Since Ive been doing jobs and the sealant was open...
Posted by Agent_Andy007@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 49 comments
My mast boot has been leaking for the last few months and i havent had a chance to get it done until now. I used 5200 since ive had issues with 4200 releasing from the surfaces i put it on. I cleaned all of the old sealant out and washed well with acetone before putting sealant on all the gaps before wrapping it with a rubber mast boot wrap. This is my first time doing this job and judging by all of the duct tape under the old boot wrap it was more past due than i thought
nnimbot@reddit
Yeah, you may regret this. If it works, it will work forever, but if not good luck!
Agent_Andy007@reddit (OP)
Im prepared for it. Whatever sealant there was under the one i removed had no intension of coming off again. I dont trust the claimed UV resistance so i still plan to cover this seal up with something like a UV resistant cloth or something
noj_@reddit
i know it's a little late, but they do make a 4000 specifically for UV related needs
Agent_Andy007@reddit (OP)
You mean the sealant or the boot material? For the sealant i think you mean 4200? And yes ive used it before but it kept failing and separated from one or both surfaces it was sealing
WaterChicken007@reddit
Not 4200. 4000. The 4000 is UV resistant.
Agent_Andy007@reddit (OP)
That would probably explain the constant failures on my windows. Ill definitely look into that so i can attempt to seal my windows for the umpteenth time
HotMountain9383@reddit
Dude, for your ports you gotta be careful which sealant you use. Beckson for example will specify a certain type, such as Sika 295UV.
You need to be careful not to use a silicone based sealant in the wrong places as an example. Silicone can be another devil.
The comment below by Wierd657 is correct.
As for Butyl. It's excellent but generally needs a mechanical compression to be effective.
seamus_mc@reddit
Use butyl tape, the next owner of your boat will thank me
noj_@reddit
interesting tidbit - when the apocalypse happens, and everything is gone and decayed - no more concrete, brick, steel - when all that is gone - all that will remain is butyl tape. it's used in cemetaries - so when Will Smith is roaming the earth with his dog, killing all the cute vampires - all he will see is rectangular pieces of butyl in the cemetary
deltamoney@reddit
Butyl gets brittle in the cold. The windows I just removed had all kinds of cracks and separation in the butyl. I would assume from going through winter cycles. It also heated up and literally drooped into the cabin.
I personally will never use butyl again for windows.
seamus_mc@reddit
That sounds like something other than butyl? I have used it from the North Atlantic to the Caribbean and never had anything like that happen.
Agent_Andy007@reddit (OP)
I was doing a method that another user suggested to me of using vhb tape to hold the window in place and then sealing the edges. The goal is to not have screws
btongeo@reddit
This is interesting - my windows are in bad shape and need replacing. I would love to do it without screws. Can you link me to any resources I can read about this method? How did it turn out for you?
Agent_Andy007@reddit (OP)
Initially it went very well, but after 5 months or so the sealant i used (3m 4200) has begun separating from the acrylic replacement window. I used 3/8 bronze acrylic from acmeplastics.com and 3m 3/4" VHB double sided tape all the way around the perimeter of the window. I believe i used the incorrect sealant as another commenter on this post has said (4000 uv resist vs. 4200)
deltamoney@reddit
Dowsil 791 or 795 is what you want. 791 is a sealant and will flex more. 795 is adhesive sealant.
You also need to properly glaze the windows. You need a specified thickness for the sealant or it will fail. You need like 1/4in or 5/16. Read the datasheet.
deltamoney@reddit
I just did this.
VHB 4991 and dowsil 791. With a 5/16th gap around the window for the sealant.
deltamoney@reddit
I just redid windows that were done with butyl. It really sucked having to deal with the old butyl. It also looks like it was cracking a separating from the cold.
I redid them with VHB 4991 - the thicker of the VHBs and dowsil 791. 791 is sealant and will stretch 50%. 795 is adhesive sealant and will only stretch %25.
Wierd657@reddit
Sika 295UV
3M 4000UV
Butyl Tape
HotMountain9383@reddit
Yes they do, and I use it in the appropriate places on my boats.
