Leakage at the chainplate

[amyyy]

Hi:

New to the site, having just bought a C-P 19/II a few weeks ago. 

She seems to be in pretty good shape, but I have water seeping in at the chainplate. 
Has anyone else had this problem?  If so, what did you do?
My thinking is to pick some fine warm day,  loosen the chainplate and squoosh in some silicone rubber -
sound reasonable?

[newt]

Welcome to the site Amy.  I have a larger boat also, which I recently had to rebed the chainplates. I would take them all the way off, check for cracks (if so replace) then rebed them with 5200. That should keep them another 10 years or so.
Anybody else have any ideas?

[curtisv]

Welcome to the site Amy.  I have a larger boat also, which I recently had to rebed the chainplates. I would take them all the way off, check for cracks (if so replace) then rebed them with 5200. That should keep them another 10 years or so.
Anybody else have any ideas?

Sounds about right.

Also check to see if the holes have been widenned by the bolts or if there is any sign at all that water could have entered the laminations from the bolt holes.  If so, drill them out wider, fill with well thickenned epoxy, and redrill to bolt size.  If it looks fine, at least you checked.

3M 5200 is a good choice if you never want to take them off again.  You might consider polysulfide simply because it is completely waterproof (can be used below waterline) and you can get it off later.  It cost a bit.  I would avoid silicon since the chainplate go below waterline when heeled (well heeled) and generally get wet.  OTOH if you trailer then the boat is out of the water most of the time and you can get by with silicon.

Curtis

[newt]

Curtis- I have heard that about 5200 also, but in my limited experience with 5200 over a couple years old, it comes off with a little effort. I do use a heat gun for a lot of things, but the white stuff that my chainplates were embeded with ( I think it was 5200) came out with just some effort and a screwdriver. I think you are right about the delamination- do you know how to check for that with a small hammer Amy? Welcome to boat ownership
I would not use silicon under any situations. Just not good in the long run.

[amyyy]

Hi:

Thanks to all for the advice.  I spent today on the teak, tomorrow I'll attack the chain plate issue.  (I have some 5200 as well as the silicone - came with the boat). 
I figure anything I do will be an improvement over the current situation.

I'm sure more questions will come up . . .

[curtisv]

Curtis- I have heard that about 5200 also, but in my limited experience with 5200 over a couple years old, it comes off with a little effort. I do use a heat gun for a lot of things, but the white stuff that my chainplates were embeded with ( I think it was 5200) came out with just some effort and a screwdriver. I think you are right about the delamination- do you know how to check for that with a small hammer Amy? Welcome to boat ownership
I would not use silicon under any situations. Just not good in the long run.

If it comes off that easy it is probably bedding compound.  Polyurethane adhesives like 5200 don't come off easily and if used on wood, don't come off at all.  You'll break the wood first.

The books by Don Casey that I point to on my web page would help.
http://www.faster-light.net/remote-access/book-reviews.html#fixit
In "Sailboat Hull & Deck Repair" Don describes the sealants and adhesives for boat use.

You might be right about silicon.  Might not be a good choice for chainplates because they get worked hard and silicon is too flexible.  Bedding compound is made for that but dries out  over time.  The newer bedding compounds are supposed to be better.

Polysulfide is worth some extra expense to not have to do it again anytime soon.  Polysulfide seems to be harder to get these days.  Defender has it.
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|10918|12626|1414372&id=14348
Its almost twice the cost of 5200, but its the best stuff for the job.  3M also makes polysulfide (or used to).

Curtis

[Tim Gardner]

You can still get 2-part polysulfide from Smith & Co. in Richmond CA   1-800-234-0330

If you talk to Steve Smith - He may not recommend sulfides on FRP.    He thinks polyurethane sealants work better.

TG

[Craig Weis]

"loosen the chainplate and squoosh in some silicone rubber -
sound reasonable?"
OK but I think you'll be better off with 3-M 5200 slow set. As the factory did.

skip.

[Bob Condon]

A friend used 5200 on the standions for the lifelines on his Ericson. When the new owner
wanted to remove the standions, the 5200 held on to the fiberglass... perminently.

I would never use 5200

Amyy... make note to self... throw away 5200 and find where it was used by the
prvious owner...

Bob

[newt]

Bob, I find if the 5200 will not come off I use a heat gun with good results. Did your friend try that? The benefits of the 5200 is the flexibility and the waterproofness. I want it to adhere until I want it off....

[Bob Condon]

The friend did damage to the fiberglass on the decking.

On my Cape Dory, the chain plates are bolted on, so I remove the chainplate covers and fill with 50 year
silicon and screw the covers back down embedding the silicon into the covers and clean up the squeeze out.  That procedure  stopped the leaks.

[Craig Weis]

A friend used 5200 on the standions for the lifelines on his Ericson. When the new owner
wanted to remove the standions, the 5200 held on to the fiberglass... permanently.

I would never use 5200

Amyy... make note to self... throw away 5200 and find where it was used by the
previous owner...

Bob

The only reason that he could not remove said item held and sealed with 3-M 5200 slow set is zero heat was applied to loosen up the 5200.

When I removed my rudder casting bolted onto the transom with 4-1/4" bolts I needed to heat the bolt area in order to rubber hammer the casting off. I don't think we needed the bolts but I'll bet nobody would buy the boat if they didn't see the bolts holding the casting on.


Paint stripping gun to about 160 deg F. Or just barely able to touch the surface. About as hot as a black car's roof on a sunny beach.

That is how Hutchins Boat Building Company does it. Can't buy a better product then 3-M. IMHO.
skip.