toe rail leaks

[mneeboston]

my 81 c&c34 seems to leak at the hull to deck joints. has anyone ever removed the toe rail to rebed it? any better ideas?

 

[Ted]

C&C toe rail leaks

C&C sealed most of their hull to deck joints with butyl tape during the assembly process. If you look inside the cabin at the joint you will see a pliable grey material being squeezed out of the joint. Over the years there may have been a leak which a previous owner handled incorrectly.

To fix a leak correctly on a C&C, all you should do is slightly snug up on the bolts in the area of the leak just enough to stop the leak and nothing more. If the bolt is tightened too much it will squeeze out all of the butyl tape and it will continue to leak. It is very important that you have a helper when tightening the bolts. One person on the outside must hold the bolt securely to prevent it from twisting. The other person inside the cabin will tighten the nut slightly. The bolt must not be allowed to turn or the seal will be broken and a leak may occur at the bolt. If it looks like too much butyl tape has been forced out of the joint you can try loosening the bolt and forcing some butyl tape back into the joint from inside the boat.

 

[mneeboston]

Re: C&C toe rail leaks

Thanks Ted, you may be right about previous owners tightening fasteners. The butyl is squeezed out bow to stern. I might try removing the rail to replace the sealer. Can i but that tape somewhere?

 

[Ted]

C&C toe rail leaks

Before you remove your toe rails I would suggest snugging just the bolts where you suspect a leak. It is normal to see the butyl tape being squeezed out for the entire length of the joint between the deck and the hull. If the previous owner actually overtightened all the bolts, there may be very little butyl tape left in the joint to prevent a leak. As a last resort you can try re-bedding your toe rail however it's the more difficult solution.

 

[ondinesail]

Does this apply to later model C&Cs?

Ted,
I just purchased a 2003 C&C 99 and its got a leak from one of the bolts securing a handrail to the coach roof. I had planned to remove the hand rail and rebed all attachments with 5200, but after your post I am wondering if this is necessary. Also wondering if you might know what the pinkish squeeze out is around some of the cabin seams and portlights?
Ondinesail

C&C sealed most of their hull to deck joints with butyl tape during the assembly process. If you look inside the cabin at the joint you will see a pliable grey material being squeezed out of the joint. Over the years there may have been a leak which a previous owner handled incorrectly.

To fix a leak correctly on a C&C, all you should do is slightly snug up on the bolts in the area of the leak just enough to stop the leak and nothing more. If the bolt is tightened too much it will squeeze out all of the butyl tape and it will continue to leak. It is very important that you have a helper when tightening the bolts. One person on the outside must hold the bolt securely to prevent it from twisting. The other person inside the cabin will tighten the nut slightly. The bolt must not be allowed to turn or the seal will be broken and a leak may occur at the bolt. If it looks like too much butyl tape has been forced out of the joint you can try loosening the bolt and forcing some butyl tape back into the joint from inside the boat.

 

[Ted]

I don't know what C&C used to seal new models of their hand rails but you can use butyl tape or 4200. NEVER EVER use 5200 to bed hardware. It will be nearly impossible to remove them down the road.