Sealing winch on teak deck

[Streetcar]

Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere...

I need to re-mount a large (66) chrome winch base onto a teak deck. I only want to do this once so would be interested to hear any experience.
...Sealant?
...Preparation of:
- teak?
- black teak sealant?
- chrome winch base?

[roverhi]

Use acetone to remove the oil from the teak surface and bed with LifeCaulk or the polyurethane sealants like 4200. Be sure the fasteners are thoroughly coated with sealant. If you want to go whole hog, route out the core of the underlying FRP deck using Dremel tool and 199 bit, fill with thickened epoxy and redrill the holes. If there are no holes drill only down to the inner side of the FRP laminate so epoxy won't leak out. If the holes are already drilled seal them with duct tape. If there is a liner use a jack and timber to push it up flush with the deck laminate. If you don't, the epoxy will just spread out between the deck and liner. Have tried using household foam sealant with poor to disastrous success to corral the epoxy between deck and liner. If you use a backing plate and don't tighten the fasteners too tight, the epoxy isn't a must do, just a salve for your anal tendencies.

[Suijin]

If it were me I would buy a sheet of 1/16" neoprene rubber and put it between the deck and the winch, with holes for the winch mount bolts. Bolt the winch down and then take a razor and cut off the excess. You can buy the rubber at Home Depot. The compression of tightening the winch down will create a seal that will keep everything out, and its permanent yet easily undone if you need to take the winch off to service it.

[Jim Cate]

IMO, there is no particular need to seal the winch base to the deck. In fact, many winches have a drain channel so that water which inevitably gets into the winch has a means of escaping. Sealing the base will trap the water with unfortunate results. The fastener holes do need sealing, of course. If the deck is not horizontal in this area, be sure that the drain channel (if present) is on the downhill side!

Since you say this is a re-mount, one hopes that the deck was suitably reinforced in way of the winch by the builder. If there was any sign of distortion of the deck, further reinforcing might be in order.

Cheers,

Jim

[Cheechako]

I'll go with Roverhi. No reason to not use something like Lifecaulk. Just leave the drain channel open. You only need to seal around the bolt holes. to avoid core damage or quarter berth wet!

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I'll go with Roverhi. No reason to not use something like Lifecaulk. Just leave the drain channel open. You only need to seal around the bolt holes. to avoid core damage or quarter berth wet!

I fail to see what this sealant accomplishes. Water on the outside of the winch, water on the inside of the winch, a narrow line of sealant keeping the water from touching the bottom of the base. Won't hurt anything to put the sealant there, but it (IMO) help anything either.

Cheers,

Jim

[Streetcar]

Sorry, but one vital detail I left out. They are electric powered winches and so there is a large hole through the deck under the base for the drive shaft. However comments are useful. After considering them I will:
...use acetone to de-oil the teak surface
...use a polyurethane based sealant (like 4200)
...put a continuous bead of sealant around the large hole (and the bolt holes on the way)
...deck not cored, but i agree with roverhi on replacing any crushable core around bolt holes
...coat the bolts in sealant

Neoprene is an interesting idea, you may be right, but I am not convinced that it would be good to have something soft between the deck and a winch as highly loaded as this (its a 66:1). The contact needs to be solid with no room for any movement at all.

Thanks all