'Plastic' washer for deck fitting??

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pcatterall

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\'Plastic\' washer for deck fitting??

Having just re-decked my after deck I am concerned not to introduce more drips.
I have to fit an eybolt in the middle of the deck for the mizzen sheet . There is not much of a 'flange' around the bolt to give much area to make a seal. I wondered if there was some sort of hardish rubber washer for this kind of fitting rather than using sealant.
Deck is Tek Dek over epoxied ply plus backing pad.
Thanks as usual!!
 
Re: \'Plastic\' washer for deck fitting??

The problem is an eyebolt will tend to move a bit as the force on it moves around. I would countersink the top of the deck covering, so that you have a ring of sealant around the top of the bolt. A 3mm ring of sealant can stretch as the bolt moves, but a thin smear will fail, most sealants can be stretched 50-100% before failure. Perhaps better to change to a multi point fixing like a pad eye? A gasket is good to accomodate the movement, so long as it doesn't make the movement bigger.
Just my interpretation, waiting to hear others!
Hope that helps a bit, and good luck!
 
Re: \'Plastic\' washer for deck fitting??

lw395's comment re sealant is the way I would go but I would be tempted to add a s.s. washer to increase the spread and ensure sealant was pushed into the hole with the last 1" of bolt. I would also back up the nut with a similar washer, also sealed.
 
Re: \'Plastic\' washer for deck fitting??

Fwiw, Wichard do waterproof U-bolts- there's a rubber boot round the horns of the "U", and a hefty SS fishplate behind that. As you nut the boot down, the washer compresses and seals the thing onto the deck, and if you fill the underside of the rubber with sticky gloptious stuff, it'll never leak... Or ever come off, come to think of it!
 
Re: \'Plastic\' washer for deck fitting??

I have bolted both my jib track and main sheet track down using closed cell foam rubber and it works fine.

A plumbers type rubber washer would be fine but I would fit a big plain washer stainless steel washer under the eye bolt head to give a larger land for the rubber washer to seal with the deck.
 
Re: \'Plastic\' washer for deck fitting??

G'day Peter,

As this passes through ply I would be very concerned about any moisture entry as the repair could be very expensive.

Have you considered drilling a hole 30 mm oversize, filling it with epoxy mixed with Micro-fibres, than after curing, re drill and tap a thread for the eye bolt with a lock nut below deck.

This prevent any moisture problems with the ply and by adding a little thread tape also prevent any drips.

Just a thought.

Avagoodweekend......
 
Re: \'Plastic\' washer for deck fitting??

A better way would be to use a large 'U' bolt, probably 10mm size, as you would have two nuts securing it rather than one and less likely to twist as long as it's aligned port to starboard. As suggested the type with the plastic washers and a plate top and bottom would be best. Wichard are good, or look at a diamond deck plate which is fixed with four through bolts with a backing plate.
 
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