OK folks - starter for ten- I get to it at 8am. SKINFITTING

Seakindly

Seakindly

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I have said skin fitting (blakes 1.5 inch) and a plate for outside, and bolts and a tube of sikaflex. I also have a wooden pad with holes in all the right places and smothered in many coats of varnish. Early tomorrow I shall assemble all in hopefully the correct order and they can launch the boat (again). The point is, in what order do I do what? Currently I have FIVE holes in the hull - four for bolts and one for outlet. Do I smother the lot in sikaflex and wrench it all together, or fit and fix the pad and later fit the seacock, plate and so on? Any advice on sound skin-fitting procedure welcome..
 
You'll be working on wet Sikafles so.....put it all together and then bolt up so you don't put strain on your hull seal until it cures. A scrap of wood might be needed for temporary support.
 
Quote: "Wow, that's quick, but I'm confused, or more probably stupid. I'm replacing a through-hull (heads) outlet and wondering about best practice in making a reliable installation. Unsure where temp support comes in. "

You didn't say it was your heads did you? I assumed you were going to mount a bloody great heavy sea-cock onto a skin fitting, that's where the support would have come in!

Perception and understanding fade with age - sorry!
 
The ideal is to make a sandwich with the Sika (although I would use a Polysulphide such as Boatlife because you are then able to take it apart in the future), bolt it together just more than finger tight, leave it 24 hours and then tighten the nuts. That way the sealer forms a compressed gasket. Trim off the surplus so it all looks neat and then launch. Would advise against doing it all in one day, although I have done it successfully with Boatlife which cures underwater.
 
It's a Blakes so it's skin fitting and sea-cock all-in-one. So fit it all at the same time, using sealant (sikaflex or equiv) between outer plate & hull, Hull & inner wooden pad, seacock, and on all the bolt threads. tighten up evenly. Leave to cure, then relaunch.

Remember to check for any leaks while launching, just in case.
 
Problem with Sika is that it IS adhesive and therefore a devil if you ever want to remove the fitting. Boatlife is widely available as far as I know - I have only ever bought it from Cobbs Quay chandlery, but probably no good for you!
 
I have always avoided any timber of any sort on below waterline fittings, it get can and invariably will get wet, if not from outside then from inside.

Timber and water are not a good, varnish is not the best waterproofing for timber.

Consider a stainless steel plat, a fibreglass pad or at least coat the timber (after removing the varnish) with epoxy.

I hope this helps.

Avagoodweekend......
 
[ QUOTE ]
Timber and water are not a good

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd better remember that when I'm on my 40 year old wooden boat this weekend /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
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