What Doesn't Leak ?

[ssanzone]

while i know the projects never end... i am starting to wonder if there are mean people running around the yard at night making more problems.

every time i turn around...

in this case... stanchion beds are crap and go drippy drip drip (like chinese water torture on my head while laying in glass over my head).

being a man who believes in doing things right the 1st time, i am inclined to pull all the stanchions, fill and fair the deck, prime, paint and reinstall.

being a man who wants to actually get back in the water... i am inclined to find an easier / quicker solution.

so... is there a corner to cut here that i wont regret later?

thoughts?

-steve

[Target9000]

Pull the stanchion, drill out the holes bigger, epoxy fill, drill a new hole for the bolt, countersink the hole. Install with butyl tape. It sounds complicated but we redid 4 of them in like 2 hours that way, minus the time for the epoxy to set up. They'll not leak and they will not rot your deck. This is one repair worth doing right.

[zeehag]

dont forget a GOOD backing plate.....

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Target9000

Pull the stanchion, drill out the holes bigger, epoxy fill, drill a new hole for the bolt, countersink the hole. Install with butyl tape. It sounds complicated but we redid 4 of them in like 2 hours that way, minus the time for the epoxy to set up. They'll not leak and they will not rot your deck. This is one repair worth doing right.

Sometimes it's the hull joint. I don't know what it is with boat builders, why they don't permanently attach the deck to the hulls and add a stiffer cap rail to reinforce the constantly abused stanchions.

I've tried resealing stanchion bases and it's only good for a short while. So this is what I ended up doing.
It took me all summer but nary a drop one!

.

[Target9000]

Delmarrey,

Your work continues to be beautiful and perfect, however, I really doubt the OP wants to undertake that sort of project given the nature of his inquiry. :P

[zeehag]

i believe hank made fiberglassed over hull to deck joints. neither of mine had that kind of leak problem, however,the stanchion bases DO tend to become leaky.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Target9000

Delmarrey,

Your work continues to be beautiful and perfect, however, I really doubt the OP wants to undertake that sort of project given the nature of his inquiry. :P

I'm not trying to convince anyone to do anything, just complaining (bragging?) about the work that should be overtaken in building boats.

It seems the smaller (under 40-45') boats get short cut when it comes to construction. I've had to deal with this on every boat I've owned, one in which resulted in dry rot. Stanchions are a sore in the side of builders. All that engineering and they forget one of the most abused parts of a boat.

I would agree with the butyl as a good temporary fix. It's self sealing if over stressed.

[hmsindy]

before you go crazy, simply add rubber gaskets. the uv won't see them and so won't degrade.

[Amapola]

Do it right or it will only get worse and it will be an even bigger job.

[ssanzone]

for context, the only thing the original and previous own enjoyed more than drilling holes in the mast is drilling holes in the bottom of the boat (represented by 2 speed paddles less than an inch from each other and 4 (are u kidding me) depth transducers and... wait for it... 19 thru hulls (in a 40' boat)).

considering things like thru hulls, there are many things that need to be done b4 i get back in the water. adding stanchion repair is just annoying (but i cant put in the new headliner or bulkheads with water dripping in from the deck).

okay... i concede, they need to be done right.

i will pull, drill and fill.

do i need 5200 or something or just properly drilled holes with backing plates? it 3/16" thick enough for backing plates?

i guess the 'good news' is with the stanchions gone fairing the deck will be easier and now i can embrace my love of awlgrip all over again.

-steve

[zeehag]

5200 is glue, not a bedding compound. use epoxy with the screw holes and bedding compound or butyl tape on the stanchion bases.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by zeehag

5200 is glue, not a bedding compound. use epoxy with the screw holes and bedding compound or butyl tape on the stanchion bases.

+1

[barnakiel]

Poorly designed things will leak no matter what. Re-design the element, re-do the job and stay dry for ever. If you go the easy way and JUST fix it, then it will drip again and you will start hating yourself.

On our boat stanchion bases are posts that extend from the topsides. They are laminated into the upper edge. Stanchions are pipes and slide over the posts. You may rip a base out and the boat will never leak there! Nothing passes thru the deck and there are no screws either.

b.

[ssanzone]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

On our boat stanchion bases are posts that extend from the topsides. They are laminated into the upper edge. Stanchions are pipes and slide over the posts. You may rip a base out and the boat will never leak there! Nothing passes thru the deck and there are no screws either.

b.

have a pic? how is there nothing that passes thru the deck? do i understand correctly that you have a block that is attached to the deck with the stanchion attached to (but not thru) the block? what do you do about backing plates or is there enough structural integrity from the lamination you mentioned to eliminate the need for a backing plate.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by ssanzone

have a pic? how is there nothing that passes thru the deck? do i understand correctly that you have a block that is attached to the deck with the stanchion attached to (but not thru) the block? what do you do about backing plates or is there enough structural integrity from the lamination you mentioned to eliminate the need for a backing plate.

Hi,

Took me a while as it is midnight here and it took some twitching to take anything like a decent picture with our anything but decent camera. Then our netbook froze when I tried to upload.

Anyways, I hope the picture explains.

The posts are rod, they extend some 2'' from their GRP supports, the stanchions slide onto the posts, it is all external to the hull/deck. It is mighty strong and when two stanchions got bent flat in a knock-down, there was not even a crack in the structure. It is all built externally to the hull so any damage will never result in a leak.

There are no backing plates.

There are no screws.

Nothing goes thru the deck.

What you see in the pic is the bottom portion of the stanchion - stanchions are made of 25mm pipe. They slide onto the posts as described above.

Simple, strong, watertight, maintenance free. That's the way they built boats in Sweden once.

b.