I am sure they are all good but does any one have a favorite? One brand stand up to our winters better than others?


Thanks, Ev.

I always use 3M's 5200. It's expensive stuff to waste, so here's the trick if you go that route: immediately after use/openning, FREEZER the stuff.

Don't forget that you can oversize (drill out) the attachment holes, seal with 'glass, then drill the attachment hole through it, thus ensuring no water damage even if it makes it through the sealer down the years until your next 're-bedding'.

Gary wrote:
I always use 3M's 5200. It's expensive stuff to waste, so here's the trick if you go that route: immediately after use/openning, FREEZER the stuff.

Don't forget that you can oversize (drill out) the attachment holes, seal with 'glass, then drill the attachment hole through it, thus ensuring no water damage even if it makes it through the sealer down the years until your next 're-bedding'.


Thanks Gary. It is spendy but 3M is hard to beat. Saw this in the product description; "Not for use where teak cleaners are used". Not that I have much or plan on cleaning it that often but something to consider.

I will go the oversize and glass route. Also going to soften the edges of final holes w/ a countersink bit.


Merry Christmas, Everett

Hey, since we're talking about sealing things... I've got a couple of stanchions where, at the base, there's some 'crackles' in the gel coat. Like as if maybe some PO had fallen on the lifelines, pressure pulling on the deck caused these hairline cracks. Awe, hell, you guys know what I'm talking about.

What's the brain trust collective wisdom re the best way to seal the things? Just float/force some 'glass down in with a plastic spatula?

Gone has a couple of spots like that and I have wondered the same. Hate to just prime and paint if they are just going to open up again.

Chris mentioned the need to do some re-bedding so I hoped he would chime in w/ a technique or an opinion.

Cheers, Everett

Well, the 'crackles' appear to be way to thin for effective sealing, even if I FORCE epoxy/resin into them with a plastic spatula. It's readily apparent that this is only a gel coat issue... I wonder if I even need to be concerned. The only thing that COULD get a little wet under the gel coat would be the underlying epoxy/resin. Not to mention it just might happen again.

What I am thinking, is that perhaps I should 'chase' these microscopic crackles with a dremel. Only as deep as the gel coat, mind you, but to widen these cracks to, say, am 1/8", then sealing them with GEL COAT itself?

Actually, it's doomed to re-occur now that think of it. The underlying (stanchion) plate is to small. And the way it's designed (stanchion) will always provide the leverage to 'pop' some crackles into the gel coat if there's ever a force applied to the top of the stanchion. Perhaps just a dollop of 5200 on the thumb, pressured/smeared into these hairline crackles? I'm certainly not going to sand off all of the... hmm... 5200 it might well be.

I have read about some people sanding areas of cracking down, filling the cracks with epoxy and then painting over it. I guess it depends on how bad it is as to whether you'd use epoxy or just paint. It also depends on whether it's a high stress area. I have seen a lot of boats with that kind of cracking right at the front of the cockpit which might come from flexing of the boat in seas. I've read that people have epoxied them only to have them return after a season or two due to this.

In the case of the stanchions.. if it's severe enough cracking to let water in the core, might be something to epoxy over and paint... The Ariel up in Sister Bay had the same thing -- cracking around the stanchions:



I asked some of the sailfar guys about this particular one and none of them felt this was bad enough to even bother fixing unless I was anal.

This is all stuff I've read on various forums and is not based on my experience or skill

Actually, I don't think it's a problem, just unsightly. Seems more of a 'leverage' issue thing doomed to come back. That is... well, here;s the example: most people don't notice that I'm not a small guy (be nice, now!). Because of my height, people always guess me to weigh much less than I really do. So, when I lean back, FLOP, DRAPE onto the lifelines... I'm still exerting well over 6' and close to 240lbs on the lines. And due to construction, this does 'flex' the deck down at the stanchion base. Ergo: microscopic 'crackles'.

I'd obviously seal them if they allowed any ingress. I just don't like the looks... but I don't think I've ever seen a sailboat that DIDN'T have them (unless brand new). Was sorta hoping there was a magic cure, cause I sure have no intent on sanding and 're'-gel coating the area.

So, Chris... when you mentioned owners stating that they simply return... yeah, that's what I kind of figured would happen, and why I've left them alone. Oh, well, no biggie.

Gary wrote:

I'd obviously seal them if they allowed any ingress.



That's my main concern. Considering our weather I picture moisture seeping in and then freezing and expanding making matters worse. A thin coat of the 5200 is probably the answer.

I'm sure you already know this (but I can't stop myself). The cracks are stress cracks. They are caused when a small local area gets loaded up too much. Like Gary mentioned with the stanchion that has a lot of leverage against it's backing plate, or in sharp corners (cockpit), where if you one side might deflect (due to my large round appendage), and the load can't be absorbed by the other face because the corner is in the way, so the corner takes all the deflection load in a very small area.

Usually this crazing is just an aesthetic issue (gel coat crazing), as the fiberglass still seals everything. If the cracks go into the laminate, then you have an issue.