Resealing deck fittings

[Adrian]

Having bought my first boat a couple months ago, my first winter job is to reseal all the deck fittings as a few of them seem to be leaking. Can i use ordinary bathroom silicon sealer or do i have to use a special (expensive!) marine product?

 

[Guest]

We went through the same exercise last winter, you need to get specialist sealer cant remebre name, silkaflex or something silicate, I am sure other readers will give you the correct nam. It remains flexible even when continually wetted by sea water. You should also countersink/champfer all the holes in the deck etc this enables you to put a bead of sealer which stays in position when you put the fitting back. Our 30 yr old Hurley 22 has been bone dry all season.

 

[peterg]

Sikaflex....

available from most if not all chandlers and in different colours/types so check what each type does...

 

[davel]

Don't use ordinary household sealant. I did last winter and then spent the early part of the summer re-sealing everything. I don't know why it doesn't work, only that it doesn't !

 

[30boat]

Ordinary silcone rubber should be avoided because acetic acid is produced during cure and this could weaken fittings.Either use marine silicone or any polyurethane/polysulphide sealant

 

[Guest]

I had the same problem but the other way round. When we fitted a new bathroom last year, I tried two or three different kinds of bath sealer to fill the gap between tile and wall and after a short time it separated and leaked. In the end I cleaned off all the old bath sealant and used Sikaflex and then put the matching bathroom sealer on top after the Sikaflex had cured. Not leaked since. There are several different grades of Sikaflex, read the specs in the chandlers. 3M do an equivalent as well though I've not tried it.

 

[steve]

You don't have to buy Sikaflex itself. Any POLYURETHANE sealant will do. Can be had at half to one third the price of Siikaflex.