Stanchion repair.......

[frank balcer]

Morning all! I am getting ready to remove and then rebed my life line stanchions and bow and stern pulpits. I was planning on using 3M5200 but a friend said that down the road, if the stanchions had to be pulled that the 5200 would tear the deck glass. Any suggestions on what has worked for ya'll? My boat is a 1975 Pearson 30. Thanks all! Frank

 

[higgs]

Polysulfide

Go to http://boatus.com/boattech/casey/35.htmSomeone on this board posted this a few weeks back. Good source.

 

[Rob19574]

Not 5200

I am sure this will be a very responsive thread with many great options. I will say though, do not use 5200 as that is overkill. I you go with 3m then use 4200. Polysulfide looks like an even better choice although I have never used it and can't say first-hand.Rob

 

[Ross]

5200 Doesn't bond well with stainless steel.

But that isn't the reason not to use it. Any caulk will squeese down to almost zero thickness in an application such as this and any movement will break the seal. It will be much better to use a resilent gasket and polysulfide. Countersink the fastener holes so that the sealant forms an "O" ring around the fasteners.

 

[RichH]

Whoa! Stancheons bases on P30s require .........

thick rubbers GASKETS.The deck fiberglass top layer is too thin to bear the stress of the stancheons (when you bump/hit into them) alone and the decks WILL 'spider' crack if the stancheons are bedded with polysulfide alone. The deck on a P30 is a lightweight advanced composite structure which is balsa cored and needs to be especially protected from ROT. Pearson used thick rubber gaskets under the base of the stancheons as a 'cushion' so all the stancheons could deflect slightly when stressed and still maintain watertight integrity. Large spider cracks WILL develop in the deck surface at the stancheon bases if you omit the gaskets on a P30 ..... and then the balsa core in the deck will begin to rot ( horrendous repair job ). Use the gaskets and apply polysulfide on top and bottom of the gaskets and the mounting bolts through the stancheon bases. I believe you can still get the gaskets from D&R Marine: http://www.drmarine.com/ You can make/cut your own gaskets from Nitrile or Buna rubber (@ 70 durometer 'softness'), using the old gaskets as a pattern. I used to use TWO gaskets per stancheon base on my old P30. Be sure to repair any spider cracks that have developed ... to preserve that balsa deck core ... or if cracks have developed remove the balsa (in the area of the stancheons) and inject slow cure epoxy to totally seal the deck. DO NOT countersink the deck bore holes but make the holes in the gaskets slightly larger. OTHERD&R also carries the replacement Acetal rudder bearings ... but dont just replace the bearings .... drop the rudder (into a hole) and put a mirror polish on the rudder shaft to help stop future bearing wear. You can also affect an alternative rudder b earing repair by going to the "Pearson 26 website" (do websearch) ... and build a much better bearing from WEST epoxy and carbon powder. D&R also has the tiller head if yours is cracked.

 

[Paul Akers]

Polysulfide is like...

...LifeCaulk. Works great! Skip the 5200 unless you plan on a permanent fix. Be sur to mask-off the area before you use it because it can be messy.

 

[Magothy Boy]

Backing Plates

Hello:I would suggest that backing plates should be a part of your solution. Any movement of the stantion base will allow water in; gasket or not. Would make certain that you have a good, sustainable mechanical support for the stantion and not rely on sealant or gaskets as a substitute.Kevin

 

[Andy]

Don't forget about the weep holes

I am completely repainting my top deck and am about to reinstall the stachion bases. When I removed them, I noticed that there was a channel machined in the underside that ran athwarship. I didn't notice them before I took them off becasue the previous owner had covered them up with silicone.The purpose of the weep hole is to let any condensation/rain/spray on the inside of the stanchion drain out. There were a number of bases that had water in them when I removed them. Luckily, there was little damage from the standing water. So, when you rebed your bases, make sure you don't plug up those weep holes (i.e., just don't smear the sealant on - be judicious in where you place it). One technique I was contemplating was to place some thick yarn (or other suitable material) in the grove then pull it out after I attach the base. The idea is this. The yarn would prevent any sealant from intruding on the grove and if any did, pulling out the yarn before the sealant set would "clean out" the grove.Happy SailingAndyChrysler 22

 

[srojoe]

higgs, great link

Thanks for that link. I printed it out and saved to computer for future.

 

[Chief]

Re-bedding Stanchions

What about using Butyl Tape. As I recall a few years back it was all the rage. I did use it on my handrails, and was pleased with the results. Would this be an option on stanchions?

 

[Stu Jackson]

I just couldn't resist...

the ONLY place for 5200 on a boat is the hull to deck joint. You just don't want that adhesive doing a sealant job.I also remember someone reminded me of a second place on the boat where 5200 would be appropriate, and hope they remind me again. Thanks.

 

[JS13113]

chainplates

try sikaflex 292 i used it on my chainplates and 3 years later have no leaks. Check out the 292 there may be some others available more suitable for your purposes