Skin Fitting - Which Sealant?

[Hacker]

i’ll ask again then, what would you use to seal around the shower and to bed winches that need to be removed for maintenance?

For winches I would use butyl every time. For showers I would possibly use silicon.

 

[Hacker]

You’re going to seal a shower cubicle with Butyl tape?! I certainly wouldn’t use a non setting butyl for bedding winches it’d be squeezed out in no time and leak.

It doesn’t get fully squeezed out, just any excess. Never had a leak using it.

 

[lustyd]

It doesn’t get fully squeezed out, just any excess. Never had a leak using it.

Many, many people report leaks and having to retighten bolts as it gradually seeps. It’s the reason none of the boat manufacturers still use it as it doesn’t last as well as modern alternatives.

Either way, my point was that silicone absolutely does have a place on a boat, not under the waterline but saying never use it is ridiculous.

 

[fredrussell]

Many, many people report leaks and having to retighten bolts as it gradually seeps…

Seems to me it gets used and recommended by many people on this forum. I’ve never used it, but should I need a non adhesive sealant I’d be happy enough to use it. I’d also happily use silicon in a boat shower, just nowhere near anywhere that was likely to need painting or adhesives applied, by which I guess I mean the exterior of boat (see Vyv’s post #15)

 

[lustyd]

Seems to me it gets used and recommended by many people on this forum

As do CQR anchors. Technology and best practice move forwards but sailors often don’t.

 

[PaulRainbow]

As do CQR anchors. Technology and best practice move forwards but sailors often don’t.

Indeed and using silicone was never good practice on a boat. There is nothing on a boat that needs sealing that cannot be done with better products than silicone.

 

[Pye_End]

As do CQR anchors. Technology and best practice move forwards but sailors often don’t.

I must have missed the posts on here which spark the similar disdain for butyl sealants (except your's). It sounds like you have never tried it.

It is not for every application on a boat, but I have found butyl have considerable more longevity than 'modern sealants' - actually I don't think I have ever had one fail over time, unlike modern sealants. Your descriptions of failure by it all 'oozing out' are unfamiliar.

 

[xeitosaphil]

I use Saba Sealtack on all my skins. Even goes off under water and you can release it again if you want with heat. Also paintable.

SABA tack 750XL Adhesive Sealant
Sabatack 750XL Awarded PBO “Best For Metal” Award - June 2013 - Sabatack 750XL is a 1-component MS polymer-based 'universal adhesive sealant' for bonding and sealing both above & below the waterline.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

I use Saba Sealtack on all my skins. Even goes off under water and you can release it again if you want with heat. Also paintable.

SABA tack 750XL Adhesive Sealant
Sabatack 750XL Awarded PBO “Best For Metal” Award - June 2013 - Sabatack 750XL is a 1-component MS polymer-based 'universal adhesive sealant' for bonding and sealing both above & below the waterline.

Interesting.
I used polsulphides like Lifecaulk for many years before it went out of fashion. Curing underwater was very attractive at the time.

 

[lustyd]

Indeed and using silicone was never good practice on a boat. There is nothing on a boat that needs sealing that cannot be done with better products than silicone.

Shower cubicle? Bedding winches? If you’re going to say better products are available name them. Nothing at all wrong with silicone on a boat in the right place.

 

[lustyd]

I must have missed the posts on here which spark the similar disdain for butyl sealants (except your's). It sounds like you have never tried it.

It is not for every application on a boat, but I have found butyl have considerable more longevity than 'modern sealants' - actually I don't think I have ever had one fail over time, unlike modern sealants. Your descriptions of failure by it all 'oozing out' are unfamiliar.

It’s just a thick goop. Put it under something that tightens down and you have the choice to either tighten down until it’s gone or tighten until it seals. If the latter, you’ll have to regularly re-tighten and trim the excess. It’s just the nature of the product. It was great in its time but that time passed long ago. No boat manufacturers use it these days, it’s too fiddly, too messy and too ineffective. Clearly it still has a following among older sailors, and some young sailors try it as a result but most will regret it and replace later on.
I wasn’t really arguing against it in this thread though, just countering the idiotic statement that silicone has no place on a boat where clearly it does.

 

[Hacker]

I’d suggest that boat manufacturers never (well hardly ever) have to remove items that they’ve stuck down. As an owner, and boat restorer, that is an issue. It’s also good practice to check, and tighten if necessary, critical bolts/screws.

