Which sealant for hatch?

[Rod]

Hi,
I have a new hatch to install. Can anybody recommend the best sealant to use and possibly those not to use?

[Miker]

I've used Sikaflex with great success in the past, however doing some work applying polycarbonate to colorblind recently I used a two sided tape called Coroplast. It appears to be similar in consistency to Butyl tape, however it is a little thinner and clear, but it sticks better than anything I've ever seen and will be used on Dulcamara in future for sealing hand rails to the top of the cabin roof, and possibly to stick on my new windows. Could be worth a look, and it must be good, because it's really pricy.

Don't know where my brother got it, but PM me and I'll find out.

[Troppo]

I have been experimenting with a white butyl tape that is made in Australia and used for such things as sticking dam liners together. I think it has benefits simply because it remains a solid sticky gunk, never sets hard, and so it does not loose adhesion to the surfaces. Even if the surfaces flex the stuff stays stuck, including if the seal is broken, so long as no dirt in there, it seals again when closed. Many of the fittings I am taking off have silicon stuff under them and I can see where water has seeped along one or more of the surfaces where the silicon has not properly adhered. For this reason I would not use general plumber's silicon.

Whether or not butyl tape stuff would be useful for ya hatch I don't know. I am still experimenting but in my opinion for some thngs a quality butyl tape product is excellent.

cheers
troppo

[Phillip]

I got hold of some of that Butyl tape [aound $30] and used it to seal my morse controls in the cockpit.

It no longer leaks, so it works as stated above. Will use it to reseat my sail tracks when I get around to it.

Very Happy.

[Oberon11]

Were do you get this Buytal tape from sounds good, is it like double sided tape? Cheers jl

[Troppo]

The tape I have used was from this place, service was very quick:
http://www.tapesonline.com.au/double-sided-white-butly-tape.html

The technique is from;
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/rebedding_hardware&page=1

I couldn't get the grey stuff recommended by the author of the above article although I think some of the folk on this forum have got some. Maybe they can help you with sourcing it. The white stuff I ended up choosing has worked very well however there is a bit of difference between types and I have not had enough experience to know what is the best product.

The white butyl tape I am using is like super blue tac. There is a very fine light mesh in the tape which helps to give it some stability but you mostly don't even know the mesh is there. Basically it is non-setting sticky gunk and even though called 'double-sided tape' it is not like that double sided sticky tape which has foam in the centre. This butyl tape, when you tighten up your fitting it will squeeze out a bit and you remove that excess. With my fittings, a bit of dust has collected on any of the exposed butyl but that is okay to me so long as the joint is waterproof. The stuff is a bit tricky to work with, being sticky, but it certainly waterproofs the fittings. Anyway, I encourage you to read about the technique as I found it very helpful.

[lockie]

Warning: butyl rant follows.

I've been using butyl (the grey stuff sourced via bro-in-law in the US) for about 3 years now. I've used it for windows, stanchions, cleats, pulpit/pushpit feet, hatches - everything and had not one dribble in that time - ie zero failure rate. That includes a fair bit of buried-bow/decks-awash time in PPB chop and Bass Strait swells.

Butyl is the duck's guts because: no mess or smears of sticky gooey Sikalex or silicone to clean up with smelly turps, easy to work it into whatever shape you want (flat gasket, o-ring etc) with your fingers, no smelly cleanup of aforesaid fingers, lasts forever so no hardening and chucking out of a $20 tube 2 weeks later with only 25 cents worth used.
And, wait for this, a lifetime supply of Blu-tack to stick things on the cabin walls (notes, pix, remote controls, phones, whatever) and for home! No steak knives though.

Oooh! I could go on and share my rapture! But you've probably caught my drift by now.

Cheers from Felissity's (finallly) nice dry cabin.

Graeme