Best Sealant for Deck Gear

Y

yachtorion

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 Oct 2009
Messages
1,025
Visit site
I've got a lot of deck gear to re-bed, cleats etc. I'm wondering which sealant to use.

  • Sikaflex 291 - old faithful, messy, expensive, cleanup a pain. Happy to take gelocat with it when removed.
  • Arboseal BR - non setting, not much experience, often used on hatches.
  • Butyl tape - cheap, not messy, removal difficult later
  • Neoprene closed cell foam - used this on the Windows. Clean, Cheap, easy. Long lived though?
Anyone got any thoughts? :)
 
butyl tape.. It is not difficult to remove at a later date. It is also delightfully easy to manipulate and shape to fit.
 
My 2p's worth.

My modus operandi.

I now use Butyl tape for all bolted down deck fittings.

Arbomast BR mastic for screwed fittings that require watertightness.

BTW, C&N used Butyl mastic sealant (similar to Arbomast BR) back in the 70s/80s for the hull fittings on my yacht. They would do a couple of wraps of caulking cotton around the fitting neck within the sealant to give it a bit of extra 'body'.

35 years on, no leaks.
 
Last edited:
Quorning who make Dragonfly trimarans use butyl rubber sealant & it never seems to leak. The biggest advantage is it never quite sets so getting a fitting off again is easy. I had to replace a portlight & it came out with a simple prise after removing the bolts. The original sealant was still in good condition, hadn't set, and I reused it.
 
If Buying window marketed Butyl Tape get the double sided stuff (for butt joint sealing) the single sided tape comes attached to a foil (for sealing over lap joints) and it cant be removed from the tape with ease.
 
+1 for butyl tape for deck fittings. Some of mine have been down for 45 years and still no leaks!!! I took some fittings off my previous boat, they had been down since 1966 and it looked like new!!!

A detailed blow by blow "how to" http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/rebedding_hardware

Abormast BR is better for things like widow frames where you can't get as much pressure on as a cleat when you tighten it up.
 
JumbleDuck said:
How about polysulfide? Stinks but works.
Click to expand...

Arbromast is polysulphide, not easy to get hold of now as Sika (and other polyurethanes) has grabbed the market. My choice for bedding fittings for reasons stated earlier. Just bought a tube to use refit all the deck fittings on my new teak deck.
 
Tranona said:
Arbromast is polysulphide, not easy to get hold of now as Sika (and other polyurethanes) has grabbed the market. My choice for bedding fittings for reasons stated earlier. Just bought a tube to use refit all the deck fittings on my new teak deck.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I have used Lifecalk polysulfide, which used to be easily available, then wasn't available and now seems to be available again. I like it because it stays flexible and, though it sticks, doesn't stick as irrevocably as Sikaflex.
 
parsifal said:
CT1
Click to expand...
CT1 is a very good adhesive/ sealer if that is what you want. However, with deck fittings, its not necessary to stick the fitting to the deck, the bolts, screws etc will provide mechanical strength and the compression to squash whatever gasket material is used. In the past, a rubber gasket would have been used with no adhesion at all. My criteria for gasket material are :- non-messy, durable and easy to remove if necessary. This rules out any excessively sticky products such as PU40, SIKA 291 and CT1. At the moment I prefer butyl tape but have yet to try removing it after several years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top