Have a problem with stanchion bases on a 1989 Beneteau 500. All the stanchions are wiggly and when I went to tighten one it broke off, that is the "aluminum" base sheared right off the "stainless" bolt holding it on. The bolt went throuh the bottom of the base straight through the toe rail base into the deck. We all know that stainless and aluminum do not get a long very well so I think an insulator would have been a good idea.. So now I need to replace 22 stanchion bases that work well with toe rails with as solid a design as I can and with more bolts holding it to the boat than the one currently. Any ideas folks?
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Brian Pickton of BeneteauOwners.net
Schaefer stanchion bases
Dec.31, 2000 Dear Jeff, If memory serves we visited this problem with you before. What an annoyance to have the stanchion base break. No doubt now that your corrosion concerns caused by electrolysis from the dissimilar metals is well founded. We had a wiggle problem with stanchions on The Legend which I mentioned before . In some cases the stanchions were loose in the sockets of the bases and screws holding the stanchions were stripped. I put Pl 5200 into the socket, replaced the stanchion, and then ran the screw into it to hold it as a pin. The 5200 set up around the screw so it is held solidly in place and the 5200 filled the void around the staunchion so the wiggle was eliminated. Not an elegant solution, but effective, if you decide to remount the same bases after isolating them from the toe rail. It's still holding up 4 years later. The real pain as you undoubtedly realize, is that if you go ahead and replace the stachion bases with multiple bolt units you are not only going to have to drill and fill many more deck holes to take through bolts, but you are also going to have to remove part of the liner throughout the interior to get at them. We've done it in order to tighten nuts on a couple of our bases and it was a lot of work. I suspect you know the drill for drilling, sealing and caulking deck holes, so I won't repeat that here. For actual stanchion bases I have seen none better than those made by Schaeffer. Their 36" model holds a 1" stanchion that carries two, 5/16" coated lifelines (uncoated is a better choice). The bases are canted 5° inboard to account for most boat deck angles. The mounting plate takes no less than 4 bolts. With a backing plate they are enormously strong. The bases are buttressed with welded rod reinforcements that can actually be used for a bail for snatch blocks. I haven't seen anything that looked better or stronger than these Schaefer units. Cost was around $40.00 to $45.00 U.S. If I recall correctly. I would recommend using one of the isolating cremes that are available on the bolts and isolating the bases from the toe rail with a gasket, either rubber or the white plastic board used for making water and fuel tanks the actual name of which me for the moment. Get about a 3/16 or 1/4 inch thickness and contour it to fit flush over the toe rail base. I would suggest either a silicone latex long life exterior grade caulking compound or PL5100 ( which is removable unlike the tough time you will get with 5200). Done right the caulking compound can be used as a substitute for the gasket - spread a thin layer smoothly on the bottom of the base and let it harden. Then mount it using more caulk to eliminate leaking. This provides the necessary physical isolation and eliminates a part (the gasket) that can also induce leaking around the base bolts. Good luck with the job Jeff, and Happy New Year! Brian Pickton of BeneteauOwners.net Aboard The Legend, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia
Dec.31, 2000 Dear Jeff, If memory serves we visited this problem with you before. What an annoyance to have the stanchion base break. No doubt now that your corrosion concerns caused by electrolysis from the dissimilar metals is well founded. We had a wiggle problem with stanchions on The Legend which I mentioned before . In some cases the stanchions were loose in the sockets of the bases and screws holding the stanchions were stripped. I put Pl 5200 into the socket, replaced the stanchion, and then ran the screw into it to hold it as a pin. The 5200 set up around the screw so it is held solidly in place and the 5200 filled the void around the staunchion so the wiggle was eliminated. Not an elegant solution, but effective, if you decide to remount the same bases after isolating them from the toe rail. It's still holding up 4 years later. The real pain as you undoubtedly realize, is that if you go ahead and replace the stachion bases with multiple bolt units you are not only going to have to drill and fill many more deck holes to take through bolts, but you are also going to have to remove part of the liner throughout the interior to get at them. We've done it in order to tighten nuts on a couple of our bases and it was a lot of work. I suspect you know the drill for drilling, sealing and caulking deck holes, so I won't repeat that here. For actual stanchion bases I have seen none better than those made by Schaeffer. Their 36" model holds a 1" stanchion that carries two, 5/16" coated lifelines (uncoated is a better choice). The bases are canted 5° inboard to account for most boat deck angles. The mounting plate takes no less than 4 bolts. With a backing plate they are enormously strong. The bases are buttressed with welded rod reinforcements that can actually be used for a bail for snatch blocks. I haven't seen anything that looked better or stronger than these Schaefer units. Cost was around $40.00 to $45.00 U.S. If I recall correctly. I would recommend using one of the isolating cremes that are available on the bolts and isolating the bases from the toe rail with a gasket, either rubber or the white plastic board used for making water and fuel tanks the actual name of which me for the moment. Get about a 3/16 or 1/4 inch thickness and contour it to fit flush over the toe rail base. I would suggest either a silicone latex long life exterior grade caulking compound or PL5100 ( which is removable unlike the tough time you will get with 5200). Done right the caulking compound can be used as a substitute for the gasket - spread a thin layer smoothly on the bottom of the base and let it harden. Then mount it using more caulk to eliminate leaking. This provides the necessary physical isolation and eliminates a part (the gasket) that can also induce leaking around the base bolts. Good luck with the job Jeff, and Happy New Year! Brian Pickton of BeneteauOwners.net Aboard The Legend, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia
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Rob Bartley
Stanchion Bases
I have the same problem on my boat. I called a dealer today in our area and asked for replacement bases. I was told these could be tightened with a set screw located on the base. I can't remember seeing one. What was your solution to this problem?
I have the same problem on my boat. I called a dealer today in our area and asked for replacement bases. I was told these could be tightened with a set screw located on the base. I can't remember seeing one. What was your solution to this problem?
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Craig Alger
Stantion Bases
I had the same problem with my 1985 First42. There is a screw that goes from the outside of the rail through the rail, through the outboard side of the stanchion and into threads inside the stanchion. Some of the were loose. I removed them the hard way and then drilled the original hole on out the inside of the stanchion and the stanchion base. I then through bolted the whole assembly together with nylon washers to insulate and a nyloc nut on the inside. Seems to be working well for 2 years.
I had the same problem with my 1985 First42. There is a screw that goes from the outside of the rail through the rail, through the outboard side of the stanchion and into threads inside the stanchion. Some of the were loose. I removed them the hard way and then drilled the original hole on out the inside of the stanchion and the stanchion base. I then through bolted the whole assembly together with nylon washers to insulate and a nyloc nut on the inside. Seems to be working well for 2 years.
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Craig Alger
Stantion Bases
I had the same problem with my 1985 First42. There is a screw that goes from the outside of the rail through the rail, through the outboard side of the stanchion and into threads inside the stanchion. Some of the were loose. I removed them the hard way and then drilled the original hole on out the inside of the stanchion and the stanchion base. I then through bolted the whole assembly together with nylon washers to insulate and a nyloc nut on the inside. Seems to be working well for 2 years.
I had the same problem with my 1985 First42. There is a screw that goes from the outside of the rail through the rail, through the outboard side of the stanchion and into threads inside the stanchion. Some of the were loose. I removed them the hard way and then drilled the original hole on out the inside of the stanchion and the stanchion base. I then through bolted the whole assembly together with nylon washers to insulate and a nyloc nut on the inside. Seems to be working well for 2 years.
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