Successful_Cod_8904@reddit
I would rather be able to inspect the mast foot annually. This will deteriorate the aluminium it might stop a leak but there are better methods with rubber boot and sealing with amalgamating tape.
Fabulous_Scholar3887@reddit
Oh my God that’s 5200
HotMountain9383@reddit
Erm... 5200 is pretty serious for that, it's quite hard to remove.
Agent_Andy007@reddit (OP)
Hard but not impossible. Im prepared for the removal if necessary
HotMountain9383@reddit
Okay mate, your boat, your choice. Honestly I would have looked at some other mast boot choices.
Whatever gets your sailing though.
Enjoy
tcrex2525@reddit
General consensus is only 5200 when it’s below the waterline. This is going to create hours of additional work in the future.
Wierd657@reddit
And only for permanent metal through hull fittings.
bernoulli33@reddit
Yep, it’s more of an adhesive than sealant.
cianclarke@reddit
Please tell me this is trolling
Agent_Andy007@reddit (OP)
This is trolling. Do you feel better now?
Wierd657@reddit
Repeat after me everyone:
5200 👏 IS 👏 THE 👏 WRONG 👏 TOOL 👏 FOR 👏 EVERY 👏 JOB 👏
Agent_Andy007@reddit (OP)
5200 👏is 👏the👏 tool 👏i👏 used👏 not👏 the 👏one👏 you 👏want 👏me👏 to👏 use👏
jh937hfiu3hrhv9@reddit
If you change your mind there are releasing agents to remove 5200.
Wierd657@reddit
*help remove
Agent_Andy007@reddit (OP)
Thats mainly why i dont mind using it. 4200 wasnt sticking to any surface i used it on no matter how much i cleaned it with acetone prior. Im not using a permenant sealant because i want to but because anything less has already failed 🥲
spongue@reddit
Sometimes acetone may not be enough, it could require sanding to expose fresh material, and then acetone.
I doubt the previous bonds failed because 4200 is too weak of an adhesive
Agent_Andy007@reddit (OP)
I sanded as well with 120 grit before acetone. Sorry i forgot to mention that 😅
nekaiser@reddit
Nice caulk, bro
M37841@reddit
This is the one we fashioned today from a tractor inner tube. The rope was just holding it tight while the glue dried. Quite chuffed with the result
Westar-35@reddit
Generally speaking when you apply mast boot tape:
+ you stretch it pretty hard when wrapping and stick it to itself
+ clamp on a large hose clamp
+ trim the tape above the clamp
+ If you really wanted to apply some sealant after that, such as in the bolt-rope track, you’d use 3m 4000.
Raneynickelfire@reddit
You used 5200 to seal your mast boot.
That's what you did, you made a conscious decision to 5200 your mast to your boat.
Good god brother what the FUCK...
mckenzie_keith@reddit
My mast was leaking. It has that cast in place polyurethane stuff. I forget the brand name. Someone tried to seal it with a marine caulk type material. I ripped it all out and painted it with liquid flex-seal. Multiple coats until it sat flat and didn't seep in or sag. Works great.
HicksAndTheCity@reddit
The Mast Boot battle is real. Thoughts and prayers friend
FlourNotAnthrax@reddit
Save a rigger and just use Windblown 60.
Agent_Andy007@reddit (OP)
A rigger? What would cause a rigger issue with my mast boot? The sealant is only on the upper part of the boot at the leading edge to fill the gaps. The rest is just the boot tape
Lopsided_Ad_5152@reddit
I worked at a marina growing up and a guy did this exact same thing. When he had to take the mast down, the crane almost picked the entire boat up by the mast. I'm not sure if or how he ever got that mast out. 5200 has an adhesive of 700lbs psi. That a lot!
Agent_Andy007@reddit (OP)
The adhesive is onle sealing the very upper portion of the boot material. If i were to do that the only thing keeping it from moving up would be the stretchy silicone material i used to wrap
hemi1995@reddit
Nice work. I wonder if you could have a “boot” 3 d printed? Hope it works!
Agent_Andy007@reddit (OP)
Thanks! Not sure about 3d printing one because youd still have to seal the top and bottom plus shield it from the sun
caeru1ean@reddit
Let us know how it goes getting that back off 😂