waterproofing hardware installations

[dontpanic]

I am going to install a new mainsheet cleat and block, add midships cleats, remove and reinstall the hatch and dropboard slides and replace the tangs.  All of these will need some form of water proofing.  What seems to work well (and easily)?

[skip1930]

No weather proofing** needed for the main sheet block. Cleat? What cleat? A jam? Still no weather proofing needed.
At the boom's end I'd change the side by side block to an inline block. No twisting the mainsheet.

skip.

[dontpanic]

skip, thanks sounds like good advice.

My concern is where I drill new holes, as for the new metal cleats mid ships, I don't want water leaking in around the fasteners.

The tangs are the metal strips at the hull where the shrouds and stays are connected.

[crazycarl]

if your drilling new holes, put a chamfer on the outside.

if you use a marine sealant such as life caulk,  place the hardware were it's going with the new screws in place (you won't need the nuts just yet) tape off around the hardware and then remove the hardware.

squeeze out an appropriate amount of sealant onto the bottom of the hardware and place it back with the screws holding it in place.  now you can install the washers and nut.  tighten almost all the way, but not quite. if you tighten it all the way now, most of the sealant will be forced out.

after the sealant cures, tighten the nut all the way and remove the tape and clean up as needed.

if you choose butyl tape, again chamfer the holes.  place the tape on the hardware.  pinch off a small amount of tape and roll it into a tube shape.  wrap this around just under the screw head.  install the item and tighten away.  the tape can be ceaned up rather easily with a small sharpened stick or a piece of itself rolled into a ball. 

beware, i've found the butyl tape keeps oozing out for some time after, but it NEVER hardens and is easy to remove.

carl

[dontpanic]

Carl: Just the kind of information I was looking for.

Thanks

[Craig]

Tangs = Chainplates 

[MacGyver]

I second Carl's advice, and will highly recommend the Butyl. It is cheaper, but better so it seems. I was amazed that over the entire 19 rebuild project, that not a leak was found.
I was a happy guy that day.

Butyl tape, nice stuff, cheap and lasts a long time.

Mac

[mattman]

Mac, where do you buy butyl in our area, or did you order online, just curious. Heading out to go around the bouys this morning, but wind looks pretty light...