# Rebeding Chain plate deck penetrations



## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

Seeing how winter weather patterns are starting to stare down our necks here in the PNW. I thought it a good Idea to re-bead my deck penetrations starting with my standing rigging.
I have 8 total rigging chain plate penetrations at the toe rail so I started here, I have know idea if this had ever been done to my boat before as you can see in the first picture the caulking is shrunk and indented below the covers allowing water to at least pool if not leak. Several of the 8 were still fairly gooey upon lifting the covers but several were fairly dry and flaky but yet still sort of elastic . There is evidence of water marking in a couple locations below deck so this definitely needed done.

This project took about 3 1/2 hours is all, and two good beer breaks ie: back breaks, were in that time frame also so if you have been puting it off DONT! it is so simple to do.

Tools and Materials I used were ..Cordless drill, flat blade screwdriver, pocket knife, wire brush and some emery cloth, Life Caulk and a couple paper towels...( some of you anal types will wipe the area first with some sort of solvent but I didnt bother with that step as the wire brushing and emery cloth took care of any contaminants.

I had a small tube of Life caulk so I used that. I would have used 3M 101 if Id had an open tube but was not going to open a large tube @ 24.00 for such a small project, I have seen other 3M sealents in small tubes but not 101 which I can not under stand so if you know a source please post it.

Here is an Original, as you can see the caulking is shrunk below the cover allowing water to pool even if it cant or dosent leak.









After removing the 4 cover screws and prying up with the flat bladed screw driver you can see that this particular one was still fairly gooey and elastic which is a good thing..However several were not this way and the cover basically popped right up..on these ones several of the screw holes were compromised and wet due to poor sealing.









After removal of all old sealant and wire brushing and sanding the area we're ready to re-bead..I also took the opportunity to inspect for any crevice corrosion, stress cracking or other imperfections as best I could given the small window of inspection such as it is.










I applied a good slathering of life caulk making sure contact was made all way around the chain plate and a good dab on all screw holes. I had misplaced the hand dandy nossal the comes with each tube of Live caulk which would have helped direct the caulking placement better but got the job done anyway.










I then lowered the cover in place and hand set each screw to center everything up so as not to smear the stuff all over the place.










Tightened everything down and moved on to the next one...Now here again you perfectionist types are going to wipe off this apparent extra bead of caulking off to give it that fine finished look..but I feel this extra squish out is a benefit to be left in place as no way can water pool up and be trapped...who looks there anyway?


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

I would prefer if those screws were thorough-bolts and that the surrounding glass was solid and not cored, which I hope is the case. Having an old C&C, I am paranoid about deck coring, and do the "drill and fill" at any opportunity, especially since I tore out the port genoa track due to core rot...

Other than that...good job! Now, tighten your chain plate bolts at the knees! I do this every year and I always get about a quarter-turn of play (4 bolts per plate...two ratchet wrenches make the job very quick!).


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## GaryHLucas (Mar 24, 2008)

Argh! Great pictures of the #1 cause of death for Good Old Boats! This just makes me angry, that boat designers are so bad that they do this kind of crap.

Some years ago I did research on sealing aluminum tracks to concrete. What I found out is that Silicone is the sealant of choice for this task, hands down. A properly applied silicone seal will move + or - 100% in compression, tension, and shear! Note that this is 100% of the thickness of the sealant. That means that if the chainplate passes tightly through the deck then the sealant thickness will be minimal to nonexistant. It also means that ANY motion of the chainplate will break the seal! There are boats out there with chainplates that do not move I would guess, but not that most of us can afford.

If you can't keep the chainplate from moving then the obvious answer is to make the sealant thick enough to allow the motion without breaking. So simply opening up the deck all around the chainplate to 1/4" or 3/8" and filling the gap with silicone will allow the chainplate to move up, down or sideways 1/4" to 3/8", and never break the seal! To keep silicone from leaking below while it cures you simply stuff the bottom of the gap with the foam backer rod made for this purpose.

