Installing Deck Fittings on a Sailboat - Using Epoxy Resin

This video is all about drilling more holes in our sailboat, as a boat can never have too many holes...
I'm fitting a new block to the base of the mast and re-fitting the existing ones in a bombproof way to ensure they stay leak-free.
Leaking fittings lead to a wet deck core, costly further repairs and potentially dangerous failures.
Facebook: www.facebook.c....
Instagram: www.instagram.....

[@aquasapien9275]

Always so very informative, with just enough chit chat... Not imposing , perfect for a sailing master class. That's right, you are so in the know... thanks for sharing your knowledge. Fair winds dear friend.

[@pauld9530]

Everytime you use the vacuum with the red nosel i keep seeing a goose. Lol

[@SailingHiraeth]

🤣

[@Sp3ktral22]

flippin brill.

[@phygital1]

Bravo - from 🇨🇦

[@RichardBull4677]

Great informative video, looking forward to the next batch of sailing videos ⛵️ 🌊

[@oscarw9889]

Love your no nonsense style and your videos. Butyl is the way to go for deck fittings as too many people use and abuse 5200 and Sikaflex in the wrong places... How is the copper coat holding up? To me it is the only way to go as it is less poisonous then those ablative or even hard bottom paints.. Keep up the great work!👍

[@BlakeNeely-cq4gw]

Great animated diagrams, really helpful

[@kalemanzi]

Doing a refit on our marine ply boat. Pretty much every stanchion leaked and caused rot in the areas around it. We have now removed the rotten wood and replaced it with fresh wood. I was looking for the most intelligent way to reinstall the fittings because I never want to have those same problems again. This is definitely the way to go. In some places, I have the problem that stanchions are too close to the hull, so I can't get a backing plate in there.

[@mrangry01]

Another great informative video

[@normanboyes4983]

Excellent work - it’s a crazy amount of holes and bolts for four blocks though isn’t it?

[@SailingHiraeth]

Thanks. Yes, boats unfortunately require a scary amount of holes. It's the ones under the waterline we need to really worry about. 😬

[@JasonBellrealestate]

Really helpful Video.. helping us as we refit our C&C 34 in North Carolina. Enjoy your trip up the western isles!

[@WillN2Go1]

Good video. Thank you. My friend's boat needs a couple of blocks added close to the mast for her reef lines. This is really helpful. I've not had very good luck using mold release. A good trick if you're using something like that bolt as a mold: Wrap it in two layers of Teflon plumbing tape. One layer the epoxy might get through and it sticks. Two layers has always worked for me. But it means the threaded hole is oversized. So maybe use a smaller bolt as a mold and then tap the hole. Keying: that's a bit what you're doing with the small grinder. Usually people use 100 grit sandpaper to 'key' a surface for epoxy. If it's hardware and not a hull or deck or something that has to look great, I use really rough sandpaper, 20 or 40 grit. And of course you don't want to wait too long after the first epoxy to soak into the balsa and the final thickened epoxy. Otherwise it might not stick. Good job. I'll share this with my friend and we'll fix her reef blocks.

[@SailingHiraeth]

Glad you found it useful. Good luck with getting her blocks fixed.

[@crstothard]

Thank you! What are your views on the use of Butyl tape? Overkill? Greetings from NYC! Edit: Ha! I should have let the video play out before commenting. :) Thanks for sharing!

[@bojangles8837]

Have you thought about using G10 rather than aluminum or steel backing plate?

[@joshuabeiningen1457]

Thanks for the great video. I'm a new boat owner and need to go through all of my deck hardware and try to stop some leaks. This was very helpful in demonstrating what's in store for me. What epoxy and filler are you using for this?

[@SailingHiraeth]

Hi there Glad you found the video useful. I'm using West system 205 epoxy and their 105 (fast) hardener for this. The filler I'm using is also from West systems and is the 406 - Colliodal Silca. If you've never used epoxy before (or even if you have) I can recommend downloading the free (PDF) book they have. www.westsystem.com/instruction/the-gougeon-brothers-on-boat-construction-book/ Hope this helps, and good luck with the repairs.

[@interactivemechanisms7586]

Great video! Does butyl work on teak as well?

[@SailingHiraeth]

Hi there, Yes, butyl will work on teak. Though bear in mind that teak is porous. If you're planning on a similar job, I'd suggest: Follow the same process and epoxy the hole up to the level of the teak decking. Hope this helps 👍

[@LynM42]

Really enjoying your mix of adventure and boat refit videos. We have used butyl rubber mastic before in the form of Arbomast BR applied from a tube with a caulking gun (for bedding deck fittings and windows). This has always been successful but can be rather messy. Using Butyl tape seems to get over this problem. There seems to be some discussion (on other forums) that not all Butyl tapes are equally good for marine application. Just wondering which brand of butyl tape you used and where did you buy it? Also are those fittings still all leak free? Thanks.

[@SailingHiraeth]

Hey, glad you enjoyed the video. It wasn't a branded product we used. It's 9mm wide strip if that's any help. We're 3 years on from fitting those now, and we're still 100% leak free.

[@MrCiupol]

🫡🫡🫡🫡What year and model is your boat??

[@SailingHiraeth]

She’s a Centurion 42 built by the French boatyard Wauquiez in 1987