Sealant

[markwesti]

I have been using BoatLife , i'm over it . What stuff do you people use ? i'm looking to seal up stuff like a cap rail and hatches that are made out of teak . I have been looking at Sikaflex Construction Sealant and Sikaflex 291 , also I need it in white and black . Thank you . Mark .

Caprail

007 by mark westi, on Flickr

Hatch / turtle

004 by mark westi, on Flickr

 

[Mark Maulden]

For my chainplates, i gave up on boatlife and have been using Maine’s butyl tape. Not really an application with a lot of clamping force, but its going on 3 years with no leaks. With Boatlife, it was every year. If/when I do get a leak, re knead it back in or cut the upper layer off and replace. 5min vs an hr.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

On stuff that make be taken apart later, I use butyl . On stuff that ISN'T supposed to come back apart, I
use 3m 5200

 

[thinwater]

I think the OP meant Sika 291.

I've tested quite a few, and Sika 291 is a top choice. It is more flexible than 3M 5200, and in many applications it is actually stronger (3M 5200 is not as good on many plastics).

BTW, butyl is for things that are bolted and will come off again and are compatabe with butyl, Sika 291 is for things that may need a little support and may come off, Dow 795 is for glazing, and 3M 5200 is for things that are either permanent or need maximum support. The lines are gray.

 

[Tom J]

On stuff that make be taken apart later, I use butyl . On stuff that ISN'T supposed to come back apart, I
use 3m 5200

Stuff that is sealed with 5200 definitely won't come apart. I once installed the keel on my old O'Day 23 and used 5200 to seal it. A few years later, I had to drop the keel, but when I pulled out the keel bolts and lowered the jacks under the keel, it just hung there. I had to force the keel out of the trunk, taking a layer of fiberglass with it.

 

[TomY]

Sometimes with my boat, I need a good 'splooge' type of caulking.

I used Life Caulk when I cut new trim for the fixed ports in my mahogany house. This has to be one of the toughest joints to seal as wood moves. Polysulfide fills voids, joints in wood to wood and seals to the glass.

I think the step that is over looked in sealants used with wood is that the wood has to be well sealed or the sealant will dry out prematurely. Once cut, I sealed the trim (and the mating surfaces in the wooden house), with several coats of varnish.

Poly sulfide is a mess to work with! I apply it generously, tighten things down, and walk away. I think it's easier to deal with the squeeze out, after it has partially cured.

That was 9 years ago and despite the seasonal wood movement, not a single drip has come through. I attribute that more to the sealing of the surfaces than the sealant itself.

However, when I re-installed my handrails on the cabin two seasons ago, I used Butyl tape. It made more sense: Small bases fastened to fiberglass house top. These surfaces are subject to tough forces so the sealant should stay pliable.

I still don't clean the butyl up initially. The next season the butyl came off at the joints with a plastic scraper.

No sealant works for everything.

 

[sailnoproblem]

TomY, you are a true woodworking artist!

 

[capta]

There is a product I've been using for many decades that was specifically designed for exactly that; bedding stuff on a boat. Amazingly, it is actually called bedding compound. I've found it lasts about 20 years, stays flexible and is super easy to clean up with turps.

 

[Tom J]

Sometimes with my boat, I need a good 'splooge' type of caulking.

I used Life Caulk when I cut new trim for the fixed ports in my mahogany house. This has to be one of the toughest joints to seal as wood moves. Polysulfide fills voids, joints in wood to wood and seals to the glass.

I think the step that is over looked in sealants used with wood is that the wood has to be well sealed or the sealant will dry out prematurely. Once cut, I sealed the trim (and the mating surfaces in the wooden house), with several coats of varnish.
View attachment 160338
Poly sulfide is a mess to work with! I apply it generously, tighten things down, and walk away. I think it's easier to deal with the squeeze out, after it has partially cured.
View attachment 160339
That was 9 years ago and despite the seasonal wood movement, not a single drip has come through. I attribute that more to the sealing of the surfaces than the sealant itself.
View attachment 160340
However, when I re-installed my handrails on the cabin two seasons ago, I used Butyl tape. It made more sense: Small bases fastened to fiberglass house top. These surfaces are subject to tough forces so the sealant should stay pliable.
View attachment 160341
I still don't clean the butyl up initially. The next season the butyl came off at the joints with a plastic scraper.

No sealant works for everything.

Incredible workmanship, Tom. A very beautiful yacht in a stunning setting. We stopped in that park one day last summer to admire the boats. I probably saw your boat, but didn't realize it at the time.

 

[Deleted member 117556]

When you guys refer to Boat Life, I believe that is the name of the company. Is the specific sealant you are not going to use anymore Life Caulk or Life Seal? The first is a polysulfide while the latter is a polyurethane/silicone blend. Just curious because I still use Life Caulk...
bob

 

[markwesti]

Bob , that is a very good question . I will find out for sure today and to be truthful I didn't know there were two different types . Also I'm not looking for bedding compound , but thank you for the suggestions . I'm looking for a sealant that will stick to a teak to teak joint and a teak to fiberglass joint and not dry out and crack , at least for a reasonable amount of time . Here are some examples , first is my caprail and that will need teak to fiberglass sealant next is my turtle and that will need teak to teak . Thank's guys , Mark .

IMG_0185 by mark westi, on Flickr

003 by mark westi, on Flickr

 

[jssailem]

Pretty glimpse of your boat.
On inspection your "cap-rail" if like the side rub rail is attached to the boat using counter sunk screws covered over with plugs then varnished. The screw attaches the teak to the boat. Then you just need a product to stop water from entering the hull.

This is where a bedding compound or caulk is used. I use the butyl tape available from Maine Sail https://marinehowto.com/bed-it-tape/. It seals yet remains flexible. Last for years.
You could also look at the various poly-sulfide sealants. Butyl seals yet allows for removal in the future without destroying the boat. Bedding compound does the same. A sealant adhesive like 5200 not so much.

 

[markwesti]

Thanks for the compliment jssailem , original construction method for all Westsails was when they were fitting the cap rail to the gunnel they would first lay down a "bedding compound" and like you say screw it down with a counter sunk screw . The area of concern is where the cap rail sits on the gunnel I over the years seal it up on both sides . Some Westsail owners get so frustrated with the cap rail that they remove the cap rail and glass over the lap joint , I'm not in that camp the cap rail stays . And the joint gets fixed . OK , some SBO folklore . Actually my cap rail is ok for right now , but I can see some trouble spots . A while back there was a guy posting here asking about a good liveaboard boat , I got to talking to him and long story short a Westsail 28 was for sale near him . It was perfect , the boat was on a mooring (mid California) he bought the boat and the mooring . He and I have stayed in touch , one of the problems he is dealing with is the dreaded cap rail leak .

 

[TomY]

I see now.

You're looking to seal trim at the joints, with a bead of sealant. I would use something that won't dry out in the weather too quickly. Plus I wouldn't use anything that is very adhesive as that will just make it harder to remove (and you will need to renew the joint now and then).

I would have thought Boatlife, which has a little silicone (I think), would have been a good choice. I've used Sika 291. I don't think it gave me any more life than others but might be worth a try. I think it has more adhesion strength than I expected, which wasn't good.

A straight silicone might have the longest life as a bead joint, exposed to the weather. But most don't like to use it around varnish. I use GE silicone to seal Lexan to wooden hatches.

It's excellent and has a long life. I carefully tape to keep it off the wood and have had no problems.

 

[markwesti]

Well I found out some interesting stuff , I had some half used up tubes of BoatLife and sure enough it is Life Caulk . I think I will give the Life Seal a try . Thanks guys , Mark .