Oh, and that cover plate? What a STUPID idea! Lets add some screw holes to leak too. And while we are at it, let's SHEAR the sealant right off the chainplate as it moves!

Finally, you've done all this work. How do you KNOW you still don't have a leak? One way that is easy and pretty fool proof is to use Joy dish washing detergent in a spray bottle, and look for air bubbles on the outside of the boat. To generate air pressure inside the boat just close all the hatches and vents, and install a piece of plywood in the companion way with a hole for a big shop vac hose, or a better yet a leaf blower. You can check every fitting on your boat in about an hour.


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## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

GaryHLucas said:


> Finally, you've done all this work. How do you KNOW you still don't have a leak? One way that is easy and pretty fool proof is to use Joy dish washing detergent in a spray bottle, and look for air bubbles on the outside of the boat. To generate air pressure inside the boat just close all the hatches and vents, and install a piece of plywood in the companion way with a hole for a big shop vac hose, or a better yet a leaf blower. You can check every fitting on your boat in about an hour.


Good idea...


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Whats the best way to go about this if there is no little plate around the chainplates? All 3 of mine are in lined up with the mast and all go through a big hole cut in the deck. Its a crappy way to do it, but thats how it was done long before i got the boat. Ive got to figure out a way to reseal them one ive got the bulkhead replaced. You can see how they enter the deck in the picture. The hole is all goobered up with 5200.


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## brak (Jan 5, 2007)

I have exactly the same chainplate setup on my boat. I actually was able to pull all (or most anyway) of sealant from around the chainplate going through the deck and even file the sides of the hole slightly wider - then seaed it back so that sealant went back into the deck and down below, as well as above.

The deck around is solid, of course - so no issues with core.

Here is what it looks like cleaned up:









Sealed (you can see where old gunk used to be all over the place)


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## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

SVDistantStar said:


> Whats the best way to go about this if there is no little plate around the chainplates? All 3 of mine are in lined up with the mast and all go through a big hole cut in the deck. Its a crappy way to do it, but thats how it was done long before i got the boat. Ive got to figure out a way to reseal them one ive got the bulkhead replaced. You can see how they enter the deck in the picture. The hole is all goobered up with 5200.


Bummer man...I think people should have to pass a test to buy 5200.. it is probably the most abused 3M product out there. OK stuff for the right application. Your probably gong to loose your gel coat trying to get that stuff off


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

There is no gelcoat there. Thats grey paint for cement floors. 

Yea the PO of my boat must have had stock in 3M since there are about 50 tubes onboard when i bought the boat. I spent at least 2 hours trying to remove the 5200 that was around the bottom of the mast where it comes through the deck. For some reason they tried to seal the hole around the mast from the bottom and not the top. Im lucky that the core isnt rotten.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

*Having dealt...*



GaryHLucas said:


> Some years ago I did research on sealing aluminum tracks to concrete. What I found out is that Silicone is the sealant of choice for this task, hands down. A properly applied silicone seal will move + or - 100% in compression, tension, and shear! Note that this is 100% of the thickness of the sealant. That means that if the chainplate passes tightly through the deck then the sealant thickness will be minimal to nonexistant. It also means that ANY motion of the chainplate will break the seal! There are boats out there with chainplates that do not move I would guess, but not that most of us can afford.
> 
> If you can't keep the chainplate from moving then the obvious answer is to make the sealant thick enough to allow the motion without breaking. So simply opening up the deck all around the chainplate to 1/4" or 3/8" and filling the gap with silicone will allow the chainplate to move up, down or sideways 1/4" to 3/8", and never break the seal! To keep silicone from leaking below while it cures you simply stuff the bottom of the gap with the foam backer rod made for this purpose..


Feel free to sue silicone on your boat but having worked in boat yards and having owned over 20 boats of my own I can assure you silicone is exactly the worst product to use for chain plates for exactly some of the reasons you point out such as movement.

Silicone permeates the gelcoat and permanently pollutes & contaminates it so that nothing will stick to it in the future, not even 5200 successfully. Short of grinding and sanding the surface and silicone residue away there is virtually nothing you can do. It may look clean, and you've even washed it with acetone, but hmmmm it's still beading water??

There are also no commercially available chemicals to safely strip silicone from fiberglass or gelcoat without causing damage. If there was such a product someone would be very rich as my boat yard alone would buy two 55 gallon drums in a heart beat!! The ill effects and future problems associated with silicones use is documented in reports all over the sailing/web world and by those of use who have extensively worked on boats where owners used silicone.

There are very few good uses for silicone on boats due to it's profuse contamination of the surface and it's low adhesion properties. It also does not like to stick to stainless steel so in a chain plate it really is an overall poor choice.

Better choices for chain plates would include:

Sikaflex 291 = 220psi or 3M 4200/UV4000 = 300psi or 3M 101 or Life Caulk = Both about 140 PSI adhesion

I personally prefer 3M 101 due to it's natural UV resistance and ease of removal for future re-beddings. It also sticks to stainless steel very well when compared to silicone. My second choice, and one I've used many times, is Sikaflex 291. For a one part poly it has surprisingly good UV resistance and a good bond to stailnless.

Here's a quick run down:

3M UV 4000 is a one part polyurethane with UV inhibitors added. It has a elongation before break of 800% and a tensile strength of 300 PSI.

3M 4200 is a one part polyurethane with NO UV inhibitors added. It has a elongation before break of 900% and a tensile strength of 300 PSI.

3M UV 4000 is basically, spec wise, 4200 with UV inhibitors added which reduces is elongation before break slightly. This should NOT be a concern as 300 PSI is much more than necessary anyway.

3M 101 is a one part POLYSULFIDE! Polysulfides have a natural UV resistance and are the premier product for use in teak decks where UV rays bash them day in and day out. Polyurethanes do not do well with UV so UV inhibitors are added. 3M 101 has a tensile strength of 139 PSI and an elongation before break of 416%. Polysulfides are not compatible with some plastics.

Sikaflex 291 is also a one part polyurethane with a preferred lower adhesion than UV 4000 or 4200.. It offers an elongation at break of roughly 600% and is the easiest one part polyurethane sealant to get off in the future at roughly 221 PSI!

3M Marine Silicone offers the lowest adhesion of any 3M sealant and also the LOWEST elongation before break of any of the marine rated 3M sealants. 3M 4200 and 3M UV 4000 for example offer nearly double the flexibility before separation/break than does 3M Marine Silicone. 3M Silicone also has a very weak bond to metal and is only suggested for bedding or caulking metals by 3M not "adhering" to them as you actually need in a chain plate. 4200 and 4000 get an "H" rating on metal which mean they have a "High" strength bond to stainless. If the joint is moving, as chain plates do, you want a product that offers not only good elongation before break but also a decent level of adhesion to both the metal and the fiberglass. You also want one that won't have contaminated the surface for the next round of re-bedding to stick to.

So what's the bottom line? Both polysulfides & polyurethanes offer more elongation before break and adhere better to stainless than does silicone and they won't contaminate the surface for future re-beddings..

The advice about making the gap bigger around the chain plate is spot on! I bevel mine at about a 45 degree angle to get a nice thick gasket. If the deck is cored arond the chain plates remove them, dig out the core and back fill with thickened epoxy! On many production boat the chain plates are bolted to "screwed in" bulkheads, a poor & corner cutting design choice IMHO, and they WILL move!!

Again it's your boat and all I can do is present my findings & years and years of seeing silicone wreak havoc on boat decks and cores...

StillRaining,

The only thing I would add would be to slightly countersink or bevel those screw holes to create an o-ring effect of sealant. I would have also dug into the area around the chain plates and made them bigger and really cleaned the stainless chain plates al the way through the deck to get a good bond of the new 3M 101..

