Excellent video! What would you use to install a boat ladder with four holes drilled just above the water line through the transom? Mainly looking to seal the hardware, backing plate, and holes.
Thanks for watching, Jason. As I state in the video there are two kinds:polyurethane and polysulfide. Polyurethanes are adhesive whereas polysulfides are not and can be disassembled easily in future. I would use a polysulfide product such as BoatLife, which comes in various colors including white. Good luck with your project and have a very happy Thanksgiving!
@@boatus Thank you for the quick response! I had been leaning towards 4200. The only concern I have about BoatLife Sealant is that my transom is wood (2006 Lund). It looks like the BoatLife may not play nice with treated wood. Would you have any concerns with that or perhaps an alternative suggestion?
@@jasonschaumann8835 You could use 4200 but that is still an adhesive and may damage the wood if you ever have to take it apart. I’ve used BoatLife products dozens of times on wood without issue, and if I was in your shoes, that's what I would use.
@@boatus Thanks for the additional advice! After doing some more research, it appears that the Life Calk may be what you are suggesting...not the Life Seal. This would be more friendly to the wooden core inside the transom. Have a great Thanksgiving!
@@boatus How would you rate the Star brite Marine Silicone compared to the BoatLife Life Calk? I got my hands on some of the Star brite and wonder how well it would perform for sealing that ladder?
I have a 21' fiberglass ski boat (1989 Ski Challenger) that seems to be letting some water in at the deck to hull seam around the integral swim deck. This seam dips right down to the waterline at the rim of the swim deck. The rub rail is a bit scuffed and damaged around much of the gunwale but I am hoping I can seal this without replacing the whole rub rail. Can I properly reseal the deck/hull joint around the whole boat without removing the rub rail by simply filling any void under the rub rail with something like 3M 4000? Suggestions of products and methods would be appreciated. Thanks!
Thanks for the question, Adam. Unfortunately it's hard to tell without looking at the boat in person and seeing what's under the rubrail. What you describe is an unfortunate method of building a boat. I've seen some sailboats that had the hull deck joint descending near the waterline at the hull. Many problems. I strongly recommend pulling the entire rubrail, or at least much of it, to see what you have going on under there. If the hull deck joint is compromised further, you may have serious issues and will need to completely reseal it or screw and glue it. Since I can't say for sure, this is not a place to take any shortcuts.
@@boatus Ok that makes sense. Do you have any videos or suggested resources to better understand what is entailed in a screw and glue of the joint? Is is pretty much just in the name; i.e. pull the rub rail, clean the joint, glue the entire seam with something like 3M 5200 and install new screws similar to what I pull out? I really appreciate you pointing me in the right direction to find the right path forward!
@@AABlann Adam, each boat is put together a little bit differently by different manufacturers, and without knowing exactly what is under that rubrail, we can't point you to a specific video or resource. That said, you have the general concept correct - it needs to be opened up, cleaned, dried, and resealed with an adhesive/sealant like 3M 5200 (an excellent choice for this job). Keep in mind that this could be serious and if done improperly, the boat could flood. If there's any question, we strongly recommend hiring a marine surveyor or other knowledgeable professional to have a look before proceeding.
I'm looking for a caulking product that I need to replace after I accidentally removed it with my pressure washer, oops. I have a 1960 Meyers 12 foot aluminum v hull jon boat and the area is where the floor meets the v bow and the transom to side and bottom. It looks like white flexible silicone and very stretchy when I removed it. Like a rubber band. Not sure if it was original to 1960 or not. HELP !!!!!! Please
Hi Tim. Thanks for the question. We consulted one of our experts, and here's what he said: For aluminum hull repairs I have had good luck using 3M 5200 Adhesive/Sealant, Marine-Tex Gluvit Waterproof Epoxy Sealer, and JB Weld Marine Weld. But this case may include sealing between aluminum and another material (marine ply decking?). If that's not the case, 3M 5200 would be my recommendation. Hope this helps, and let us know how your project goes!
