What do you use to stop leaks around chain plates. I understand that common silicone caulking has acid in it that can weaken metals. Looking for suggestions on what to apply after I get the silicone off .
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PS; I guess I don't quite understand how to use the "search" on this site. I entered "chain plate leaks" and limited the search to the Discussion Bd for the last several months.
My chain plate leaked....you lower your mast un bolt the chain plate pull it out use 5200 to seal and put it back its simple and should do the fix for ya.
put 5200 inside and out
thank you for the reply Aya16. The chain plates I was referring to are the metal plates that hold the turnbuckels that lead to the stays that support the mast. I am getting leaking around those areas that go through the hull. I wonder if the miracle white stuff (5200) would work there?
Right they are easy to unbolt from the inside under the liner, you have an M right? you need some one to hold the nut on the outside as you use a socket and extension on the inside, pull the chain plate out from outside goop it up put it back and your ready to go..............
The X chainplate covers are notorious for leaking. Running silicone around the plates will usually stop the rain intrusion completely. This is the only place on the boat for this sealant! Usually needs to be done in the Fall here in Puget Sound's relatively mild climate. I did this for several years with no deterioration of the metal or gell coat. These plates flex when the boat is underway and using a more solid caulking (like 5200) will only cause the joint to loosen up and begin to leak again. I used to remove the old silicone with a sharp razor knife--sun will weaken it over the summer and it comes right off.
The M has a different design and basically doesn't leak--at least mine didn't nor do others I've talked to at Rendezvous complain about leaks.
Thanks for the info Tom. Sounds like another pro for the M in the continuing vs debate . Sometimes the debate is informative, sometimes amusing. I'm learning that the important thing in life is to want what I have.
Anyway-thanks for the tip on changing the sealant each year. I hadn't considered the need for that but will do it asap.
If any of you engineers know of any other info regarding the acid in silicone caulking, please let us know. Until then I guess I stick with it.
one caveat for the M owners.... those welded cover plates that are screwed into the deck..... some have had problems with cracking the deck from the inability of the chainplate to flex with rigging stresses.
.... whether there are overlapping cover plates, or just the open cracks for the silicone cracks, there has to be flex for the rigging stresses. Need to caulk either way.
I also have (hopefully had) a leaky chainplate and a leak around one of my stanchions.
I tried to unbolt the chainplate so that I could lift it out and put some sealant under it and then rebolt it. But I could not get to the back of the bolts (at least not easily).
Does that piece of fiberglass liner on the inside of the boat come off some way? We could not figure it out. I attempted to pry the liner out far enough to allow me to get a tool on those bolt backs but just couldn't get it to work (was afraid if I pryed any harder I would break the liner).
In the end we took a clear silicone sealant around the plate and the two vertical bolts. We did the same with the stanchion.
We will check our results today after we get off the water.
IIRC the chainplate cover issue on the isnt a structural issue, merely one of the motion of the chainplate cracking the deck slightly. Unsightly, but not an issue that will bring the rig down or anything.
The structural part of this design is deeper down inside the boat where it attaches to the hull.
Confusion abounds lately because it's not clear which boat a newbie owns. This chainplate issue differs slightly for X vs. M boats. As already mentioned above - but just to clarify:
The 26M has a cover plate welded right onto the chainplate, making it necessary (?) or just more convenient to remove the chainplate for rebedding or caulking. Catigale's comment refers to M-owner reports that 'working' movement of the rig or deck has sometimes caused the welded coverplates to slightly impact the deck's surface.
By contrast, the 26X cover plate is just riveted to the deck. Best approach is to simply drill-out those rivets, rebed the plates and reattach them with very short wood screws. IMO, there's no need to remove 26X chainplates. If one wanted to remove them, first remove the liner hole plugs to gain access to the chainplate bolts. You cannot remove the liner!.
Regardless of your boat model, flexible silicone is the popular choice of rebedding compound, since it can remain attached to both deck & stainless for a year or so. Scan the shelves for a UV-enhanced formula. With advance apology to Mike (aya16), I'd suggest avoiding 3M-5200 for this application, too stiff & difficult to remove/replace. Their 4200 formula might be okay.
Newbies, please consider adding at least your model of boat & motor to the Location field of your member profile. It means you needn't remember to mention the boat model (we never remember to anyway). It really does help readers understand your question, clarifies your discussion topic, and hopefully gets you a quicker, more accurate answer.
Understand all that. But to remove the starboard chainplate on an (2005 in my case) it seems as if one must remove the two vertical bolts that run down through the chainplate into the hull and the three bolts that go horizontally through the hull...the heads are outside the hull right below the chainplate...and the backs are inside the hull but underneath a piece of fiberglass liner that runs the length of the boat (I think) on the inside.
It was very difficult to get to the backs of any of these five bolts.
Is that fiberglass liner on the inside of the boat removable to allow access to the backside/underside of the chainplates?
aya16 wrote:Right they are easy to unbolt from the inside under the liner, you have an M right? ....
Jim, thanks for clarification.
Although I'm an Xer, your M liner is almost certainly not removable. Since late in the 26X run Roger has bonded the upper liner to the deck, creating a sandwich structure that increases rigidity of the deck. He surely must join the deck and hull before installing the chainplates, so cannot understand how it might be lacking hole plugs.
However, Mike has done it, and his comment (quoted) seems to lend a hint?
Tom Spohn wrote:The X chainplate covers are notorious for leaking. Running silicone around the plates will usually stop the rain intrusion completely. This is the only place on the boat for this sealant!
Disagree. The factory told me to use 5200 at the bolt that holds the centerboard, when I replaced a mangled CB.
I understand that common silicone caulking has acid in it that can weaken metals. Looking for suggestions on what to apply after I get the silicone off 
. 
Usually needs to be done in the Fall here in Puget Sound's relatively mild climate. I did this for several years with no deterioration of the metal or gell coat. These plates flex when the boat is underway and using a more solid caulking (like 5200) will only cause the joint to loosen up and begin to leak again. I used to remove the old silicone with a sharp razor knife--sun will weaken it over the summer and it comes right off.
vs 
debate 
. Sometimes the debate is informative, sometimes amusing. I'm learning that the important thing in life is to want what I have.
