Posted by Lorman, Alvin J. (ajlorman@…>)
I almost entirely with the wisdom expressed in this email. But I find that my boat, a 1987 F30, was built a bit differently. When I removed the headliner to rebed winches, replace deck organizers and rope clutches, I found that everything was bedded in silicone. While I quite agree that silicone should only be used for ports and hatches, and there are those who won’t even permit silicone on their boats, I was pleasantly surprised at the minimal or nonexistent leakage I discovered. Unless some PO replaced whatever TPI used, I have to say that silicone – and TPI – did a pretty good job that lasted almost 20 years. In fact, the only places I’ve discovered any moisture in the core was around the deck fills, where TPI not only used silicone, but didn’t bother to use nuts and bolts, simply screws. Thankfully, the damage was minimal.
Al Lorman
F30 Ab Initio
-----Original Message-----From: freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com [mailto:freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of macks011Sent: Monday, April 24, 2006 8:49 AMTo: freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.comSubject: [freedomyachts2003] Re: Use of silicone sealantThe common industry wisdom is as follows: Silicone sealants are for ports and hatches only. Polysulfides (Life caulk, 3M 101, etc) are for all above and below water bedding operations. Polyurethanes, also known as Screw the Next Guy in a Tube, (sika flex, 3M 4200, 3M5200) are basicaly used for areas that wil never, ever be removed, hull deck jts, drive struts. Freedom liberally used 5200, on their older boats, as their universal bedding material for production and warentee issues and as a result skipped certain higher cost production practices that we have come to expect in a quality boat.Just because you don’t see a leak doesn’t mean its not there. A case in point: TPI built my Freedom. It is listed in Ferenc Mate’s “The Worlds Best SailBoats”, primarilly for Mate’s admiration for TPI’s knowledge and practice in FRP cored construction. Not one penetration on my boat was epoxy cored, as is the universal recomendation. TPI relied on the then miraculous qualities of polyurethane to eliminate the costly practice of epoxy coring. The result was a well built, dry boat whose owners went far longer than the norm before discovering leaks.However, when leaks were discoverd, fixing them properly proves to be more laborious than if the penetrations were cored.I enoy my boat, and would buy another Freedom in a heartbeat. You just have to keep your eyes open.— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “michel.capel” <michel.capel@…> wrote:>> Hi,> > I’m currently stripping everything (yes, really everything except > the toe rail) off my deck to have my F44 spraypainted. When removing > hardware, handrails and hatches, I often find silicone sealant. I > hope it was not used by builder TPI, because that would lower my > esteem of this company. Almost all siliconed points have leaked and > the silicone has lost its adhesion properties. I also often find a > true marine sealant, and most of the times, these points have not > leaked. Mind you, this boat is 25 yrs old. > > I also found leaks along the screwheads. Apparently these have not > always been sealed separately.> > An advice from my yachtpainters: NEVER use silicone goo on a boat. > It’s good for an aquarium, but that’s about where it’s good for. It > also contaminates the surface so you can’t paint it anymore, unless > you apply very harsh methods to remove the silicone remains. > > michel>IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE. Any advice expressed above as to tax matters was neither written nor intended by the sender or Mayer, Brown, Rowe Maw LLP to be used and cannot be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed under U.S. tax law. If any person uses or refers to any such tax advice in promoting, marketing or recommending a partnership or other entity, investment plan or arrangement to any taxpayer, then (i) the advice was written to support the promotion or marketing (by a person other than Mayer, Brown, Rowe Maw LLP) of that transaction or matter, and (ii) such taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayers particular circumstances from an independent tax advisorThis email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail.