leaky stanchion
Elena, One good way that I have used many times for some of my customers and myself is to remove the stanchion, clean all old sealant from the base and the boat, use a countersink bit and make a shallow countersink around the bolt holes. Next, put a bead of sealant in the counter sink rim then put a good bead around the perimiter of the base bottom between the edge and the holes and put a bead on the deck the same shape as the base just outside of the holes. Also, if the base has countersunk holes put some in these, if not put a little under the screw heads. Now, put the assembly together, clean off the goo on the threads that protrude into the boat, put the hardware back on and tighten down about 75%. The next day after the sealant has cured snug the nuts up the other 25%. Be certain to use good or new bolts or screws so that your helper can hold them from turning while the nuts are snugged up. Now that the sealant is cured around the screws and under the heads its important to try not to tear apart the seal by turning the screws around. Don't worry if the screws wiggle a little,. If you tighten all the way before the sealant cures you end up squeezing out most of it, but by waiting for it to cure it dries with some thickness and when you do the final snugging it will squeeze like a gasket. Do your sealant clean-up after the initial tightening while it's wet. My preference for a sealant is Sika-Flex. It dries well and stays flexible after curing. Do not use 5200 or other agressive ADHESIVES. Their purpose is to bond and stick which they do well. However, when you have to re-bed, your apt to rip apart your gelcoat and some part of the outer laminations which I've seen happen more than once. You might also want to take this time to assess your own situation and possibly replace the core under your stanchion base holes with some epoxy slurry mix if it needs it. Details for this can be found in any number of good boat repair books available. Good luck, Gerry