This hole has been countersunk and will create a nice thick o-ring of sealant around the machine screw head:


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## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

Main...Do you use a dremel tool for this ? I mean you can see what kind of room I have to work in..Hind sight would have been to do this when rig was down.. I aint going there again for a VERY long time.

Oh shoot what am I thinking... I could always slack off , disconnect and do one at a time. That way getting everything out of the way....Next year maybe..Im getting close to SAILING...


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## brak (Jan 5, 2007)

halekai36 said:


> The advice about making the gap bigger around the chain plate is spot on! I bevel mine at about a 45 degree angle to get a nice thick gasket. If the deck is cored arond the chain plates remove them, dig out the core and back fill with thickened epoxy! On many production boat the chain plates are bolted to "screwed in" bulkheads, a poor & corner cutting design choice IMHO, and they WILL move!!


Actually one reason I had to increase the hole around the chainplates was to remove remnants of old silicone sealant. I had to file down some GRP with silicone in/on it (and chisel surface around the plates).

I am still wondering how this new Sikaflex 521 product will work out and whether it has any "siliconish" component in it. It's been doing well so far but that's only one season.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

brak said:


> Actually one reason I had to increase the hole around the chainplates was to remove remnants of old silicone sealant. I had to file down some GRP with silicone in/on it (and chisel surface around the plates).
> 
> I am still wondering how this new Sikaflex 521 product will work out and whether it has any "siliconish" component in it. It's been doing well so far but that's only one season.


Is 521 the hybrid with "silane" in it??


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

Stillraining said:


> Main...Do you use a dremel tool for this ? I mean you can see what kind of room I have to work in..Hind sight would have been to do this when rig was down.. I aint going there again for a VERY long time.
> 
> Oh shoot what am I thinking... I could always slack off , disconnect and do one at a time. That way getting everything out of the way....Next year maybe..Im getting close to SAILING...


Yes I use either my Dremel or my chisels chisels need to be very, very sharp and yes they will and can make clean shaves in fiberglass but bring your diamond stone with you to the boat!!

The Dremel is MUCH easier...


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## brak (Jan 5, 2007)

halekai36 said:


> Is 521 the hybrid with "silane" in it??


Yep, that's the one (as per spec sheet "Sikaflex-521 UV is a multi-purpose, UV resistant, non-sag, elastic, one-part silane-terminated polymer").

They are adamant that "it is silicone free". I guess the only way to find out is to remove it at some point and see if it creates silicone-like residue on the surface.

It does not feel "silicony" (i.e. it's surface is not slick the way silicone bead would be) and water does not seem to bead up on it, though I don't have a large enough surface to be sure.


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## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

Valiente said:


> I would prefer if those screws were thorough-bolts and that the surrounding glass was solid and not cored, which I hope is the case. Having an old C&C, I am paranoid about deck coring, and do the "drill and fill" at any opportunity, especially since I tore out the port genoa track due to core rot...
> 
> Other than that...good job! Now, tighten your chain plate bolts at the knees! I do this every year and I always get about a quarter-turn of play (4 bolts per plate...two ratchet wrenches make the job very quick!).


Val: After doing some research you are right there is no wood in the hull to deck flange area of my boat, so these must have been striped out treads in the fiberglass..while not good far superior to wet and rotten wood.
I really had minimal space to work and or see to accomplish this task so I was wrong on my assumption.

The more I do on my boat the more I find out I dont know.....But Im taking good notes..


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## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

halekai36 said:


> StillRaining,
> 
> The only thing I would add would be to slightly countersink or bevel those screw holes to create an o-ring effect of sealant. I would have also dug into the area around the chain plates and made them bigger and really cleaned the stainless chain plates al the way through the deck to get a good bond of the new 3M 101..


10-4 will do....Thanks


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Still-

When counter sinking the holes...run the counter sink bit in reverse... not forwards... it'll do a nice job but not so agressively that if your concentration lapses, you'll have a big hole to fix.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

sailingdog said:


> Still-
> 
> When counter sinking the holes...run the counter sink bit in reverse... not forwards... it'll do a nice job but not so agressively that if your concentration lapses, you'll have a big hole to fix.


