the bolt, then goop it all with silicone, but especially under and around the bolthead and nut. Apply the silicone with latex gloves and smear it on, rubbing the silicone into all nooks and cranies, then with a light fingered clean glove take off the excess. When dry, it should FEEL slightly tacky as if there is silicone on it, but should look like there are no gobs of silicone.
Keel or CB?
To seal the keel bolts I would think you would use silicone sealant followed by the rubber washers (if used?) then the metal washer, then the nut. I'm not sure that you could get enough tension on the bolts to prevent keel movement if you use rubber washers. One other tip, onlt snug the nuts down at first, then after the silicone cures ( a few hours time), tighten them down. I might even want to find a way to force the keel up tighter against the hull bottom while rebedding the keel bolts. If this is a Centerboard Mariner, then check Roger's advice. Also, this may be a good question to research on the Mariner Class web-site and/or the Rhodes 19 web site. Surely someone else has had to rebed their keel bolts or centerboard pivot bolt.
To seal the keel bolts I would think you would use silicone sealant followed by the rubber washers (if used?) then the metal washer, then the nut. I'm not sure that you could get enough tension on the bolts to prevent keel movement if you use rubber washers. One other tip, onlt snug the nuts down at first, then after the silicone cures ( a few hours time), tighten them down. I might even want to find a way to force the keel up tighter against the hull bottom while rebedding the keel bolts. If this is a Centerboard Mariner, then check Roger's advice. Also, this may be a good question to research on the Mariner Class web-site and/or the Rhodes 19 web site. Surely someone else has had to rebed their keel bolts or centerboard pivot bolt.
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