@@boatus Thanks for your reply. I'm just trying to replace what should be there and do the best job. I believe it is regular white silicon sealant/caulking that I removed and I'm not sure if it was original or not. It was very flexible, like a rubber band so I doubt it was 61 years old. I just bought the boat and started cleaning it so I have no idea if it sealed out water or not. I will look into the 3M 5200 and I thank you again. God Bless
You fail to mention the malleable tape you suggest will leave black streaks on the side of your boat as water runs off. They use it on RV campers and we all see the black streaks on the sides of a camper that needs cleaning.
Hi HG. Thanks for your question. I’d use the same product that you would typically use for bedding in any thru-hull below the waterline. As mentioned in the video we would recommend the use of a polysulfide product, such as those made by Boatlife. We would not recommend the use of a polyurethane product such as 3M’s 5200, which, although a great product, is an adhesive. If you do, it will be next to impossible to remove the transducer at a later date without damaging the boat and transducer.
Thanks for the question, Dave. As you may know marine sealants tend to fall into two groups. There are polyurethanes which are adhesives, and polysulphides which are more of a sealant without the tenacious adhesive qualities. As you rightly pointed out you need a polysulphide, and I would recommend Lifecaulk products. There are two part and single part. You should use the latter, which come in a variety of colors and are available from retailers like West marine. Do not use 3M 5200. Although an excellent product it is an adhesive and if you ever need to remove the motor or bolts at some later time it will prove almost impossible without damaging the boat and/or the motor mount.
Is this it? There are SO many kinds. I don't see polysulfide listed on any of the bottles on Amazon. Boat Life Lifecalk Sealant Cartridge, White www.amazon.com/dp/B00144B96A/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_B2-2EbS9K95DA
@@davebarylski2724 Yes, that is the correct product. It is a polysulphide. Here’s a link to the West Marine site where it is $6 per cartridge cheaper than Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B00144B96A/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_B2-2EbS9K95DA
What would you guys recommend for an aluminum house boat? I'm wanting to redo all the caulking on the outside of the cabin because the old one is crumbling and the paint is cracked. I would like for the caulking to be paintable.
It's the caulking where the different sections of aluminum come together, it's not welded all the way through, just a peanut weld every few feet and the rest is caulked.
This is tricky question as you do not say what the caulking is for, so I can only give general information. Caulking, as you are probably aware, is a generic term used for all sorts of sealants and adhesives. Which one you choose depends on where and for what it is to be used for. As you say you want this to be paintable, that immediately rules out anything with silicone in it as no paint will adhere to this. If the caulking is to be used as bedding for windows, ports and other such parts, I would recommend a polysulphide material such as those made by Boatlife or Sika. You could also use a butyl tape, or my personal favorite, Dolfinite, both of which stay permanently flexible so as components move they will not leak. Plus, should you ever have the need to take anything apart in the future, you can. If you are looking for an adhesive type caulk, look at the polyurethanes such as those by 3M. The top of the tree here is 5200, but if you use this then it is very unlikely that you will ever be able to get the parts apart in the future. For additional information check out our online guide www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2013/april/boat-sealants
Hi Wally, and thanks for your question. I'm unsure what you are asking here. Are you installing new rivets or trying to seal existing rivets that are leaking? Please let us know so I can best answer your question.
@@wallyfo Thanks for the clarification. If the rivets themselves are leaking, the only surefire way to seal them is to drill out the existing rivets and install new. Smearing goop on it isn't going to fix the problem. If the rivets are installed properly, they won't leak.
@@boatus Thank you very much for your reply. Yes you are right. I have put goop on all of them before with the same leaking results. Time to drill and re-rivet the boat. Thank you for the info
Thanks for the question, Karen. Before you can think of rebedding the windows, you need to remove all the frames and metalwork and ensure that they are totally free of old mastics and any other sort of bedding materials. The frames need to be cleaned back to bare metal; careful use of a razor blade and some solvent is the best method that I have found. Also, ensure that the fiberglass onto which the frame is to be rebed is also perfectly clean. This takes some time but ensures success and leak-free windows. Once everything is clean, you have a couple of options: You can either use a silicone product as you suggest or another couple of favorites of mine are Dolphinite bedding compound available from Petit or butyl tape. Both are excellent choices and are available from retailers such as West Marine. They never fully harden so they expand and contract with the frame as the temperature changes. Best of all, should you ever have to remove the frames again, this is an easy job. Do NOT use a product like 3M 5200. This is a polyurethane adhesive, and although it will work as a bedding material, it is primarily adhesive and it will be impossible to remove the frames at any future time without doing serious damage to the boat and/or the frames. Good luck with your project, and thanks for watching!
@@boatus I would never use 5200 on anything. Thank you so much for your advice. I'm very lucky as my windows don't have frames and are just screwed in from outside. I will have to clean old caulking from grooves. I think I'll try the Dolphinite, thank you.
@@TR4zest Bahahahaha! Good to know our "dad joke" game is on point! (Apparently it's really hard to say "Corke on caulk" when you have a British accent!😂)
![The Great Adhesive and Sealant Strength Test - (Lifeboat Conversion Ep5: Adhesive Test) [4K]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Uf4GhpBcaNU/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you for explaining the difference between polyurethane and polysulfide. Very helpful indeed. Good job.
You've very welcome, Jeff. Thanks for watching!
Excellent video! What would you use to install a boat ladder with four holes drilled just above the water line through the transom? Mainly looking to seal the hardware, backing plate, and holes.
Thanks for watching, Jason. As I state in the video there are two kinds:polyurethane and polysulfide. Polyurethanes are adhesive whereas polysulfides are not and can be disassembled easily in future. I would use a polysulfide product such as BoatLife, which comes in various colors including white. Good luck with your project and have a very happy Thanksgiving!
@@boatus Thank you for the quick response! I had been leaning towards 4200. The only concern I have about BoatLife Sealant is that my transom is wood (2006 Lund). It looks like the BoatLife may not play nice with treated wood. Would you have any concerns with that or perhaps an alternative suggestion?
@@jasonschaumann8835 You could use 4200 but that is still an adhesive and may damage the wood if you ever have to take it apart. I’ve used BoatLife products dozens of times on wood without issue, and if I was in your shoes, that's what I would use.
@@boatus Thanks for the additional advice! After doing some more research, it appears that the Life Calk may be what you are suggesting...not the Life Seal. This would be more friendly to the wooden core inside the transom. Have a great Thanksgiving!
@@boatus How would you rate the Star brite Marine Silicone compared to the BoatLife Life Calk? I got my hands on some of the Star brite and wonder how well it would perform for sealing that ladder?
I have a 21' fiberglass ski boat (1989 Ski Challenger) that seems to be letting some water in at the deck to hull seam around the integral swim deck. This seam dips right down to the waterline at the rim of the swim deck.
The rub rail is a bit scuffed and damaged around much of the gunwale but I am hoping I can seal this without replacing the whole rub rail. Can I properly reseal the deck/hull joint around the whole boat without removing the rub rail by simply filling any void under the rub rail with something like 3M 4000?
Suggestions of products and methods would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Thanks for the question, Adam. Unfortunately it's hard to tell without looking at the boat in person and seeing what's under the rubrail. What you describe is an unfortunate method of building a boat. I've seen some sailboats that had the hull deck joint descending near the waterline at the hull. Many problems. I strongly recommend pulling the entire rubrail, or at least much of it, to see what you have going on under there. If the hull deck joint is compromised further, you may have serious issues and will need to completely reseal it or screw and glue it. Since I can't say for sure, this is not a place to take any shortcuts.
@@boatus Ok that makes sense. Do you have any videos or suggested resources to better understand what is entailed in a screw and glue of the joint?
Is is pretty much just in the name; i.e. pull the rub rail, clean the joint, glue the entire seam with something like 3M 5200 and install new screws similar to what I pull out?
I really appreciate you pointing me in the right direction to find the right path forward!
@@AABlann Adam, each boat is put together a little bit differently by different manufacturers, and without knowing exactly what is under that rubrail, we can't point you to a specific video or resource. That said, you have the general concept correct - it needs to be opened up, cleaned, dried, and resealed with an adhesive/sealant like 3M 5200 (an excellent choice for this job). Keep in mind that this could be serious and if done improperly, the boat could flood. If there's any question, we strongly recommend hiring a marine surveyor or other knowledgeable professional to have a look before proceeding.
@@boatus Thanks!
I'm looking for a caulking product that I need to replace after I accidentally removed it with my pressure washer, oops.
I have a 1960 Meyers 12 foot aluminum v hull jon boat and the area is where the floor meets the v bow and the transom to side and bottom.
It looks like white flexible silicone and very stretchy when I removed it. Like a rubber band.
Not sure if it was original to 1960 or not.
HELP !!!!!! Please
Hi Tim. Thanks for the question. We consulted one of our experts, and here's what he said: For aluminum hull repairs I have had good luck using 3M 5200 Adhesive/Sealant, Marine-Tex Gluvit Waterproof Epoxy Sealer, and JB Weld Marine Weld. But this case may include sealing between aluminum and another material (marine ply decking?). If that's not the case, 3M 5200 would be my recommendation. Hope this helps, and let us know how your project goes!
@@boatus Thanks for your reply.
I'm just trying to replace what should be there and do the best job.
I believe it is regular white silicon sealant/caulking that I removed and I'm not sure if it was original or not.
It was very flexible, like a rubber band so I doubt it was 61 years old.
I just bought the boat and started cleaning it so I have no idea if it sealed out water or not.
I will look into the 3M 5200 and I thank you again.
God Bless
You fail to mention the malleable tape you suggest will leave black streaks on the side of your boat as water runs off. They use it on RV campers and we all see the black streaks on the sides of a camper that needs cleaning.
Interesting observation, Zash. We haven't had that issue, but perhaps it's due to where it's being used, road dirt, etc.
What type of caulk, if any, would you recommend for attaching an in-hull transducer to gelcoat?
Hi HG. Thanks for your question. I’d use the same product that you would typically use for bedding in any thru-hull below the waterline. As mentioned in the video we would recommend the use of a polysulfide product, such as those made by Boatlife. We would not recommend the use of a polyurethane product such as 3M’s 5200, which, although a great product, is an adhesive. If you do, it will be next to impossible to remove the transducer at a later date without damaging the boat and transducer.
I need caulk for the lower bolts that attach my motor to the hull. What would you use? Polysulfide? Best brand?
The bolts are loose. There is existing caulk that is old. I just want to replace it so it doesn't leak as much.
Thanks for the question, Dave. As you may know marine sealants tend to fall into two groups. There are polyurethanes which are adhesives, and polysulphides which are more of a sealant without the tenacious adhesive qualities. As you rightly pointed out you need a polysulphide, and I would recommend Lifecaulk products. There are two part and single part. You should use the latter, which come in a variety of colors and are available from retailers like West marine. Do not use 3M 5200. Although an excellent product it is an adhesive and if you ever need to remove the motor or bolts at some later time it will prove almost impossible without damaging the boat and/or the motor mount.
Is this it? There are SO many kinds. I don't see polysulfide listed on any of the bottles on Amazon.