Yes!! I forgot to mention that or do as I do and retire your metal working countersink bits to fiberglass use on the boat and at that point they will be dull enough to not be so aggressive...


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## brak (Jan 5, 2007)

Or use manual drill. I drill most holes in fiberglass (and wood) using the hand operated drill (Fiskars thingy) - easy to stop when needed, and generally limits damage.


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## WinterRiver (Oct 20, 2006)

I have a hand countersink, and it works great. Light, no power needed, and the ultimate in control. 

Been using it a lot lately  .


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## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

Got it ..Thanks guys...I actually have one of thoes bits that belonged to my Dad..it's probably just right now , good and dull ..for fiberglass use in forward..as I can remember getting introuble or paddled for using a bunch of his tools with out asking for who knows what...


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## GaryHLucas (Mar 24, 2008)

SVDistantStar said:


> Whats the best way to go about this if there is no little plate around the chainplates? All 3 of mine are in lined up with the mast and all go through a big hole cut in the deck. Its a crappy way to do it, but thats how it was done long before i got the boat. Ive got to figure out a way to reseal them one ive got the bulkhead replaced. You can see how they enter the deck in the picture. The hole is all goobered up with 5200.


If you have one large hole I think that this looks worse than it is. There is a solvent for removing 5200, I've seen it in West Marine. One of the boat magazines tested it and found that it actually worked quite well.

I think the real problem here is that the big hole is not uniformly spaced around the chainplates. I'd open up the hole around the chainplates to about 1/4" to 3/8" all around at a minimum, all the way through the deck, so that the deck DOESN'T touch the chainplates at any point. You could do this with dremel, but use great care not to nick the chainplates if you can't remove them. Then I'd use putty (electricians Duxseal would be good) to seal temporarily around the chainplates from the bottom inside the boat. You want the sealnt to reach all the way to the inner skin of the deck, so don't push the putty up into the hole. Then masking tape neatly around the hole on the deck, and wrap masking tape around the stays down to say 1/4" from the deck. Finally I'd fill the big hole with 5200 from the bottom up using the spout on the tube to reach down to the bottom. I'd fill the entire gap until it is slightly above the deck so water will run off. You should be able to use a wet finger to smooth the 5200 a tiny bit. However with the big hole I think gravity will level it pretty good for you. Pull off the putty and the masking tape and you should have a good looking seal that will last a VERY long time.

Go sailing!


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## GaryHLucas (Mar 24, 2008)

halekai36 said:


> Feel free to sue silicone on your boat but having worked in boat yards and having owned over 20 boats of my own I can assure you silicone is exactly the worst product to use for chain plates for exactly some of the reasons you point out such as movement.
> 
> Silicone permeates the gelcoat and permanently pollutes & contaminates it so that nothing will stick to it in the future, not even 5200 successfully. Short of grinding and sanding the surface and silicone residue away there is virtually nothing you can do. It may look clean, and you've even washed it with acetone, but hmmmm it's still beading water??


I have to say that I agree with you about all the bad side effects of silicone, and from your data I goofed in what I said about silicone being the best in terms of joint motion. One of the reasons I recommended the silicone is because I am aware of all the bad attributes of silicone, and I have gotten really good results when it is properly applied. I try to do things just once. So the fact that silicone applied properly will last many many years appeals to me. Every sealant known to man will fail horribly when applied to the wrong joint!


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## Skipaway (Jun 2, 2008)

Stillraining said:


> I can remember getting introuble or paddled for using a bunch of his tools with out asking


Did it work? I'm having problems with the grandkids; the stern voice only prompts an abeyance for a few days. Oops, while pertinent, this probably deserves a new thread in a different forum.


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## brak (Jan 5, 2007)

The product that removes 5200 (and any other polyurethane) is called Debond, I have a couple of cans of that - works like a charm. Spray a bit on the edge of sealant, let stand, pry the loosened bond and spray some more. I used it to remove an entire rim of a large hatch that was glued using 5200. 

