Caulking ? Water Acumulated in Stanchion

Hello out there.
Sea Star. an IPY 440 2006 in Guatemala could use some information, please.

While preparing our cap rail for new Cetol-water came out of the base and screw holes of the stanchions by the entry gate.
This led to removal of more stanchions and all of them have water inside- and plenty of it. Apparently the lifeline holes allow such a collection?

What does IP suggest to refill the stanchion BASE
(we have scraped off and removed the current "caulking", totally. (removed a pad the size of the base with a cone shaped lump, topped with a stubby plug that plugs the stanchion- thus leaving standing water IN the stanchion.

Since we are not in a place where we can access a great deal of selection, any knowledge or suggestions would be appreciated. Our boat people here say Sikkoflex would work.

Any thoughts?

Also now that we have removed the screws, can we assume the nuts are in place in the interior of the boat? It's really hard to reach them, probably impossible in the rear lazarrete on our boat.

Tried customer service today and dealer but no answer on Friday, meaning no answer 'til Monday.
Work is proceding on our boat this weekend.

Kathy

I'm not IP but have rebedded and replaced a number of stanchions and have always used tan 5200. From what I have seen the Factory still uses 5200. Have not noticed water intrusion at all on any that I have rebedded. The nuts on our 350 were not captive inside the boat but rather had to be held from the inside in order to remove the bolts. Would check and see if you might have threaded backing plates.

Bobby

Bobby,
Thanks. I also found your more complete article on Forum Home Port. Is there a problem using sika flex? Is it normal to accumulate water in the stanchion? We weren't really having inside leaking problems. Kathy

Kathy:

No problem - I just have never used the Sikaflex for bonding - only for teak deck joints so have no experience with it.

I would think that it is not good to be getting water into the stanchions - have not seen or heard of this being a problem before. The points where the lifelines go through the stanchions are not sealed per se - seem to be nothing more than a crimp.

I think I would try calling the factory on Monday and see what they have to say.

Bobby

A few days ago Sea Star wrote about the issue of rebedding stanchions on IPY 440. The issue came about as the teak was due for a complete strip down to bare wood for recoating. During the cleaning to bare wood (removing the old finish by heating with heatgun and using a razor-sharp scraper)then sanding, is when our worker saw dark patches seeming to be showing from under our stanchions. I WILL PREFACE WHAT I WRITE BY SAYING THAT THERE WAS NO APPARENT WATER INTRUSION INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE FIVE YEAR OLD 440.

This is what we did. (Friday)
1. Remove 4 screws and firmly pull upwards to loosen each stanchion from the bedding material.

As the first was removed we saw a few cups of water come out from the stanchion bottom. Our boat had standing water in all stanchions.

Wrote to forum for information and then called IP Customer service on Monday.

NO ANSWER from IP about why there would be water in the stanchions. Silproof was the recommended bedding caulking. No Silproof here in Guatemala. Decided on Sikka Flex 1A.

To prepare to rebed we removed all old caulking with chisels and scrapers and applied two coats of Cetol Marine over cleaned bare wood.

Using directions from a IPforum info article, Grainne, May 2009 we carefully outlined the exact shape of the stancion with blue tape and another strip of tape inside the shape of the stanchion.

Replaced the stanchion with two screws to keep it tightly in place while we used a blade cutter to cut the tape to the exact shape required using the fastened stanchion base as a template.

Removed the base and applied caulking to wood, inside base of the stanchion and along stanchion base but not in screw holes.

Loosely replaced the two screws and slid the base down the screw threads to touch the wood.

Applied caulking by finger to bolt head threads, about an inch. and screwed the 4 bolts down evenly.
(IF you have and IPY440 you have imbedded chainplates in the interier and all work can be compleated from boat exterior)

Immediately cleaned excess from the screws and/or stanchion base.

We waited 24 hours to cut off the dried caulking and remove the last of the tape.

I'm relieved to have finished the job as the day after the bedding - about 1 foot of rain fell in two days! The Cetol survived and the boat currently isn't leaking- BUT why is there standing water in the stanchions??
Thanks Bobby, for your answer to my forum question.