Boat Life Lifecalk Sealant Cartridge, White www.amazon.com/dp/B00144B96A/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_B2-2EbS9K95DA
@@davebarylski2724 Yes, that is the correct product. It is a polysulphide. Here’s a link to the West Marine site where it is $6 per cartridge cheaper than Amazon:
www.amazon.com/dp/B00144B96A/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_B2-2EbS9K95DA
What would you guys recommend for an aluminum house boat? I'm wanting to redo all the caulking on the outside of the cabin because the old one is crumbling and the paint is cracked. I would like for the caulking to be paintable.
It's the caulking where the different sections of aluminum come together, it's not welded all the way through, just a peanut weld every few feet and the rest is caulked.
This is tricky question as you do not say what the caulking is for, so I can only give general information. Caulking, as you are probably aware, is a generic term used for all sorts of sealants and adhesives. Which one you choose depends on where and for what it is to be used for. As you say you want this to be paintable, that immediately rules out anything with silicone in it as no paint will adhere to this. If the caulking is to be used as bedding for windows, ports and other such parts, I would recommend a polysulphide material such as those made by Boatlife or Sika. You could also use a butyl tape, or my personal favorite, Dolfinite, both of which stay permanently flexible so as components move they will not leak. Plus, should you ever have the need to take anything apart in the future, you can. If you are looking for an adhesive type caulk, look at the polyurethanes such as those by 3M. The top of the tree here is 5200, but if you use this then it is very unlikely that you will ever be able to get the parts apart in the future. For additional information check out our online guide www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2013/april/boat-sealants
So what about a riveted aluminum boat. What would I need to seal all the rivets?
Hi Wally, and thanks for your question. I'm unsure what you are asking here. Are you installing new rivets or trying to seal existing rivets that are leaking? Please let us know so I can best answer your question.
@@boatus hey I'm trying to seal existing rivets in my aluminum boat
@@wallyfo Thanks for the clarification. If the rivets themselves are leaking, the only surefire way to seal them is to drill out the existing rivets and install new. Smearing goop on it isn't going to fix the problem. If the rivets are installed properly, they won't leak.
@@boatus Thank you very much for your reply. Yes you are right. I have put goop on all of them before with the same leaking results. Time to drill and re-rivet the boat. Thank you for the info
@@wallyfo You're welcome, Wally. And let us know how it goes!
I have 6 large windows on my Freedom 32 sailboat. need to replace. what would i bed it with. silicone?
Thanks for the question, Karen. Before you can think of rebedding the windows, you need to remove all the frames and metalwork and ensure that they are totally free of old mastics and any other sort of bedding materials. The frames need to be cleaned back to bare metal; careful use of a razor blade and some solvent is the best method that I have found. Also, ensure that the fiberglass onto which the frame is to be rebed is also perfectly clean. This takes some time but ensures success and leak-free windows.
Once everything is clean, you have a couple of options: You can either use a silicone product as you suggest or another couple of favorites of mine are Dolphinite bedding compound available from Petit or butyl tape. Both are excellent choices and are available from retailers such as West Marine. They never fully harden so they expand and contract with the frame as the temperature changes. Best of all, should you ever have to remove the frames again, this is an easy job.
Do NOT use a product like 3M 5200. This is a polyurethane adhesive, and although it will work as a bedding material, it is primarily adhesive and it will be impossible to remove the frames at any future time without doing serious damage to the boat and/or the frames. Good luck with your project, and thanks for watching!
@@boatus I would never use 5200 on anything. Thank you so much for your advice. I'm very lucky as my windows don't have frames and are just screwed in from outside. I will have to clean old caulking from grooves. I think I'll try the Dolphinite, thank you.
Good Info Thanks
Thanks for watching, Dal!
You missed the opportunity to say this is Corke on Caulk.
Oh, but we did, Brian! See 2:38 😂
@@boatus How did I miss that? Brain fart. Thanks for the laugh.
@@TR4zest Bahahahaha! Good to know our "dad joke" game is on point! (Apparently it's really hard to say "Corke on caulk" when you have a British accent!😂)
@@boatus Great stuff guys, I am binging on your videos.