Marine sealant question off topic

[ArtJ]

I am installing a Moor Knotmeter in my Tartan 34 . I would like to swap
out the existing Horizon Transducer over a tide change. This means
that I need to use something that will either cure in under 2 hrs or
continue to cure underwater.
Does anyone have any suggestions? I have spoken to Moor they only
said they do not recommend using anything with polysulfide in it since
the fitting is Lexan.

I have also spoken to 3m marine. They said fast cure 5200 will work, but
needs air to completely cure.

Is there anything anyone has used from the hardware store or plumbing
store that would give me quick seal?
I have some liquid teflon tape that I used on my lawn sprinkler system,
but am reluctant to use it.

Any suggestion appreciated, especially if someone has used it to
seal a thru hull quickly then go underwater it

Thanks very much

Art

[ArtJ]

I forgot to add the fast cure 5200 needs 24 hrs to cure.

[hanleyclifford]

How about that stuff they call "plumber's putty"? Used to seal shower drain flanges and such.

[ArtJ]

Thanks for the suggestion, I am a little reluctant to use plumbers putty
thou. I was hoping someone knew of a super fast cure silicon or rubber
sealant without polysufide. or some old time sealant like a super thickened
permatex>

Thanks appreciated

[ArtJ]

How quick do the permatex form a gasket tubes cure?

[hanleyclifford]

You could also use Dolphinite. I used to use it for bedding, til I realized that roofing tar works just as well.

[ArtJ]

What is Dolphine (sp?) where can it be obtained.

I also noe wonder about
butyl rubber. I used some to seal port lights. It stays very stick and
I wonder if it contains polysulfides?

[hanleyclifford]

Dolphinite by Woolsey #2005N is in the West Marine catalog in maintenance section. Excellent bedding compound.

[Dave Neptune]

What Hanley said, he beat me to the punch! It won't dry out and I have never seen it leak!

Dave Neptune

[Jesse Delanoy]

Not to pee in the punchbowl or anything, but I think if I were re-sealing a hole on the bottom of my boat, I'd wait for the next haulout and do it properly, with the right materials and the right amount of time before splashing it.

I'd hate to be at sea and have water start leaking in around the transducer. My folks had that happen to them cruising the Bahamas many years ago. They were starting to get exhausted taking turns on the manual bilge pump (either did not have an electric, or it was being overwhelmed), until my dad got the bright idea of diving over the side with the plunger from the head, and sticking the big suction cup over the thru-hull fitting. They were then able to wait until a large yacht arrived in the area with repair materials.

I'm told that, shortly after that, word spread and you couldn't buy a plumber's helper in the Bahamas for love or money, for some period of time.

[ArtJ]

Thanks

Do you know if it contains sulfides or something that will attack lexan/

I will check the west catalog

Regards

[lat 64]

Sounds like you have the right advice, but I would stay away from plumbers putty. I think it is made from fine clay and linseed oil. It is made so you can undo a drain or pull up a sink to repair.
I hate the stuff—it always leaks!

Awesome advice regarding plumbers helper. I have the mini version on my boat.

[tenders]

I've replaced throughhulls with the boat in the water using 5200 with no cure time in the air at all. Somehow, eventually, the stuff does cure underwater.

Butyl can be used to seal Lexan and every other type of hatch; it shouldn't have the destructive chemicals that polysulfide has. I love the stuff but I wouldn't use it below the waterline.

[ArtJ]

Thank you perhaps I will go ahead and use fast cure 5200.

How long has the thru hull be in use afterwards?

Thanks again

Art

[ArtJ]

By the way, It is Delrin, not lexan ( my typo) There is also a neophrene
gasket on the outside of the hull to accommodate a bevel in the xducer.
I did not wish to bevel out the xducer hole, so the mfr MOOR, provides
the gasket as a alternate method.

Thanks

[ArtJ]

Just as a curiosity, I have put in a call to woolsey regarding applicability of
Delrin fitting with Dophinite. I will let you guys know what they say.

[rigspelt]

Originally Posted by lat 64

Sounds like you have the right advice, but I would stay away from plumbers putty. I think it is made from fine clay and linseed oil. It is made so you can undo a drain or pull up a sink to repair.
I hate the stuff—it always leaks!

After years of dealing with sealants on our own boats I did a bathroom reno recently. Dutifully followed the sink installaion instructions and bought a little pot of plumber's putty. That stuff is from the old days; compared to modern options it is crumbly and tricky to get to seal -- I'll never use it again. Butyl tape worked much better. I had trouble sealing the sink drain to the trap unit. I finally got fed up and used my one little tube of 5200 instead. Worked like a charm. I rarely use 5200 on the boat. Wouldn't recommend it for house plumbing by the way, this was a special case .

I agree with the advice to save the job for the fall or a longer haulout, if only for peace of mind.

There is a fast cure 4200 too. Not sure if it applies to Delrin. Should be a bit easier to remove than 5200 down the road.

Hadn't spent much time learning about dolphinite, and never used it. Found this interesting thread: http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?t=5085.

[ndutton]

Back in the days I worked at the sailboat plants we never used Dolphinite below the waterline, same for anything silicone based. We always used polysulfide but never had to deal with the exotic plastics available today.

Seems like Sikaflex is a viable option.

[tenders]

> How long has the thru hull be in use afterwards?

10 years I believe. Long time.

[ArtJ]

Polysufate based sealant are not recommended for use by the Knotmeter
mfr.

I saw a posting by Woolsey that mentions harmful ingredients in
Dolphinite. One of them is Mineral spirits. I don't think this is something
that would be good to put in contact with delrin ?


Thanks

[hanleyclifford]

Dolphinite is SPECIFICALLY intended for use below the waterline. The West Marine Catalog states that Sikaflex should not be used with plastics.

[ndutton]

Originally Posted by hanleyclifford

Dolphinite is SPECIFICALLY intended for use below the waterline.

Whether it is or not, my post was related the practice of the manufacturers.

[ArtJ]

Thanks guys

I am leaning towards the fast 5200 being the closet sealant. I have a
external to the outside of the hull mounted
neophrene flange/ adapter/gasket from the Mfr Moor of the knotmeter.
That should provide some protection for the 5200 while it cures.
Additionally, the 3m folks said it will cure underwater, but more slowly.

[hanleyclifford]

Actually 5200 is a good choice on a fibreglass/epoxy boat especially for bonding metal to a deck. It is not good with wood, claims by 3M to the contrary notwithstanding; although it appears to penetrate, upon "curing" it has a tendency to withdraw from the wood as it gets evermore "rubbery". I think in your proposed application it will be fine. I agree that it is not necessary that it be cured before exposure to water.

[thatch]

All,
5200 is truly a magical product in the right situations. It will bond almost anything to almost anything very well, sometimes too well. If you think you may be disassembling the parts you are glueing together you might want to reconsider using it. Recently I read an article about replacing the windows on a catalina 30. It seems that the previous owner had "cemented" the original windows in with 5200 and despite all of the refitters razor blade and putty knife tricks he wound up damaging the cabin rather severly getting them out. I realize that there were some time constraints on the transducer installation, and agree that 5200 is probably the right choice here, but it's always good practice to the think about it's long term implications.
Tom