Re-apply marine sealant?

M

Martin_Cph

DEN 182275
When is it time to unscrew certain hull-fitting and reapply marine sealant/silicone to keep them waterproof? Marine sealant only stays 25-30% flexible the first 2 years – after that it hardens up.

I read that some of you blow compressed air into the hull while soaping it and looking for bubbles. Isn’t that a bit risky as the hull is not built for this kind of pressure? You apply force vectors in new directions?

I am also wooried about damaging the screwhole by cutting a new thread. Maybe I should just leave them in and assume that they are OK?
 
For the compressed air checking for leaks -
It wont damage the hull if you put a vacuum cleaner on reverse and hold it away from the drain plug or by or putting it half way over the drain plug. When doing this remember to seal the air hole at the front of the cockpit. Alternatively to a vacuum cleaner use lung power.
 
Martin_Cph said:
I read that some of you blow compressed air into the hull while soaping it and looking for bubbles. Isn’t that a bit risky as the hull is not built for this kind of pressure? You apply force vectors in new directions?
Click to expand...

No one here recommends using compressed air, just the opposite for the reasons you state.
 
Simply backing out the existing screws should not damage the hole. Just go slow with it.
 
Where is lung power going to take you? There is no way that you can detect small leaks with lung power....you can't hold/build pressure long enough for them to show.

Anyway..I also do most things alone...occasionally my dear wife will help me out.

“Honey..please blow the boat while soap it”…we all know the answer to that one.
 
Martin_Cph said:
Where is lung power going to take you? There is no way that you can detect small leaks with lung power....you can't hold/build pressure long enough for them to show.

Anyway..I also do most things alone...occasionally my dear wife will help me out.

“Honey..please blow the boat while soap it”…we all know the answer to that one.
Click to expand...


I love it when after I have been successfully doing something for thirty years some know it all comes along and tells me it is impossible.

Al it takes to check for soap bubbles is to blow a couple lung fulls of air into the drain hole....

then...

Walk around the boat and look for the bubbles.


If you hae a friend to do the looking, you don't even need to bother closing the tiny breather hole.
 
gouvernail said:
I love it when after I have been successfully doing something for thirty years some know it all comes along and tells me it is impossible.

Al it takes to check for soap bubbles is to blow a couple lung fulls of air into the drain hole....

then...

Walk around the boat and look for the bubbles.


If you hae a friend to do the looking, you don't even need to bother closing the tiny breather hole.
Click to expand...

If I knew it all I woldnt be in here...but thanks for your kind reply. I take it your boat was full of leaks since its was so easy to see with bubbles every where?
 
Martin_Cph said:
If I knew it all I woldnt be in here...but thanks for your kind reply. I take it your boat was full of leaks since its was so easy to see with bubbles every where?
Click to expand...


No, it's the exact opposite. If you have only one or two small leaks, ALL you need is simple lung power to pressurize the hull enough for the soapy water to bubble up. If you remember back to childhood days blowing bubbles, you got the best/biggest bubble with low pressure/volume. When you blew as hard as you could, you displaced all the soapy water off the wand and ended up with nothing..


Same principle.

It works.
 
Hi
The "soapy water"-test only works, if one is taping before the small breather hole under the hikingstrap. I only mention it, for those here, that do not have recognized, that there is a small breather hole...
View attached thumbnail photo below.
Ciao
LooserLu
 

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