Sealing Stringers/Panels - 5200 or Glass Tape?

[Ken_StJohn]

Just anothr question in the string of many!

Getting to the point where I want to seal the stringer joints in places like the lazarette/transom compartment, forepeak, etc. So, the guide says to use 5200. I have had a couple advisements to glass with fiberglass tape. I'd be very appreciative of any comments in this regard. I am particularly interested in knowing if anyone has had any leaks regardless of the method they used. Thanks All!!

[Dave R1]

Ken, my stringers were epoxied/screwed in place and I ran a bead of 5200 along them after the sides were installed. I've never had a drop of water through one of those seams. I'm not sure the 5200 was even needed. I just did it because they said to.

If you want to add glass tape along the seams you'll need to make a fillet of epoxy because the cloth won't like the sharp bend. If you were to build up those areas into a fillet with epoxy after the sides are on, glassing would be a nice touch. I don't think you'd have to do it though.

I would be inclined to do it between the cabin bulkhead and the bottom in the cockpit and maybe on the cabin side. On the cockpit side because it would look nice and on the cabin side because there's this hard to get at area down there. Making most of that fillet before the sides go on would make life easier.

You won't see the seams under the seats so I don't think I'd bother.

By the way, one thing I did that I don't seem to have pictures of is to line the cockpit sides with 1" insulating foam. Over that I put a panel of 1/4" luaun plywood sanded and varnished. This provides a tiny bit of flotation but it mostly just adds a bit of looks. I added some stringers on the inside of the hull sides into which screws are driven to hold the plywood.

[JMetzner]

Ken,

I just did the 5200 thing along all the stringers. Never had a leak. I think the fiberglass tape ( and the associate filleting ) would be overkill.

--John M.

Alaskan-in-Exile

[Barry Pyeatt]

Ken,

You won't need the tape for strength and adding enough epoxy and filler to make nice fillets would be quite a job. The addition of 3M 5200 isn't to keep water from coming in from outside so much as it is to keep water from getting into the joints from inside the boat. They tend to develop standing water inside under various conditions but mostly when they just sit on the trailer most of the year in the off season. Condensation and some leakage around covering tarps etc can add up.

The critical areas are primarly anywhere along the lower portion of the hull and up the sides. The joints along the underside of the deck are not so much of an issue but it is still a good idea to caulk them. Paint adheres to the 5200 jsut fine after it has set up. But some care should be taken when applying it because it doesn't sand worth a darn. So like caulking around a tub or tub surround, you would probably want to make it nice to begin with rather than trying to come back and smooth it out. Wear a couple layers of latex gloves when applying it cause it don't come off the skin easily. :wink:

[Ken_StJohn]

These are great tips guys, as usual. Interesting thought on the 5200 sealing against inside penetration - never thought about it in that aspect. This all started because I saw some guys had glassed interior sections before the sides went on and it looked like tape across the stringers. Thanks, again!