Andersen Bailer Retrofit.

[Don Silsbe]

The guy who bought Local Honey banged up the bailer, and wants to install a replacement.  I can’t remember what sealer should be used.  I hate using silicone on a painted boat.  What do y’all recommend?

[Dnjost]

I used 4200 to install the bailer.  Going strong 10 years later, new gasket last year.  

[Hirilonde]

If I want hardware to be removable I use polysulfide, 3M 101 or Boatlife Lifecaulk.  If I want the bond permanent I use 3M 4200/5200. If it has to be white and I want it removable, I use Sikaflex 291 LOT. Sikaflex is a polyurethane like 4200, but not quite as tenacious. Polysulfides in white tend to yellow over time.

[Don Silsbe]

@Hirilonde— Is polysulfide OK below the water line?

[Designer]

Polysulfide is fine underwater. 3M 4200 was designed to have a lower shear strength than 5200. Because the bailer has a metal base, you can heat it with a heat gun to 140 degree F and  and it will debond from polyurethanes and epoxy. 

 

I do not know how beat up the bailer is but if you squeeze both sides of the wire cam lever near the hinge point it will come out. Rotate the bailer down aft and it will come out. You can inspect the gasket and remove it if needed. All of this can be done in 5 - 10 minutes. The bailer can be trued up at the bench if needed. 

 

If I had new bailer that was the same as the old one I would inspect the old base, if the caulk and the base was fine I would swap out the parts and save the new base in case the caulk leaks in the future.

 

When Southern Skimmer arrived at the beach for the EC many years ago, about a dozen volunteers heaved her back to get her off the trailer. After about 4 feet she stopped dead. The bailer was left open as it had been raining during the drive to Florida and was slammed into a trailer bracket. As you can imagine the moving part profile was given a distinctive Z shape. It leaked badly but when I got home and trued it up in the vise and no more leaks. It may still be in there.

[Steve W]

Graham said in more detail what I was going to say. I've seen some pretty sick dogs get well back in my racing days. I bent Skeena's a bit and fixed it with vise grips and a crescent wrench in the parking lot. That SS is pretty thin and bends and unbends  easily. 

 

Take Care, 

Steve