 

[Pye_End]

It’s just a thick goop. Put it under something that tightens down and you have the choice to either tighten down until it’s gone or tighten until it seals. If the latter, you’ll have to regularly re-tighten and trim the excess. It’s just the nature of the product. It was great in its time but that time passed long ago. No boat manufacturers use it these days, it’s too fiddly, too messy and too ineffective. Clearly it still has a following among older sailors, and some young sailors try it as a result but most will regret it and replace later on.

A not unexpected, dismissive reply. Plenty of people on these fora have tried it, and found it more successful in their situations, including me. Age is irrelevant, but not experience. Try it - you might be surprised and who knows, you might even change your mind.

I wasn’t really arguing against it in this thread though, just countering the idiotic statement that silicone has no place on a boat where clearly it doe

Like others, just putting an 'alternative viewpoint' to your statements on butyl sealants, based on first hand, direct use.

 

[lustyd]

I’d suggest that boat manufacturers never (well hardly ever) have to remove items that they’ve stuck down. As an owner, and boat restorer, that is an issue. It’s also good practice to check, and tighten if necessary, critical bolts/screws.

Indeed, but nevertheless they do use sensible stuff. My jeanneau had skin fittings fitted with Sika 291i and were easily removed. Winches bedded in clear silicone, easily removed and easy to clean up for re-fitting. Carpets stuck down with clear silicone, grippy and easy to replace.

Almost as of they know what they’re doing.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Shower cubicle? Bedding winches? If you’re going to say better products are available name them. Nothing at all wrong with silicone on a boat in the right place.

CT1, OB1, PU40, Sikaflex..... all good for showers, winches and anywhere else you need a sealant. CT1/OB1 are cheap enough, can be used on wet surfaces, will cure underwater, do not stop other sealants from curing, do not make surfaces where used unpaintable. Compared to silicon there are no downsides, only advantages. Silicon is a bodge.

See also, post #15 (amongst others).

 

[lustyd]

A not unexpected, dismissive reply. Plenty of people on these fora have tried it, and found it more successful in their situations, including me. Age is irrelevant, but not experience. Try it - you might be surprised and who knows, you might even change your mind.

Like others, just putting an 'alternative viewpoint' to your statements on butyl sealants, based on first hand, direct use.

You’ve never had to tighten down or trim butyl tape then? Interesting given the number of people who do have to, and the instructions indicating it’s needed. People have experience both ways, for some reason you assume I don’t have experience simply because that wouldn’t fit your narrative.

I do have experience. It’s not as good as modern alternatives and the industry agrees with that point and has long since stopped using it.

 

[lustyd]

CT1, OB1, PU40, Sikaflex..... all good for showers, winches and anywhere else you need a sealant. CT1/OB1 are cheap enough, can be used on wet surfaces, will cure underwater, do not stop other sealants from curing, do not make surfaces where used unpaintable. Compared to silicon there are no downsides, only advantages. Silicon is a bodge.

Adhesive sealants are not good for either use-case I mentioned. They’re extremely difficult to remove (by design) and hard to clean up as a result.
Silicone seals extremely well but can later be removed to service winches or replace bathroom/kitchen fittings. Do you use sikaflex on your home bathroom?

 

[PaulRainbow]

I wasn’t really arguing against it in this thread though, just countering the idiotic statement that silicone has no place on a boat where clearly it does.

Returned true to form i see. Can you not take part in a thread without calling people who disagree with you idiots ?

 

[PaulRainbow]

There was another discussion regarding silicone use on a boat a couple of years ago (probably lots of others too).

J

Thread 'Never use silicone sealant on a boat???'

24 Jan 2023

Once read on this forum that you should never use silicone sealant on a boat. Never quite understood the logic of this. On the opposite end of the spectrum a boat fitter told me to only use Sikaflex if you don't ever want to take the item off again. Recently I removed a cockpit speaker that had been fixed in place with Sikaflex and I had to pretty well destroy it to get it off.
What is the best advice related to fixatives and sealants?

• Jaguar 25
• Replies: 36
• Forum: Practical Boat Owner's Reader to Reader

 

[lustyd]

Returned true to form i see. Can you not take part in a thread without calling people who disagree with you idiots ?

I didn't, I said it was an idiotic statement, which it is as there are obviously uses for silicone sealant on boats and it is widely used on boats from all manufacturers.