Probably not good for health though. The website of the company is no longer available but the product is still for sale at a few online stores (as Debond 2000 marine formula)


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## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

Skipaway said:


> Did it work? I'm having problems with the grandkids; the stern voice only prompts an abeyance for a few days. Oops, while pertinent, this probably deserves a new thread in a different forum.


Yes but there are ramifications for life you will be imparting that you need to be aware of.

I cant pass a tool store with out spending money..even if I already own 2 or 3 of what ever their selling I figure I must have either lost or ruined them by now so I must need another...

Drives the wife crazy...


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## brak (Jan 5, 2007)

In case you are interested, I experimented with 521 a bit this weekend. It does not appear to share the less pleasant qualities of silicone. Water does not bead up on its surface, and it seems to remove pretty cleanly without leaving the slippery residue like silicon. It does have a tendency to spread on the surface kinda like playdough when rubbed vigorously, but the residue is not slippery and can still be removed (this also may be a result of partial cure, I tested on the sealant that cured for about a day). It also seems to have relatively weak bond (compared to 5200) as was expected.

So, at this point it is my favorite adhesive - but I'll watch it for long term performance.



halekai36 said:


> Is 521 the hybrid with "silane" in it??


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

brak-

Thanks for the update.


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## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

*Drying out the deck area*

This is a great thread! When I bought my boat the surveyor said that I should rebed all the chain plates. He used a device to check for moisture and said overall the boat had very little but that the area around the chain plates needed a little work.

He suggested that I do them one at a time, loosening the turnbuckle a few turns. Then remove the plate, and put an electric light bulb there for a week or so to dry the area out. Then apply the bedding.

I was thinking I would unstep the mast this winter and do them all at once, but now I am thinking that's not necessary, having seen all these pictures of what you guys have done.

What do you guys think about the idea of drying it all out before putting in the new bedding compound?


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## brak (Jan 5, 2007)

One more thing on the 521 - after about 3 months on deck sealing chainplates it is still absolutely brilliant white. Sika 291 was getting pretty yellow by this point.

I am not ready to call it a miracle product yet, but it seems to stand up well to the claims.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Don't forget to mark the turnbuckles very clearly. Also, don't forget to use a halyard or something similar to secure the mast when you're working on the chainplates...


jarcher said:


> This is a great thread! When I bought my boat the surveyor said that I should rebed all the chain plates. He used a device to check for moisture and said overall the boat had very little but that the area around the chain plates needed a little work.
> 
> He suggested that I do them one at a time, loosening the turnbuckle a few turns. Then remove the plate, and put an electric light bulb there for a week or so to dry the area out. Then apply the bedding.
> 
> ...


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## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

jarcher said:


> This is a great thread! When I bought my boat the surveyor said that I should rebed all the chain plates. He used a device to check for moisture and said overall the boat had very little but that the area around the chain plates needed a little work.
> 
> He suggested that I do them one at a time, loosening the turnbuckle a few turns. Then remove the plate, and put an electric light bulb there for a week or so to dry the area out. Then apply the bedding.
> 
> ...


Drying them out is a very good Idea for adheasion... mine were not wet anywhere but several screw holes by the way..but I dont think they need a week.. if you go the route evidently suggested to do them realy properly by opening them up all round clear through the deck with a power tool just that heat alone will more then likely dry things out pretty well ..But if your doing it like I did a hair drier will dry what area your sealing and the rest will dry from the inside once water cant penetrate any more.


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## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

SD, when you say "mark the turnbuckles" you mean marking their position before I loosened them? I was told about the hylard as well, thanks for reminding me!

StillRaining, I asked the surveyor about using a hair dryer and he said that would work but he felt that a slower drying approach was better. Not sure why. Is it necessary to cut back the deck each time the chain plate is lifted, or only if the deck is right up against the tang? I'm thinking there are only so many times it can be cut back, and this hull is 31 years old.


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## US27inKS (Feb 6, 2005)

This is a great thread, I can't believe I missed it until now.

My boat has a similar chainplate setup. I was having issues with leaks because of the chainplates moving and shearing off the sealant at the outer plate. I reinforced the bulkhead to deck tabbing and resealed, and they leaked again next time the boat left the slip. I ground out the deck around the chainplates, and injected thickened epoxy around the chainplates to reduce the amount of movement possible between the deck and chainplates, then reseal with 4200. Still leaks.

The solution was to create a bevel in the deck around the chainplates and pack the bevel with butyl tape that is used for setting windows, then reinstall the covers. The butyl tape never dries up. It stays gooey and a bit fluid. Even as the chainplates move the butyl tape moves with it, and if it were sheared it would reseal itself. Best of all, it's cheap. I bought a roll of butyl tape for ten bucks for another project. I'll bet a local glass shop would give you a foot or so, more than enough to seal chainplates.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Yes, so you can get the rig back to the approximate tension that it was at before you started mucking around with the chainplates.  Beats having to start from scratch. 

As for cutting back the deck, it should only be neccesary if the deck is right up against the tang.


jarcher said:


> SD, when you say "mark the turnbuckles" you mean marking their position before I loosened them? I was told about the hylard as well, thanks for reminding me!
> 
> StillRaining, I asked the surveyor about using a hair dryer and he said that would work but he felt that a slower drying approach was better. Not sure why. Is it necessary to cut back the deck each time the chain plate is lifted, or only if the deck is right up against the tang? I'm thinking there are only so many times it can be cut back, and this hull is 31 years old.


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## JSailer (Mar 11, 2005)

I realize this is a little older thread but I enjoyed reading it as I am dealing with a bulkhead issue on the port side. The bottom 2 inches are coming off the hull under high tension from the shrouds on the starboard tack of course.
So, I am going to clean up and re-tab the back section (30 yr old O'Day).
I am however considering a friend's suggestion to just move the chain plate to the outside of the hull, with a backing plate of course on the inside of the hull.
I realize I will lose a few degrees of sheeting angle for the genoa, but I am not too concerned as it seems so little. I do believe it would make the whole thing very solid and I wouldn't have to ever worry about the bulkhead roting, coming off the hull, etc. And of course, never have to worry again about potential leaks on deck from the chainplates.
Does that make any sense?
Any suggestions?
I really do not see the cons beside the sheeting angle. The chainplates are currently about 3 inches from the rail. The work appears simple enough...
I just seems like thru deck chainplates are a poor design and always subject to trouble on any boat.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

This is probably a good idea.  Just make sure that the new chainplates are very well fastened to the hull. Countersink the fastener holes and use a good sealant, like 3M 4200, for the chainplates.


JSailer said:


> I realize this is a little older thread but I enjoyed reading it as I am dealing with a bulkhead issue on the port side. The bottom 2 inches are coming off the hull under high tension from the shrouds on the starboard tack of course.
> So, I am going to clean up and re-tab the back section (30 yr old O'Day).
> I am however considering a friend's suggestion to just move the chain plate to the outside of the hull, with a backing plate of course on the inside of the hull.
> I realize I will lose a few degrees of sheeting angle for the genoa, but I am not too concerned as it seems so little. I do believe it would make the whole thing very solid and I wouldn't have to ever worry about the bulkhead roting, coming off the hull, etc. And of course, never have to worry again about potential leaks on deck from the chainplates.
> ...


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## GaryHLucas (Mar 24, 2008)

This sounds simple, however I think the job is much more complicated because the boat has a toe rail that extends out beyond the hull. This will be in the way of the chainplates. So you would either need to pad them out away from the hull leaving a really nasty obstruction to hit docks. Or you'd have cut away the toe rail which would leave a joint that would be impossible to seal. There is a good reason they pucnh them through the deck!

Gary H. Lucas


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